Sicilia Mia

She said:

From outward appearances, this restaurant is as nondescript as they come. It’s wedged between a hair salon and a fitness center, so it could be easily overlooked unless one uses GPS to get there. Anyway, we were there to celebrate Brian’s birthday. Let the party begin!

Upon entering, I felt as though we’d been transported to Sicily. The low lighting, the caramel colored faux-textured walls, the white tablecloths, the dark tables, the portraits of famous Italians—Sophia Loren, Luciano Pavarotti, spaghetti Western actors, etc.—all lent to the warm, Italian vibe of being in the Old Country.

I was pretty excited at all of the items on the menu, but when a waiter served ribeye steak to the neighboring table, we were tempted by the wonderful smell and decided to order the same. We chose to pair it with two pasta dishes. However, ten minutes later, our waiter regretfully informed us that the ribeye was sold out. Rather than cancel our order, he expected us to scramble at the last moment to choose a substitute for the steak. We finally settled on a third pasta dish and the Italian Board. This meant that our food was served in backwards order. That was rather disappointing, but the fact that the food was delicious made up for it a little. Also, I’d informed the restaurant when making our reservation that we were celebrating a birthday, yet there was no special acknowledgement of this as there was at other tables.

Anyway, let’s get to the most important part: the food. I’d ordered the “famous” Pappardelle al Ragú. We were told that it was a kitchen recipe from Chef Angelo’s Nonna. It was an excellent choice. The thick, rich tomato-based Barolo wine sauce, the eggy, broad pasta noodles, the braised lamb, beef, and sausage were all blended into an exquisite dish. I finished the entire thing, which is a rare feat for me. (Sadly, this meant I couldn’t enjoy leftovers the next day).

I’m turning the time over to Brian. He can tell you about the Italian Board, and more about our dining experience.

He said:

Thanks. It was a great place to celebrate my birthday, but not without a few bumps in the road. I’m not too disappointed that they didn’t make a fuss over my birthday. I don’t need all that attention. We were able to witness a birthday recognition at a nearby table. It involved loud singing in Italian, and lots of clapping by various waitstaff, with many patrons joining in.

We sat under the endless gazes of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. I couldn’t help but make a wisecrack about les petits pois (which were not actually present), declare “Et voila,” and ask, “Want to top it?” (If you don’t recognize the references, I highly recommend you watch “Trinity is Still My Name”. Even better, watch “They Call Me Trinity” first. They’re both a lot of fun.)

Kathy mentioned the ribeye. I quickly glanced at it on the menu and moved on. The 42-ounce Porcini Bone-In Ribeye is meant for two. It sounds great, but that would have been a bit much even with our third guest. However, the waiter pointed it out to us when it was served to a neighboring party. The chef brought it out on a cart and carved it at the table. It was a beautiful steak, thick with a nice sear. Then the chef pulled out a blowtorch and fired it up. As I watched, I realized he wasn’t trying to char the steak. Rather, he concentrated on the end piece with the cap of fat on it. This he rendered with the torch, allowing it to drip onto the sliced meat. The enticing aroma made its way to our table, and I immediately changed my mind and decided to order the ribeye.

The ribeye comes without accompaniments, so at the waiter’s suggestion, we ordered two pasta dishes to share. We were disappointed when we learned that the steak had just sold out, but that wasn’t the real problem. The waiter had gone ahead and placed our pasta orders, though we were now no longer certain we wanted them. The Veal Tomahawk Milanese was also unavailable, which left only the Filetto Pepe e Funghi (10-ounce filet mignon) on the Carne menu. We ultimately decided to skip the Carne and keep the pastas, along with a new one, as our main entrees rather than sharing them. By the time we got this sorted out, our original pastas arrived. This meant that Kathy had to wait for her new order while the rest of us got to enjoy our meals. We also decided to order the Italian Board to share, since the pasta dishes are modest in portion. What should have been an appetizer ended up coming last. This probably isn’t a big deal, but it was awkward and unnecessary. When the waiter discovered that the ribeye was no longer available, he should have returned to us instead of putting in a partial order.

I ordered the Signature Carbonara for my pasta. (I skipped the Fresh Shaved Black Truffles on top, which by itself cost more than the pasta dish itself). The Carbonara was a lot of fun. One of the waiters brought a cart to the table. Atop the cart sat a wheel of Parmesan cheese, partially hollowed out. The waiter poured some alcohol into the cheese wheel and lit it on fire. (Don’t worry; I did not respond as Bud Spencer’s character Bambino responded to his flambé dessert in the movie). The waiter tossed the spaghetti noodles in the flaming cheese wheel, stirring in the melting cheese. The result was the most creamy and decadent Carbonara I have ever had, complemented with bits of salty pancetta.

The Italian Board featured cured meats and cheeses, with the meats in much greater quantity than the cheeses. The board also included a few grapes and olives, some crostini so thin that they were almost like chips, and a small bowl of honey with a chunk of honeycomb added. The portions of meat were so generous that I was able to make myself two sandwiches from the leftovers the next day.

Note:

We always publish our dinner price to help establish expectations and compare across different reviews. For consistency, we indicate our price for two, even though we had an additional diner with us this time. We wish to note, however, that while the total can be easily divided, some menu selections may not lend themselves to smaller parties. For example, we probably wouldn’t have ordered the $69 Italian Board if we had been dining alone. Similarly, the $120 Ribeye that we had wanted to order seems a better fit for three or four people than it does for two, as it is marketed. As a result, you may not be able to get the same meal for our price if you order as a twosome.

Conclusion:

We enjoy restaurants that offer great experiences along with great food. Sicilia Mia certainly had both. Blowtorches, check! Flaming cheese wheels, check! While the menu does have some cheaper fare, many items cost much more. Combining pasta with a carne will run up the bill quickly. However, the food is great! We recommend reservations as the restaurant can be busy and the waiting area is small.