Casa Grande Pizzeria
I have rediscovered Casa Grande just recently but it sure looks as if their following has not waned over the years. We arrived for lunch before the strike of noon and managed to snag a table but had we been detained we might have been out of luck. I recommended the cosy place recently when Daughter #2’s BF was looking for an authentic Italian place to plan a date. With the red and white table cloths and wax-laden white candles, it reminds me of the spaghetti eating scene in “Lady and the Tramp”.
I have yet to sample a pasta as I try to avoid carbs at lunch but the salads are divine. I am a purist when it comes to salad dressings having carefully noted the technique while travelling Italy. A salad like the Greek one that I chose this time or the Italian that I enjoyed on my last visit, just need a couple of tosses with a good quality olive oil and some vinegar to let the veggie and protein tastes shine through. If the salt and pepper have not been added in the kitchen, then season at the table and you’re done. The mozzarella in the Italian and the feta in the Greek is plentiful and satisfying. But just to make sure, my friend and I who were sharing the salad also ordered a small Italian sausage pizza. And even though our eyes were bigger than our tummies, it was a great lunch accompaniment. Although, had we known that the salad also came with a basket of grilled garlic toast, we likely would not have ordered the pizza as we left the entire bread basket untouched.
The pizza crust was as good as my home-made (imho) with lots of crunch and a hint of sweetness. Even smothered with cheese and topping, you could tell that the sauce was carefully prepared.
I am really looking forward to my next visit as they serve one of my very favourite Italian dishes. They call it Seafood Spaghetti-I remember it as Spaghetti ai frutti de mare from our travels up the east coast of Italy.
The server was handsome and attentive and the gentleman behind the cash register who I am guessing also has a hand in the food quality, equally handsome and charming.
Kath’s quote: “It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and the hunger for it; and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied; and it is all one.”-M.F.K. Fisher
That’s Amore.
We were given a gift certificate recently which made us even aware of the restaurant. The chianti bottles with the dripping candles reminded us of the 70’s when we met. Loved to the retro decor (although I suspect it’s just the way it’s always been) but even more the food was SO good. Probably the best pizza ever (aside form my hometown of Chicago…). Can’t wait to go back.
This is one of our favorite restaurants although we only go on special occasions. We were there last night for our anniversary. I don’t think I’ve tried the pizza yet. We tend to go with the dinner for two option. At $49.95 it’s a fantastic Deal. Two salads, two entrees (I had the Veal con Fungi), a 1/2 liter of the house wine (we had red), Tea or coffee and ice cream. Fantastic, and since we ordered the antipasto I had left-overs for lunch!!
Erin,
I had no idea that they offered this great deal. We are going to check it out very soon. Happy Anniversary.
Kath, I had not heard of this restaurant either. Now I want to check it out. But where is it?
Just a friendly suggestion… When mentioning local eateries that you particularly love and are in a neighbourhood, could you mention the area of the city or an address or something.
I was born and raised in St. B and though I’ve travelled far afield for a good meal, I don’t hear of a great little eatery in St. James or Lindenwoods say.
Thanks. I was enjoying travelling through Italy with you tonight.
Thanks for the suggestion Jacquie. Since I am linked to Urbanspoon where the neighbourhoods and addresses are all included, I sometime forget that this info would be helpful to my readers. Casa Grande is at 984 Sargent Ave. in what is called the Sargent Park area. MMM…now you got me thinking about their fettucine!
Thanks again! I have added it to my list of “must go to places”!
I used to love Sorrento’s on Ellice just behind the University of Winnipeg, but haven’t been in almost 2 years, so I’m not sure of how the food is lately.
I too haven’t been to that Sorrento’s in along time. I graduated from Theatre at U of W and because we spent many evenings at the school, preparing for productions, we frequented many little places in the area. That space was occupied by another Italian restaurant and if memory serves me it was called Luigi’s. We would come in as a group, haven pooled our resources, plunk the money down and Luigi would do his best to feed us on that budget. Ahh memories…