Mike’s Food for Thought

This week I ate at Amelia’s at 152 Port Watson St. It’s a very nice restaurant serving mostly Italian food although the menu is quite varied. They offered the usual fare of fettucini alfredo, ravioli, eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs. However they also offered several steaks, veal dishes, chicken entrees and on Friday,haddock and on Saturday prime rib. Appetizers included: prawn cocktail,chicken strips, calamari, mussels, bruschette,and crab rolls to name a few. They even had stuffed cherry peppers and sauteed chicken livers. Now thats italian. They offer a house, caesar or mozzarella salad and you can order antipasto.

The dining room is small but you do not feel crowded. A very homey atmosphere. They also have a very nice bar area on the other side of the restaurant. The wine list was extensive and had a nice selection of wines by the glass and I may add, at a very affordable price. A glass of wine between $4.00 and $6.00 is exceptional.

They offered some California wines as well as quite a few N.Y. State, Italian, and Australian. You could also purchase the wines by the bottle. I also noticed that they had a good variety of beers and mixed drinks as well.

I started out my dinner with a cup of homemade corn beef and cabbage soup. Large chunks of corn beef, potatoes,and cabbage in a rich beef broth. Very flavorful and hot. I might add that a cup of soup with an entree is only $1.50. Now thats a deal. I have eaten here numerous times and the soups have always been outstanding. For my entree I ordered Penne ala Vodka. It had sauteed red onions and tomatoes with pancetta in a creamy vodka sauce served over penne pasta. It arrived nice and hot and was a sizeable portion. I was hungry but I still had to take some of it home. It was a very tasty dish, one of my favorites at Amelias.

I should add that you also get a very nice tossed salad with a variety of greens and homemade croutons and a basket of bread with your dinner. I also like the fact that my entree was served on a hot plate and my salad was served on a cold plate. I like that attention to detail. Our server Sue was friendly and very efficient. Our courses were timed perfectly. I know Amelias offers some fantastic desserts however on the night I ate, I did not have room for dessert. But don’t let that stop you, give them a try. I’ve had them in the past and they were very good. If you’ve never been to Amelias, go and try it. Good food, good wine, nice people. You’ll like it.