di Paolo Offers Fine Italian for the Northsiders

While driving through a cold rain on Saturday night, trying to determine which strip mall on Holcomb Bridge Rd. housed di Paolo (www.dipaolorestaurant.com), I began to wonder if this venture into suburbia was the right idea. I mean, I had read the raving reports from Zagat, and even a strong recommendation from a friend who I truly trust when it comes to Italian, but the location in the middle of strip mall hell had me somewhat concerned.

But, my fellow foodies, fear not- di Paolo is the real deal. Not your typical Italian that serves veal parmigiana (no knock on this dish- its actually one of my favorites), di Paolo’s menu offers a unique, albeit limited, menu. For instance, my Dad, who was in town for the weekend, ordered skate. Now, I was pretty sure it was a fish, but other than that, I knew nothing about this dish. What is actually served is the wing of the skate, and it was cooked with a sweet glaze. I went with the Pappardelle, a flat wide pasta, with lobster, shrimp and scallops in a wine and butter sauce that was outstanding. You can get all the pastas in half portions, so if you wanted one for an appetizer, that is an option. Another cool thing about di Paolo is that you can bring your own wine for a $15 corking fee, which is very unusual for these parts.

The service was fantastic. Our waiter had a constant smile and very upbeat attitude. The restaurant has and modern simplistic elegance to it. Not huge, not overly decorated, but still you know you are in a special place. The only knock from a food perspective is that my Dad wasn’t thrilled with the tiramisu he had for dessert. I didn’t try it, so I can’t corroborate his claim that it was a little soggy. My wife’s dessert, however, the cheesecake with maple syrup gelato, was the best of the bunch.

So for those on the Northside of our fair city, this is definitely a place you should visit. Very good food, reasonably priced and great service. You just need to find the right strip mall. Grade: A-.