When our friends Larry, (aka. Larry at http://bigdudesramblings.blogspot.com/), and his better half, Bev, suggested that we all drive down to the Bluff View area to look around and have some lunch, we jumped at the chance!
The extra good news was that Larry and Bev wanted to eat lunch at a restaurant on the bluff that we hadn’t experienced before, but that we really wanted to try. This is Tony’s Pasta Shop and Trattoria. In 2010, it was picked as having the Best Outdoor Dining, (great views!), in Chattanooga. In 2009, it had been selected as the Best Italian Restaurant and as the Best Power Lunch in Chattanooga.
This is the lower level dining room at Tony’s. Both this room and the upstairs dining area have lots of windows and plenty of light. The ambience is simple and straightforward… As per the website, Tony’s is located in the former carriage house for a Victorian mansion.
Here are Bev and Laurie at our table in the upper level dining area...
And here we are…Big Daddy Dave and Big Dude (Larry).
When the wine we ordered was served, we decidied that it was a very positive sign. Genuine Italian Trattoria…wine in a water glass!
Then our waitress brought us this lovely crusty Italian bread with oil and shaved parmesan cheese. The excellent Bluff View Bakery, which is located right next door, produces all of Tony’s breads. For more information on the Bakery, go to: http://www.bluffviewartdistrict.com/subpage.php?pageId=143.
Larry and Bev ordered this appetizer. It’s the Salmon Fritto…pieces of salmon battered in Italian bread crumbs, fried and served with red pepper citrus aioli. ($6.49) We’d never seen this on a menu before…and it was very nice indeed!
Bev ordered the Spaghettini Carbonara…spaghettini topped with bacon and creamy alfredo sauce, then topped with mozzarella and baked. ($10.99) Bev is an excellent cook and she judged her entrée as a winner! She couldn't finish all of this food, but she made sure to ask for a take home container so she wouldn't leave any behind...
Although Lobster Ravioli was on the menu, Laurie surprised me by ordering a Sicilian Salad as her entrée! ($10.99) Ingredients included grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, capers, artichoke hearts, tri-colored orzo and feta cheese toasted with a roasted garlic citrus marinade. Laurie gave her salad a ‘two thumbs up’!
Larry and Bev had been down in New Orleans earlier this summer and Larry couldn’t resist ordering Tony’s Low Country Linguine. ($11.99) This dish is described as sautéed crawfish and mushrooms in creamy Cajun alfredo sauce tossed in house-made black pepper linguine. He cleaned his bowl! The spice was just right and he said that he’d definitely order it again.
I just didn’t feel like pasta, but I wanted to try something different. So, I ordered the Italian Sausage Burger, ($7.99), plus a side of Tony’s grandmother’s Sicilian Meatballs. ($3.50) The ‘burger’ is described as a hand-formed Italian sausage patty topped with sauteed garlic spinach, melted provolone cheese, oven roasted tomato aoli on a fresh house-made ciabatta bun. My sandwich had lots of flavor…very nice! Larry also had a side of the Sicilian meatballs. They were very good but we enjoyed them even more once we requested some of Tony’s excellent marinaria sauce to accompany and complement them.
We noted a couple of issues…at least from our viewpoint. Service was generally good but we weren’t offered any fresh ground pepper, unusual, especially for a salad. Also, no one offered any extra parmesan cheese for the pasta dishes. Serving meatballs straight-up/sauceless, also seemed a bit strange. Maybe that’s just the way it’s done at Tony’s.
All in all, Tony’s Pasta Shop and Trattoria is a great spot with great food. We will be back. Laurie and I have several other dishes we’d like to try and I noted still other entrees on the dinner menu that sound terrific!
If you would like to check out the complete lunch menu for Tony’s Pasta Shop and Trattoria, just go to http://www.bluffviewartdistrict.com/docs/102.pdf. The dinner menu is at http://www.bluffviewartdistrict.com/docs/101.pdf. Phone number: 800-725-8338, ext. 8. Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 11 AM – 9 PM; Friday – Saturday, 11 AM – 10 PM. For directions to Tony’s and the Bluff View Art District, go to http://www.bluffviewartdistrict.com/subpage.php?pageId=131.
Just click on any photo to enlarge it.
Thanks for stopping by for a visit…
Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
I really need to get A.J to take me on a day trip. Looks like all of you had a fanastic time!
ReplyDeleteGood shots guys and a fun day. In a couple of days, I'll post what Bev did with most of the mushrooms.
ReplyDelete