Friday, April 24, 2015

Dinner in Madisonville Tennessee

It was time for dinner and we didn’t feel like cooking… We’d heard some positive reports about a restaurant in downtown Madisonville Tennessee, so off we went!


This is the Patio Italian Restaurant.  It’s to the left of the door with ‘The Red Door’ awning over it.  There is actually a hidden patio underneath that red and white awning.  The front of the restaurant is ‘indented’ which provides the space for its outdoor seating…  



In the top photo you can see the patio area at the upper left side.

It was a weeknight but the Patio Italian Restaurant was very busy!  Note the line that has formed in the bottom photo.  The interior of this restaurant is nothing fancy but the tables are well spaced so you don’t feel crowded… 



Our waitress started us out with these bread sticks and some tomato sauce for dipping.  The bread sticks were OK but the sauce was a little bland for our tastes.


We ordered a tossed salad with our entrees. ($1.00)  While it wasn’t anything special, the ingredients were fresh and it was a good way to start our meal. 

Although we didn’t feel like ordering an appetizer, the menu does include offerings such as Bruchetta, Fried Breaded Mushrooms, Jalapeno Poppers and Fried Breaded Zucchini Stix.  Not in the mood for Italian food?  The options include sandwiches, salads, wraps, dinner salads, chopped steak and a couple of chicken entrees…


I ordered the Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and Meatballs. ($8.50) Even with the meat sauce, this dish was a little bland for me but the noodles were cooked correctly.  The meatballs were OK.  As for quantity…the Patio serves huge portions at very reasonable prices!  I ended up taking half of this pile of food home with me…

The Italian focus of menu for the Patio Italian Restaurant sticks with the basics…tomato, meat and Alfredo sauces; ravioli; eggplant; pizza; calzones, baked pasta offerings, etc.  They do offer shrimp as a protein option but don’t expect seafood, Italian steak or veal entrees… 

  
For her entrĂ©e, Laurie went for the Alfredo Carbonara. ($9.00) Diners have a choice of bacon or ham with this dish.  The Alfredo sauce was fairly rich, the ham popped it up a bit…and as you can see…the portion served was huge! (More food to take home for lunch…)

We noted that there was Baklava and Cannoli for dessert…but we abstained.  Service was efficient, the restaurant was clean and the food was OK… The pasta offerings are really a good value…with huge portions! 

Patio Italian Restaurant is located at 107 College Street in Madisonville Tennessee.  Phone: 423-442-4994.  Website: www.italianpatio.com.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave



4 comments:

  1. I think we ate there several years ago but can't remember for sure. As you know, it's always risky to eat Italian in our area, especially a place like Madisonville. Your dishes both look very good from here though.

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  2. I am a sucker for creamy Italian dishes! I just love a good, rich cream sauce...Laurie's looks real good.
    The prices are quite reasonable and the portions are outrages...can't beat a deal like that!

    Toodles,
    Tammy<3

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  3. Since I went to Tenn. Wesleyan College in Athens (back in the '60's), my college roommate was from Madisonville... I think there was another small Methodist college in Madisonville (Hiwassee I think).. I enjoyed my four years in that area --but we didn't have a good restaurant (that I can remember) like the one you all went to. I love Italian food --so would enjoy that place I'm sure. Of course, back in the days when I was there, my food budget was about $10 a WEEK..... ha

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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