Late night but a good night.

First of all Beth, you never need to apologize to me for missing a blog I have posted. No one has been more loyal to me than you. So please don't worry about it.

Alrighty then, lets see...hmm... I almost hit two people with my car a couple of days ago. Of course it was not intentional. It seems that people are just so distracted these days. Walking about staring at the little screen in their hands, oblivious to the outside world. Stepping out into traffic from behind a parked car (pahked cah). What's more I get the dirty look as if I should have known instinctively  that they were going to step into traffic without even looking where they were going. The sidewalks are full of these screen staring zombies. I'm not knocking all these fantastic electronic devices but c'mon people, when you're walking down a busy street and then you want to cross, try and remember what you were taught when you were a kid. Look both ways before you cross the street! Of course if you do get hit by a car and you're still conscious or alive for that matter, you could text your friends,
"Just got hit by a car and am in great pain. LOL!"

Last night (Saturday) Arlene and I went out to dinner at our favorite local restaurant, Raso's Bar and Grille. Reasonably priced and wonderful fresh food with an Italian flavor. I wouldn't say it's strictly an Italian restaurant, but the predominance of the food is Italian. Now I may be prejudice, but there's not much wrong with that! No matter what we have for a main course we always start the meal with the antipasto. Here it is right from the menu.

 

Antipasto $12 (great to share)

Roasted red peppers, marinated mushrooms, grilled asparagus, caponata, fresh mozzarella,

prosciutto di Parma and soppressata

All of this is served on a bed of greens including basil, chicory and something else I couldn't identify with bread and seasoned olive oil with calamata olives. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's fresh and I just love it. This is some of the stuff that is served in Italy. You could almost call it peasant food and that's not a knock it's just an example of what you might be served at someones home. It's not all spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, pizza or ravioli. Though I love that stuff too.
And speaking of pizza, that's what we ordered. I just had a hankering for pizza with pepperoni and green peppers and Arlene was amenable with that. I wasn't in the mood for any of the other dishes. Here's a bit more of the menu.

Menu

~ Raso’ s Grille ~

 

Pasta

 

Shrimp Scampi $18

Sautéed and served with toasted garlic, basil, white wine butter sauce over angel hair pasta

 

Linguine Julia $14

Pancetta, fresh tomatoes, sweet peas, basil, toasted garlic, parmesan cheese and a touch of cream,

 

tossed with linguine with grilled chicken $16.5 with grilled shrimp $18.5

Mafalda Bolognese $16

Ground pork, veal, beef, roasted tomatoes, porcini mushroom cream tossed with fresh mafalda pasta

 

Sausage Piculini $16

Seared sweet sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic, cannellini beans, sun dried

tomatoes with bow tie pasta

 

Penne Chicken & Broccoli $15.5

Chicken sautéed with toasted garlic, chicken broth, parmesan cheese and broccoli tossed with penne

 

Baked Penne $13

Roasted tomato cream, fontina cheese served with seared spinach

 

with grilled chicken $16

Entrees

 

Grilled NY Sirloin $24 One of the best around…….certified black angus

Served with a red wine demi glaze, red bliss mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus

 

Pan Roasted Pork Loin $16.5

Served with an apple glaze, red bliss mashed potatoes and roasted green beans

 

Eggplant Parmesan

 

Served over pasta $14

Marsala chicken $17 veal $19

Pan seared medallions with sautéed mushrooms and choice of penne or linguine

Parmigiana chicken $16 veal $19

Mozzarella cheese, roasted tomato sauce, topped with fresh basil and choice of penne or linguine

Baked Haddock $18

Topped with herbed and buttery crumbs served with marinated tomatoes and house made rice pilaf

 

Wood Grilled Salmon $19

Served with buttered pea tendrils and white rice with garlic aioli

 

Eggplant & Zucchini Terrine $14

Layered with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, baked and topped with roasted tomatoes & grilled asparagus

Barbecue from the Grille

* Sirloin Tips $15.5 Turkey Tips $13 * Lamb Tips $16

Vinnie the Sausage Guy $10

Grilled Italian sweet sausage smothered with grilled peppers & onions

 

Baby Back Ribs half rack $14 full rack $20

Slow roasted with sweet and tangy barbecue sauce

 

Double Combo $15 Triple Combo $16

Any two ( 2 ) barbecue items Any three ( 3 ) barbecue items

 

For combos with baby back ribs or lamb tips ~ please add $1.5 for each item

Served with a house salad and your choice of red bliss mashed potatoes, french fries or rice pilaf

Arlene was not real happy when we left for the restaurant. She lives (conveniently) next door with her twin daughters on the third floor in a relatively old house built in 1890. It's been her families home since 1920 when her grandfather came here from Italy. As you may or may not know it has been in the 90's around here and humid for about a week now. The third floor is not the coolest place to be during a heat wave. Especially with a flat roof. With 3 air conditioners going it was still 80 degrees up there. Any who, Arlene was angry at her daughters because they decided to make a pizza, heating the oven to 400 degrees. But after a martini and some of the antipasto she got over it.

When we left it was getting dark and Arlene suggested, after seeing that it had cooled off a bit, that we sit in her backyard It's a rather large yard with an above ground pool. From a distance it may look cluttered but actually her brother, who lives on the first floor, set it up nicely, with six different seating areas, an enclosed mesh tent with a large table and the mandatory grill and bug light. We were joined by the new tenants on the second floor. A very nice young couple in there early 30's and a friend of theirs. Before you know it the beer started to flow. I had a six pack at home (conveniently next door) and Arlene called her daughter to bring down 4 beers that she had upstairs. And the couple had beer as well. It was warm and the air was dead but it was nothing like the day time. To make a long story not that much longer, Finally the young couple and their friend went in and Arlene and I called it a night. Even though I had a watch on I never looked at it. I walked home and discovered it was 1:45 a.m. It was a late night but a good night.
I'm outta here.    

 

BEFORE PLACING