The other night we visited IL Castello, a downtown, IdahoFalls, Italian Restaurant. To be honest, I really thought it was going to be a tricked out pasta joint. To my surprise, and ultimate satisfaction, I was mistaken! Don’t get me wrong, the menu is laden with comforting classics such as: Caprese Salad, Calamari, and Eggplant Parmigiana. But, even their classic items seem to have curious and tantalizing twists. Some of their more interesting options include: lasagna with chicken and grilled peppers, pork loin stuffed with feta and mango, and their eggplant parmigiana is finished with a spicy huckleberry sauce! I would encourage you to go to their website and look at the menu before you go. I had a really hard time trying to decide what I wanted to order because there were so many flavor combinations I wanted to try.
Based on the recommendations from our server we played it relatively safe with our choices. But, we were by no means disappointed! Everything was well prepared, beautiful, and tasted amazing!
We started with the 3 Pieces Bruschetta Bread and the Stuffed Portobello. The bruschetta had a literal pile of fresh mouthwatering mozzarella! Spicy sautéed jalapenos lent an interesting and entirely welcome touch to the stuffed portabellas.
For our entrees, Ben had Chicken Parmigiana and I had Tuna a La Napolitano. Ben’s chicken was tender with a distinct marinara and perfectly al dente linguine. My tuna was seared to a perfect medium rare and the accompanying sauce and vegetables were a wonderful compliment!
For dessert Ben had the Lemon Cheesecake and I had the Panna Cotta. I have never had Panna Cotta, besides the Panna Cotta I attempted last year. We were so full from dinner and just wanted a little sweet bite or two at the end. The cheese cake and panna cotta portions were perfect!
Our server was a complete delight! She was extremely knowledgeable and honest. She put up with our rambunctious three year old and was ready with informative suggestions. She even asked the kitchen to make our son French fries. I realize that on super busy nights a restaurant may not have the ability to be so accommodating, and I would not hold it against any establishment who could not. But, on the night we visited IL Castello the experience was no short of fabulous!
yum!! That bruschetta looks amazing!!