Michelangelo's

Last Friday night, my Mom, Brittney and I journeyed to one of Little Italy's youngest restaurants, Michelangelo's. It opened in May 2006 and has been getting steady buzz over the past 2 years. They even received the award for Best Italian Restaurant from Cleveland Scene Magazine in 2006.

Brittney had a gift certificate she wanted to use and my Mom and I didn't want to pass up a chance to check out a new restaurant, so we tagged along.

The first thing we noticed was the cozy little brick building the restaurant was located in. It was like visiting a little cottage in Italy. We were also thrilled that Michelangelo's has its own parking lot (small but for Little Italy a huge plus). The interior was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the look from the warm color schemes in the entrance to the dark and trendy bar- complete with an amusing gentleman strumming his acoustic guitar.

We decided to eat on the deck. It was a very nice night and we felt as if we were dining in some one's backyard-warm and friendly.

And on to the dinner... :)

We had made reservations (recommended) so we were seated immediately and greeted quickly by our helpful waiter. We decided to start out with the Escargot appetizer and a couple of glasses of DaVinci chianti, both delicious.

For our entrees:
Mom ordered one of the specials, Sauteed Scallops-sundried tomatoes, egg noodles, and parmesan reggiano cheese (she opted out of the olive tapenade-she is not a fan). I had a few bites and that was my favorite. Brittney enjoyed the Tagliolini -thin spaghetti, jumbo shrimp, roasted tomato with pinot grigio. The Tagliolini was absolutely fabulous as well. Incidentally, I got yelled at when I tried to steal a few bites. :) I ventured out of my "safety zone" and ordered the Agnello New Zealand lamb shank with port wine lamb sauce. I am a huge lamb fan and have had it several different ways, but was a "first-timer" for the shank. I think that for me, lamb shank is something that I need to develop a taste for (sort of like the first time I enjoyed a beer or an olive). It is a pleasant experience, but I haven't quite figured it out yet.

In conclusion, we enjoyed Michelangelo's very much. I am also looking forward to my next adventure with lamb shank. Perhaps, lamb shank will steadily become a favorite in my foodie future.

Ciao,

Krista


Check out Michelangelo's on the web: http://www.mangelos.com/index.html