New Jersey knows how to do Italian. This is one thing I have learned time and time again. You just can't find a chicken parmesan in D.C. like the chicken parm you get in New Jersey! This past weekend, I was lucky enough to be invited to my boyfriend's sister's (Michele's) 30th surprise party. When we saw that we would be going to Il Michelangelo, an Italian place that Michele had talked about in length the last time she visited, we knew not only would there be great company, there would be great food.
Now I would just like to caveat that this dining experience was a little bit different than the restaurants I typically review as we were part of a private party in a special room upstairs. For this reason, I can't comment on the overall dining or date night experience, which leads me to talk at length about the food. I also can't promise that all of these dishes are normally on the menu. Just don't want there to be any Petit Food Lover backlash, so forgive the disclaimers!
Hands down, I would say that Il Michelangelo fed us the best stuffed mushrooms I have ever had and Italian style pork.
The meal started with your favorite Italian restaurant hors d'oeuvres - fried calamari, mini risotto balls (Michele's favorite) and the stuffed mushrooms. I should have really paced myself considering what was to come, but I definitely pigged out during the appetizer course because it was so good.
Next came the penne a la vodka. Now typically I would not have this dish because my stomach tends to revolt when I eat tomato, but I could not pass it up and it was delicious. I truly appreciated the peas and prosciutto mixed into the sauce.
After the penne, we had caesar salad, which was delicious, but I must admit I could only have a couple of bites. The last course was a choice between chicken parmesan (Chris chose this obviously), an eggplant rotini and a pork dish with a demi glaze. Since I had maxed out on the tomato front with the penne, I chose the pork and it was AMAZING. It reminded me of a chicken marsala sauce, but slightly thicker. The pork was stuffed with apricots, breadcrumbs and raisins. I could eat that pork and those mushrooms forever.
I have to give a special shout out to Michele's hubby, Drew for planning a wonderful meal. I would go back to Il Michelangelo every single time I am in New Jersey.
Il Michelangelo you get 4.5 dumplings out of 5. Saving .5 for the next time when I experience the typical dining experience!
