Most of the restaurants from my suburban years were as bland as milk of magnesia. The opening of a new restaurant was akin to the arrival of a new Maytag washer. But there were a few flavory finds among the shopping malls and village centers. On this assignment, I ventured back to the land of picket fences and driveways, asking myself where all the smart, successful people who live in the suburbs go to eat. What I discovered are a healthy handful of places worth staying close to home for.
Next door is the more formal dining room, and a meal here deserves some decorum.
Thin bread rolls are so misshapen, I don't doubt their authenticity. An enormous white oval plate soon arrives with Shrimp Bandiera on a bed of linguini with slivers of roasted red pepper and several saut ed asparagus spears. The Chicken Carcioff, saut ed with capers, olives, sundried tomatoes, and artichokes in a white wine sauce is even better. House desserts are tiramis and cannoli. Music is playing, but the sound that thrills me is the whooshing of cappuccinos being whipped up.