http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=371&articleid=20120131_371_0_Diners471650
BFD.... not my idea of decent Italian fare..... another place for big fatties!
Quote from: Teatownclown on January 31, 2012, 02:31:35 PM
BFD.... not my idea of decent Italian fare..... another place for big fatties!
Well aren't you delightful today.
Quote from: Gaspar on January 31, 2012, 02:33:54 PM
Well aren't you delightful today.
Always! :D
There has never been nor will there ever be a better Italian eatery in Teatown than Villa Venice. Factamundo!
Where does Rob keep coming up with the money to open these restaurants and bars that don't seem to have any staying power?
Mondo's had it's place in Tulsa dining history. I'm with TTC, I'm pretty meh on it reopening, especially in the center of Brookside. Their menu was a lot like Angelos. Okie Italian. The best Italian places in Tulsa have always been owned by middle easterners, not Italians, IMO.
Quote from: Conan71 on January 31, 2012, 02:59:09 PM
The best Italian places in Tulsa have always been owned by middle easterners, not Italians, IMO.
Villa Revena in the Farm is worth your time and money.
Never been to Mondo's. I wish them well.
Quote from: Townsend on January 31, 2012, 03:03:01 PM
Villa Revena in the Farm is worth your time and money.
Never been to Mondo's. I wish them well.
Been there. Wasn't all that impressed. The meatballs were crap.
My favs italian place has always been Mary's Trattoria on cherry street. It's pricey, But thought it was fantastic.
Quote from: Gaspar on January 31, 2012, 03:27:53 PM
Been there. Wasn't all that impressed. The meatballs were crap.
Too bad. We had the specials that eve. They were good and service was excellent.
Quote from: Townsend on January 31, 2012, 03:55:18 PM
Too bad. We had the specials that eve. They were good and service was excellent.
Great service, good wine, but the meat balls tasted like the little frozen ones out of a bag form Sam's. My pasta was a bit on the soggy side too.
Italian is hard in Tulsa. I lived in St. Louis too long and got myself ruined!
Speaking of meatballs, I've got some sausage from Savastano's I need to add to my next batch. Really anxious to see how that comes out.
Thanks for the reminder!
Weren't some members of the Mondo's family involved in the failed Italian restaurant at King's Point?
I remember eating at Mondos in the late 80s when I was a poor student. It served the purpose, lots of all you can eat so-so food at a reasonable price (I even saw Weird Al there when he was in town filiming "UHF"). Tulsa's restaurant scene has changed a lot since then and trying to revive Mondo's in Brookside seems like an odd idea.
Quote from: DTowner on February 01, 2012, 11:46:23 AM
Weren't some members of the Mondo's family involved in the failed Italian restaurant at King's Point?
I remember eating at Mondos in the late 80s when I was a poor student. It served the purpose, lots of all you can eat so-so food at a reasonable price (I even saw Weird Al there when he was in town filiming "UHF"). Tulsa's restaurant scene has changed a lot since then and trying to revive Mondo's in Brookside seems like an odd idea.
That was Abruzzi's and I believe that was Rob's deal. One of the other brothers may have been involved as well as Lou. I ate there a few times and enjoyed it, but it was nothing spectacular.
Per Rob Aloisio's FB page.
"It is official! We closed the deal on Mondo's Italian Restaurant. We are going to bring back Mondo's in Brookside. We purchased Gemma's Wood fire kitchen. We are set to open in about 3 to 4 weeks. Been working on this with my Dad for over a year. It is finally a reality! Thank you to all my friends that are in the "Bring back Mondo's" I will post more on our progress. Here is a link from Scott Cherry the Tulsa World Food Critic."
Had anyone ever eaten at Gemmas? Not familiar with that at all.
The best thing on Abruzzi's menu was the veal/chicken Marsala. It was outstanding. Everything else was meh.
Their portions began to shrink and that's when I knew they were going bye bye. I used to go there a couple times a month just for the Marsala, until one day, my beautiful chicken breast was replaced by a slightly oversized McNugget. That was my last visit.
Quote from: Conan71 on February 01, 2012, 12:07:33 PM
Had anyone ever eaten at Gemmas? Not familiar with that at all.
Steven Howard was Gemma's first chef (he had KoKoa in the same spot). Gemma's focused on wood oven pizza and pasta. After he left, things went south, but then the former chef from The Kitchen came in and was doing some excellent and creative food. I believe owner of the hair salon next door owned Gemma's. I heard there were some health issues that could have caused her to get out of the restaurant business.
Given the current set up, it shouldn't take long to reopen.
I really liked Gemma's. They had a fantastic sweet potato gnocchi when they first opened but then took it off the menu.
Quote from: DTowner on February 01, 2012, 02:05:34 PM
Steven Howard was Gemma's first chef (he had KoKoa in the same spot). Gemma's focused on wood oven pizza and pasta. After he left, things went south, but then the former chef from The Kitchen came in and was doing some excellent and creative food. I believe owner of the hair salon next door owned Gemma's. I heard there were some health issues that could have caused her to get out of the restaurant business.
Given the current set up, it shouldn't take long to reopen.
Yes, Jara Herron owned Gemma's. She suffered a sudden heart attack that was related to a recent childbirth. She was in a comma for a pretty good amount of time. She has recently returned to work on a part time basis. I'm sure this is directly related to her attempting to cut back on commitments following a major health scare.
Quote from: Townsend on January 31, 2012, 03:03:01 PM
Villa Revena in the Farm is worth your time and money.
Never been to Mondo's. I wish them well.
Think Mazzios (such quality! :P) and add less flavor if that is even possible, refuse to learn the meaning of "al dente" since that is too fancy and foreign, then throw it on the floor, scoop it up throw it in a dirty mop bucket and then put it on the buffett for two or three hours.
It will make you yearn for the Pizza Hut buffet.
Quote from: carltonplace on February 03, 2012, 10:33:51 AM
Think Mazzios (such quality! :P) and add less flavor if that is even possible, refuse to learn the meaning of "al dente" since that is too fancy and foreign, then throw it on the floor, scoop it up throw it in a dirty mop bucket and then put it on the buffett for two or three hours.
It will make you yearn for the Pizza Hut buffet.
Totally there. Love me some mop bucket.
Caught some Facebook banter from this weekend. People were saying the food is outstanding and they are showing the old B & W movies. May have to give it a shot after all.
We must have been there on a bad night. Our pizza was comparable to Mazzio's and the spaghetti and meatballs was just ok. The noodles were nicely cooked but the sauce/meatballs were very average.
Quote from: midtownnewbie on April 18, 2012, 03:19:03 PM
We must have been there on a bad night. Our pizza was comparable to Mazzio's and the spaghetti and meatballs was just ok. The noodles were nicely cooked but the sauce/meatballs were very average.
Nope. Thanks for the honest review.
If you had lived here in the 70's and 80's you'd know, unless you have no taste. 8)
Quote from: midtownnewbie on April 18, 2012, 03:19:03 PM
We must have been there on a bad night. Our pizza was comparable to Mazzio's and the spaghetti and meatballs was just ok. The noodles were nicely cooked but the sauce/meatballs were very average.
That typifies many old Italian family recipes. Nothing terribly special. Angelo's was the same way.
Quote from: Conan71 on April 19, 2012, 09:05:15 AM
That typifies many old Italian family recipes. Nothing terribly special. Angelo's was the same way.
Funny you say that. I have since the first of the year eaten at a mom and pop Italian place in New Jersey and one here in Oregon, and I have eaten at several when I lived in Phoenix, and the difference between places is quite noticeable. I think that while all of the ones I have been to were all good, with the exception of a couple in Phoenix, there is a big difference as to what you get as to where you are. And the places I went to in NJ blew away everything I've had before, and it was not from a percieved notion. That being said, it was a long time ago that I ate at Mondo's and I have to say I wasn't that impressed with it then, and like Rex's and others that have come back to Tulsa, I think that people have eaten in similar places in other parts of the country since they left, and there is that connection to what they were, but relying on past recipies is not a home run. I still have yet to find a place that sells Coney's like Carl's or Coney I-Lander, and there is no place like Ike's for chili where I have lived.
Like any other country, there are regional cooking styles: Sicilian, Venezian, Neapolitan, Romano, Milanese, Northern, Southern, etc. ad nauseum. We have a tendency to homogenize it all into "Italian" just like about any Asian cuisine is simply "Chinese", "Indian", "Japanese", "Thai", or "Asian" even though there are probably thousands of regional influences throughout Asia.
Unfortunately, this is yet another example of resurrecting a ghost.
Nothing will ever be as good as the memories you have of it.
Quote from: Gaspar on April 20, 2012, 09:41:13 AM
Unfortunately, this is yet another example of resurrecting a ghost.
Nothing will ever be as good as the memories you have of it.
What if the memories you had weren't fond in the first place?
Quote from: Conan71 on April 20, 2012, 09:44:01 AM
What if the memories you had weren't fond in the first place?
Show us on the doll. . .
Quote from: Conan71 on April 20, 2012, 09:44:01 AM
What if the memories you had weren't fond in the first place?
Then your memories would be validated by visiting again.
;D
Quote from: Gaspar on April 20, 2012, 09:41:13 AM
Unfortunately, this is yet another example of resurrecting a ghost.
Nothing will ever be as good as the memories you have of it.
Can we try a Shotgun Sams memory ?
Quote from: Gaspar on April 20, 2012, 09:47:34 AM
Show us on the doll. . .
(http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/4/C/monica_barbie.jpg)
Quote from: Conan71 on April 20, 2012, 10:55:54 AM
(http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/4/C/monica_barbie.jpg)
Isn't the dress supposed to be blue?
Quote from: DTowner on April 20, 2012, 03:34:16 PM
Isn't the dress supposed to be blue?
No, the blue one is evidence now.
Quote from: Gaspar on April 20, 2012, 09:41:13 AM
Unfortunately, this is yet another example of resurrecting a ghost.
Nothing will ever be as good as the memories you have of it.
You're celibate?
Quote from: Conan71 on April 20, 2012, 10:55:54 AM
(http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/4/C/monica_barbie.jpg)
Do they have a Wasserman The Poodle with curly hair and straight hair? :-\