Antonio's of Simsbury
Passing through Simsbury on Sunday, noonish, I stopped at Antonio's, a family-friendly restaurant on the north side of town. (It being S-bowl day, a sign outside promoted sports-related events.) The decor was kitchy, with every square foot of wall covered with miscellany and a model train periodically chugging its way around the ceiling. I sat near the aquarium (but didn't order fish!).
More to the point, the service was prompt and friendly and the food was pretty good. A very good cup of Minestrone and a glass of pleasant Pinot Noir started things off (the waitress brought a big basket of garlic bread to go with it). Their menu had the usual run of Italian dishes (with a few specialties of their own) and pizza. I was tempted by the Shepherd's Pie, but finally decided on what they called "Northern Lights", a huge and stomach-satisfying concoction of pasta, Italian sausage, mushrooms, etc. The menu said it was made with ziti, but it looked like penne to me--all the better, it has a sexier shape. For dessert, the waitress said they had cannoli (not on the menu). It was big, crunchy, and had little chocolate chips in it. How could I refuse.
I was sorry I didn't come through at dinner time so I could try Millwright's, but I was very happy to bring a people-bag home from Antonio's to eat tomorrow.
