7232 N. Rosemead Blvd., San Gabriel 626-287-5674
Type: Italian
Quality: !!! Price: $$-$$$ Ambience: ***
According to the menu, this place is run by Franco and Sons. It looks like most other Italian restaurants. But the atmosphere definitely different. One time I was there, Franco was belting out Italian karaoke. He's not a bad singer, but he'll never make it on American Idol. Nevertheless, it was pretty cool because it gave the place a unique character instead of your cookie-cutter, chain Italian restaurants. The Pollo Cacciatore was flavorful. The Halibut con Gusto was a slightly overcooked, but still good. The Diced Sausage and Eggplant pasta was excellent. The sausages actually had a real sausage flavor, unlike other places where sausages taste like salt with some added meat and spices. The Lobster Ravioli was pretty good, too. The Minestrone was too salty, but the Clam Chowder was good. One of the best things about this place is you can order two different types dishes together. For example, you can order Penne Al Forno ($9.99) and Eggplant Parmigiana ($9.99) together on one plate. Basically, you get a half-order of each for a total of ($9.99). You can combine differently-priced dishes, but they'll calculate the cost differently. If you have kids, you can order a half-order for them, too (it's pretty substantial). Finally, I must put in a word about the "artwork." There is a copy of Michaelangelo's statue of David in the dining area by the west wall (i.e. close to Rosemead Blvd.). It's about four feet tall and on a small pedastal. Being a family restaurant, they discreetly covered part of him up with something vaguely resembling the Italian flag. Yes, it's a bit kitschy, but it adds to the character of the place.
9082 Las Tunas Dr., Temple City 626-285-0228
Type: Italian
Quality: !!! Price: $-$$$ Ambience: ***
The food here is pretty good. The pizza was quite a surprise. We ordered a large pizza once. The large size pizza was almost large enough to double as a table cloth. It was not actually that quite big, but it was as nearly as much as those "2 pizzas for the price of 1" deals you get elsewhere. It tasted better, too. The pasta was pretty good, too. It's a bit crowded and cramped. Parking isn't too bad. You can park in the restaurant parking lot (cramped) or you can park in the Temple City Chamber of Commerce parking lot next to it. This place is popular.
9013 E. Valley Blvd., Rosemead 626-286-0275
Type: Italian
Quality: !!! Price: $$-$$$ Ambience: ***
I haven't been here in a while, so you are relying the accuracy of me long term memory. The food was good. Portions were decent-sized. Unlike most restaurants today, they still have genuine naugahyde booths--very retro. This is one of those places with many loyal old-timers. In fact, the average age of the diners there (aside from yours truly) was probably about 60. In the restaurant business, it's very difficult to maintain customer loyalty, so they must be doing something right. While I prefer Bella Italia or Mama Petrillo's over this place, it was quite acceptable. It's certainly better than a restaurant like The Olive Garden.