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STORY BY ANNABEL CO HPN
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY AN-GIP E AAN
Loccino Italian Grill
5600 Crooks Road, Troy
(248) 813-0700
Soups: $3.95 to $4.95
Salads: $4.99 to $12.99
Pizzas: $8.95 to $12.95
Entrees: $8.50 (for a burger) to $27.95
(for filet mignon)
Desserts: $3.95 to $5.50
Hours:
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday
11 am-midnight Friday
3 p.m.-midnight Saturday
,Closed Sunday
In this crazy economy, opening a new res-
taurant seems like a recipe for fiscal disas-
ter. When disposable income decreases,
eating out seems like a luxury to worried
consumers. Which is exactly why Loccino
(pronounce lo-chee-no) owners Tony and
Frank Shustari opened their Italian eatery
in the former chichi Palm Restaurant
space in Troy
"People still want to eat out," said Tony
Shustari. "They want the feeling that
they're going to a very rich and trendy
restaurant, but the prices are less than
most places."
With dinner entree prices hovering
around $16 (some less, some more), the
restaurant provides large portions that
I think of as "value oriented" (order an
entree per person and chances are you
walk out with lunch for the next day).
And with a busy hotel, offices and major
shopping malls nearby, it's no wonder the
spacious, 180-seat restaurant (plus private
banquet room), with full bar, is already
doing well with business folk, families and
those who still want a special night out.
It also helps that this restaurant team
has been in the biz for 30-plus years
(sister restaurants include two Alfoccino
locations). "This is what we know — I
love it," said Tony
Because of the reasonable prices, our
group ordered several more items —4 t•=1-:‘,4.
including appetizers, salads, a pizza and
entrees — than there were diners. With
offerings like seafood-stuffed portabella
mushrooms, fried asparagus spears with
wasabi sauce and crowd pleasers like cala-
mari, there is something for every taste.
Our thin-crust pizza with pesto and
chicken was light and satisfying. Salads,
like the arugula with Gorgonzola, even
as a starter, are fresh and sharable before
an entree. The tomato sauce-based pasta
dishes are what I called old-fashioned
— hearty and red. Those served with
melted cheese are substantial — noth-
ing is skimpy here. Signature dishes like
Filleto Salmone alla Oscar (salmon served
with asparagus in a sherry cream sauce
at $16.50) and Vitello la Florence (veal
sauteed in garlic with mushrooms, toma-
toes and spinach and served with a side of
pasta at $17.50) are crowd pleasers.
We skipped dessert -- we were full.
There is a dessert menu, though most are
not made in house.
Overall, the restaurant is a good bet
for Italian like we remember, with a few
modern flourishes. There's even a gilded
statue of David positioned at the entrance.
I like that kind of kitsch. L