6- The Michigan Daily - Weekend etc. - Thursday, October 6, 1994 New restaurant found to be in food 'Taste' A Taste of Italy 808 S. State 996-4424 Hours: Sun-Wed 11a.m.-midnight Thurs-Sat Ila.m.-4 a.m. Dine-in/Take-out/Delivery Price: Appetizers $1.95-$3.95, Soup/ Salads $2.50-$5.25, Pasta Dishes/ Specialty Sandwiches/Hoagies $4.95- $8.95. Desserts $1.75-$3.95 Notes: Vegetarian friendly All non-smoking Visa, MC, cash, checks No wheelchair access Dress: Casual Rating (out of five Ms): MMMM (Mmm Mmm Good) By PAUL BARGER The area surrounding the .corner of Packard and South State Street, known as the Triangle, has never been recognized as a hot spot for fine din- ing. Most of the establishments on the block are visited because the food is cooked quickly and the quality of the meal and the prices aren't all that bad. A Taste of Italy emulates that de- scription, but is a step above the tradi- tional favorites. Owned and operated by the Caruso and Borelli family, A Taste of Italy accomplishes something that many restaurants in town do not. It has been masked in the typical style of the Triangle restaurants while still pro- viding a meal that would be worthy of many of the higher class eateries throughout Ann Arbor. When I was told that I was review- ing this particular restaurant I antici- pated a heaping plate of grease and fat. Past experience dictated that the menu would be bland, unsatisfying and posted up on a wall. I was pleas- antly surprised when I actually got there and opened the rather lengthy and varied menu. Salads, sandwiches, pastas, and A Taste of Italy's spe- cialty, South Philly Steak Sandwiches. I was beginning to like this place. The waiter promptly came over, perhaps too promptly, and asked to take my order before I had made it past the appetizers. In all fairness A Taste of Italy is ih a setting that is not conducive to waitering, and they would probably be doing themselves a favor if they only took orders at the counter. I was told in advance by a friend that I had to begin my meal with the Italian French Fries, but instead I opted for a personal favorite, Bruschetta Bread. Bruschetta Bread is Italian bread "topped with a mixture of diced tomato, green onions and spices mixed together in special dressing." Unfor- tunately, the bread could be a meal in itself and I was already stuffed by the time I had finished. As I was taking my last bite the main course arrived, Lasagna ($8.95). It was hot, fresh and surprisingly delicious. One of my companions ordered one of the eight cheese steaks ($4.95- $6.25) and informed me that the waiter had given him the wrong item. He had requested the mushroom cheese steak, steak with mushrooms and Philly Famous cheese sauce, but had mis- takenly gotten a Cheese Steak Hoagie which is topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, raw onions and oregano. He ate it anyway, but wasn't happy. I tried a piece of his sandwich and decided that it would be in the best interest of patrons to order the Double r TONYA BROAD/Daily A Taste of Italy is the latest to join the Packard-S. State dining area, and has quickly risen above the competition. CENTRAL CAMPUS' FULL SERVICE GROCERY ° If-V Full line of Groceries _ Fresh Produce Fresh Meat Bottled Waters & Pop Wine; Spirits; Beer; Cigars Serving Ann Arbor Since 1970 VILLAGE CORNER Corner of S. University & S. Forest phone: 995-1818 Daily Sam-lam; Fri/Sat 8am-2am Cheese Steak. A Taste of Italy does not skimp on bread or pasta, but does need to use more meat. If you are looking for a good steak sandwich, walk next door to Spot's. However, I was pleased with my meal and forced myself to order Tiramisu ($3.95) to top off the evening. To my amazement, it was as good as I had had in quite some time and left me longing for my next visit. Those that don't think they have time to eat at A Taste of Italy should keep in mind that my entire meal took no longer than 15 minutes. There is also takeout and delivery service that runs until 4 a.m. A Taste of Italy defies logic. Most would pass by it in transit to more traditional establishments (Pizza Bob's, Spot's, Geppeto's etc.). Those that do pass up the opportunity to stop in and give the new kid on the block a chance are making a big mistake. It could very well be the best kept secret in town and proves that looks and location can be deceiving. A Taste of ' Italy provides, by far, the best meal one could find on the Triangle or in most places for that matter. KIDS Continued from page 5 approach, the central successful element to the "Kids" was that they shared the same comic vision. Scripting most of their own material (all of it in the original season), assisted only by a handful of others (including the towel-clad Paul Bellini), the "Kids" did not have to compromise their comedy or use their own talents in other writer's tired material (read: "Saturday Night Live"). The "Kids" remained fresh, to the very end. Not limiting themselves to the stage or sets as most sketch comedy does, the "Kids" broadened their comedy. The typical show featured a series of short sketches containing the same characters and were usually filmed off a soundstage. At times, the "Kids" even ventured outdoors for a musical number. The future plans of the five members of the "Kids in the Hall" comedy troupe is largely unknown. Despite having exhausted their material as a troupe, they still are by no means sapped of individual talent. David Foley was cast in the Lorne Michaels' film "It's Pat" as the androgynous Pat's equally androgynous mate, but that film has been trimmed to a startlingly short length and is most likely doomed to go straight-to-video. Rumors over the summer placed Bruce McCullough and Mark McKinney on the cast of "Saturday Night Live" but neither made an appearance on the season premiere. This is all too disappointing, particularly considering how badly the show could use their talents. In particular, McKinney, who along with Thompson, is probably the most versatile of the group and who's coffee-shop reared doormat Darrill (not Darryl, Darrill) would have been an instant candidate for a reoccurmng character. 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