Bob’s Whine and Dine: D’Arpino’s

By Bob – Bob’s Whine and Dine

Lunch this day was with my wife and father-in-law at D’Arpino’s. I’ve been to D’Arpino’s several times in the past and have always liked the food here. Today was no exception.

D’Arpino’s has a daily special – usually for $7.95 including a salad and drink. Today’s special was lasagna. My father-in-law ordered that, my wife selected the sausage calzone ($7.95) and I chose the meatball sub ($7.95).

My father-in-law liked his salad, and said his lasagna was very good – with a nice spicy sauce. It was a pretty large portion for a lunch item and while he isn’t a big eater – he nearly finished the entire plate.

My wife’s calzone looked great – nicely browned on the outside, gooey on the
inside with meatballs, mozzarella and ricotta cheese. It was served with a side of the really nice marinara. She liked her lunch a lot. I had a taste and while I usually don’t like ricotta cheese I found that it worked well in this calzone.

My meatball sandwich was another winner. The meatballs were great – tender with a really nice flavor. It was served on what looked like a homemade hoagie roll which was tender on the inside and a bit chewy on the outside – the perfect bread for this sandwich. It also was dripping with mozzarella and sauce such that I needed a fork & knife to eat the first half of the sandwich.

On past visits, I’ve also enjoyed the spaghetti and meatballs, the egg plant
parmesan, the chicken parmesan and the lasagna. The house salad dressing on the side salad is very good as well.

Décor is a step above your standard strip mall. Warm colors on the walls,
ceramic tile on the floor (be careful though as it can be slippery), paintings and posters on the wall. I think I heard Frank Sinatra a few times in the background music. It is a pretty comfortable place for a meal unless it is cold outside. There is just one door opening into the restaurant and the cold air can really be felt across the dining room.

Service was spotty today. The dining room was nearly full with a couple of large groups present. The two servers working were really busy. We didn’t get any bread & butter to munch on (it was mentioned at one point however). It took a while after we finished our meal to get our check.

I really like the food at D’Arpino’s. It is good classic Italian. It is a busy place and reservations are recommended for dinner. I’ll be back.

3014 S. National – (417) 889-9898