Melting at Capone’s

For whatever reason, I’ve been wanting to try Tony Capone’s Italian Grill for a while now. I’ve driven past it a million times over the years, always intrigued, but not to the point of being tempted. Until a few weeks ago, I stopped for lunch – only to find out that it was closed.

Thankfully, it was open today.

Capone’s is located in a mini-mall on Carling, off Edgeworth, along with a dry cleaners, a Hasty Market and a dental office. So from the outside, it certainly doesn’t have much curb appeal.

You walk into the place, and you don’t feel like you’re in Ottawa. The reception area is small and decorated with newspaper articles, old pictures, cigarette ads and other paraphernalia from the Capone era.

Inside, it was dark and the tables were dimly lit, though there was a nice glow from all the Christmas lights. A nice, quiet atmosphere, with what I thought looked like regular customers. It felt classic, yet friendly.

It took me quite a while for my eyes to adjust so I could clearly read the menu.

I looked at the lunch menu, which I would qualify as American-Italian: Pastas, Pizza and Italian Sandwiches, of course. But also Soups & Salads, Burgers and… Taco City. Finally, a section of Classic Dishes like Chicken Pot Pie, Ribs & Fries, Asian Chicken Bites; and Signature Dishes like Chicken Parmigiana, Salmon Limone and New York Strip Loin.

I hesitated between two items: the Traditional Lasagna or the Meatball Melt. I appealed to the waitress for her opinion and expertise, and she was raving about the meatballs. Done – Meatball Melt it is!

A basket of dinner rolls showed up. It looked a little sad: two rolls in a basket, a multigrain and a white roll.

They could work on the presentation a little, perhaps with a nice cloth or something. On the brighter side, the rolls were warm. That’s how I like it.

Shortly after, my Meatball Melt was served.

The dish is a variation on a lasagna, like a lasagna without the layers. A copious number of meatballs, smothered in meat sauce, under lasagna noodles and topped with melted cheese.

The dish is a variation on a lasagna, like a lasagna without the layers. A copious number of meatballs, smothered in meat sauce, under lasagna noodles and topped with melted cheese.

It was good. The meat sauce was rich, great consistency. I would have liked a little more kick, but it was good. The meatballs were tender, flavourful – herbs and garlic. The noodles, made in house, were perfectly cooked. There was lots of cheese. This was a good dish. It would be even better if there were another layer of noodles under the meatballs.

Overall, it was an enjoyable visit. I’m willing to repeat the experience.