Tarantino's

eggplant sandwich
Originally uploaded by noodletown.

We've been eating at Tarantino's and telling other people to eat at Tarantino's and I haven't gotten around to posting about it here because I can't seem to take a picture that is as good as the food in the picture. I've finally just given up on the artistic end of it because, well, the food is good and you should go eat there and see for yourself just how good it is.

The hand-rolled calzones are my absolute favorite. The crust is chewy, slightly doughy, and golden brown. It almost makes the interior irrelevant, except that the ingredients inside are good, too. And the little cup of sugo on the side is just exactly what you wanted to dip your bits of crust in. You'll be licking your fingers.

Of the sandwiches, the "New Yorker," one of their signatures, has been the cause of repeat visits to Tarantino's in the same week. Served on a toasted onion bun, the Capicola, salami, and pepperoni are layered with roasted peppers, pepperoncinis, and melted provolone cheese. The Eggplant sandwich is another hit - lightly breaded, crisp, and smothered in sugo and provolone.

I've already programmed their number into my phone. It's located right above my Mom's.

Tarantino's
Gourmet Pizzas and Subs
601 McGee St
816*421*0043
hours:
Mon-Thurs: 6am - midnight
Fri-Sat: 6am - 3am
Sun: 3pm - 10pm

Cupini's

I love on Saturdays where you have enough stuff to do that you can just skip breakfast and go straight to lunch. I know it's the most important meal of the day, but to me, a really enjoyable breakfast always seems like a meal for a lazy Sunday morning - with the newspaper and lots of refills of my coffee cup - but Saturday seems the perfect day of the week for lunch.
We avoided the grocery store all week long, so on Saturday we called ahead to Cupini's and ordered some sandwiches for carryout. I love having a Cupini's downtown. The location on Westport Road is great, but I like having a Cupini's within a 5 minute drive of my front door (I do hate the downtown traffic situation, but I'm trying to look at the big picture and not be one of those people who is indignant at the smallest inconvenience). I like knowing that there will be bags of frozen Pumpkin Ravioli that close for when I'm feeling like melting a little butter and sage and indulging in someone else's pasta handiwork. Cupini's has excellent everything, but my favorite is the fresh turkey panini, which gets a little added zest from the artichoke spread. The gangster also gets rave reviews for the creaminess of the garlic aioli and the roasted eggplant mixed in against the thin slices of prosciutto and salami. The thing that makes any sandwich memorable, however, is the bread - and Cupini's baguettes are crisp and chewy. They're good on their own, but they make the sandwiches just that much better.

Cupini's
25 East 12th Street or
1809 Westport Road

Accurso's Italian Restaurant

I normally reserve visits to Accurso's for the autumn, when you can call ahead and cross all fingers and toes while saying a small prayer that they'll be serving their Butternut Squash Ravioli. I never even think of Italian for lunch, especially not in June, what with the heat and humidity and the heavy food coma that results from a big bowl of pasta at lunchtime. We were initially headed for The Mixx where I was certain that a crispy fresh salad had my name written all over it, but my normally impeccable sense of food timing went tragically awry. The Mixx was mobbed, even at 1pm. Right up the street, however, was my 2nd favorite pasta dish, calling my name.Pair a spicy tomato cream sauce with grilled chicken and al dente pasta, top it with a little grated parmesan and fresh chopped parsley, and you've got the Chicken Penne Pasta Diavlo. The sauce is spicy - by the time you've finished, you've wiped the little beads of sweat off your brow at least twice - and the chicken is big chunks of juicy breast with the grill marks still on. All the pasta lunches come with salad and bread and range in price from $4.95 to $8.95. The food coma was free.

Accurso's Italian Restaurant
5044 Main St.
816*753*0810