Scardino's Italian Restaurant

Scardino's Italian Restaurant Press

DAILY BREEZE • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2009 • "DINING BITES" by BOB GOURLEY

Visit an Authentic Italian Eatery without Leaving Torrance: Scardino's

There are some wonderful small restaurants that dot the landscape of Italy. If you want to duplicate the experience of traveling to Europe without the expense, visit Scardino's Italian
Restaurant in Torrance. Phillip and Pauline Iorillo, who have owned the restaurant for just over 2 years, have created a comfortable destination that you will want to visit often.

As I entered the front door, I was overwhelmed with the smells of freshly cooked Italian food just waiting to be devoured. Their philosophy is to "carefully prepare our food each day with the highest quality ingredients available, most imported from Italy". Phillip told me that there are at least 2 family members there at any given time. Daughter Tracy handles the dining room, Phillip handles the Take-Out counter and wife Pauline fills in wherever she is needed. Their caring
attitude keeps customers coming back for more.

And what about the menu? It is huge and is filled with such a large assortment of dishes you will find it hard to decide. We were distracted from our final entrée choice as a nice glass of Chianti and a large plate of Bruschetta Scardino's arrived. Toasted Italian bread was piled high with fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil and goat cheese. The crisp tomatoes mixed with the cheese made for a fitting start.

I chose the Chicken Vesuvio ($16.50) off of the Favoriti di Ristorante section of the menu.
A slightly pounded tender chicken breast was served with prosciutto, eggplant and Provolone cheese in a Marinara sauce. Freshly grilled vegetables and a side of spaghetti rounded out the plate. The tangy Marinara sauce was a delight. Other "Favorites" include Eggplant Parmigiana,
Veal Parmigiana, Italian Sausage & Peppers and Chicken Zingaro with bell peppers, fresh mushrooms and sweet peas in red sauce.

A very tasty Chicken Marsala ($16.75) with fresh mushrooms, spices and Marsala wine was also enjoyed. Grilled salmon and Shrimp Champagne made with white cream sauce and champagne are also part of the "Classic" fare.

We also inhaled an Antipasto Salad. Italian cold cuts were rolled up together and sliced to bite size. Roma tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and pepperoncini peppers added to the mix.

The traditional pasta plates are all here, done with many variations. Tortellini Emi Liana ($15.95) is made with ham, mushrooms and sweet peas in a white cream sauce. Penne Papalina (with red sauce and a touch of cream) comes with either chicken or shrimp.

Their award winning pizza, prepared with hand-made pizza dough, special recipe sauce and 100% whole-milk Mozzarella cheese will satisfy any fan. Quattro Gusti includes cheese, ham, artichoke hearts, green olives and sun-dried tomatoes. The Dolores is topped with steamed spinach, garlic and chicken in a white cream sauce. Hot wing pizza? How about a choice of these classics: Hot Wing (cheese and spicy chicken breast on Buffalo style hot wing sauce), or Italian (cheese, garlic, tomatoes and anchovies).

Be sure to leave room for dessert. Tracy's Tiramisu ($5.50) is made daily and you can taste the loving care that goes into it. It is light, creamy and melts in your mouth. The traditional cannoli ($4.50) has a nice crunchy shell and creamy filling.

Special change often and include choices like Braised Beef Tortellacci ($21.95) with herbs and cheeses in wrapped in egg pasta. A risotto with asparagus and shrimp ($19.95) is also tempting. A special iced tea made with lemon or peach San Benedetto water is refreshing. The special water, imported from Italy, is drawn from 1,000 feet below the surface of the earth.

Three course Italian dinners are available for $13.95 Tuesday thru Saturday evenings from
4 pm to 6 pm and Sundays from 12 pm to 6 pm. A beverage choice is included.

The wine list includes great vintages from Italy and California. Every Wednesday evening
is "La Notte di Vini" from 4 pm to 9 pm. Diners receive 50% Off regular prices on all bottles in their fine wine selection. House and feature wines are not included.

Kids are not forgotten either. In fact, Scardino's is the perfect destination for families large and small. On Sunday afternoons from 12 pm to 4 pm and Tuesday evenings from 4 pm to 9 pm -
Kids Eat Free. They receive pizza or pasta, drink and dessert with the purchase of an adult entrée.

These days people are looking for a little break from the daily grind. Take an Italian vacation
without ever leaving Torrance. Visit Scardino's.