Sundried Tomato is the place for ‘big red’ and food too

Lauren Vane

Walking down Forest Avenue on a Saturday evening, the patio at the

Sundried Tomato Cafe invited me in. The outdoor tables were filled

with friendly chatter and the patio twinkled with warmth like a Roman

piazza.

Suddenly the appeal of comforting Italian cuisine commanded my

senses and I made a beeline for the restaurant. When asked whether we

wanted to sit outside or in, the outdoor patio was an easy choice.

Seated next to a trickling fountain and underneath a cozy heat lamp

created the atmosphere of a romantic cafe somewhere in Italy.

Upon reading the intro at the top of the menu, I knew this was my

kind of place: “Some of our favorite things in life are brie, fresh

herbs, rack of lamb, and a big red. The best is sharing these things

with family and friends, which is what we hope you are about to do.”

Amen to that. It was a tough week, tense and trying for all, and I

was ready for a “big red” ... and some food, too.

From a long list of Mediterranean salads and starters, we chose an

appetizer of house-smoked olives, goat cheese and rosemary-infused

olive oil on crostini ($9). Goat cheese is pure heaven and I’ll take

it in any form -- all the better when accompanied by garlicky

crostini and olive oil.

The appetizer arrived quickly and I delighted in spreading cheese

on the mini toasts while perusing the entrees and wine list. Goat

cheese predominately colored the appetizer’s flavor -- so make sure

you like it if you pick this appetizer.

I had been craving the quintessential Italian meal since I walked

through the door, so I immediately latched on to the simple-sounding

pasta dish, first on the list of entrees. I was on the fence between

two pasta dishes so I solicited the help of our server. He described

both, and I decided on my first instinct, the sun-dried tomato sauce

served over bowtie pasta with chicken ($14).

My boyfriend ordered the rack of lamb, marinated in rosemary and

garlic, pan seared and laced with a port wine reduction sauce ($28).

Since he was ordering quite an elaborate entree, I reasoned that if

my dish was too simple, I could have some of his.

When ordering the restaurant’s namesake pasta, I should have known

that simple would not be the appropriate description. The sauce was

scrumptious -- not too rich and jumping with flavor. At other

restaurants when I’ve ordered the optional chicken with the pasta, it

tastes like they dropped some chicken in and stirred it around. Not

this chicken, it was marinated, juicy and worthy of its own entree.

Our waiter was helpful in recommending the correct wine to

accompany our respective entrees. Wines by the glass range from $7 to

$13.

Whether it was the heat lamps or the red wine I was feeling, the

patio air was just the right temperature for nighttime dining al

fresco. The casually intimate setting paired with food that explodes

with distinct flavor made the Sundried Tomato Cafe an instant

favorite.