Sherman's Food Adventures: Lombardo's


Deciding where to go with the whole family is a bit more difficult than you think. Much like the day we went to Choo Choo's, true family restaurants are far and few-in-between. When Costanza and Elaine wanted to meet up for dinner this week, we spent a bit of time thinking. We really didn't want to go to the regular places such as Red Robin or Boston Pizza. Yes, they are kid friendly; but some of the food is really not all that good. Finally, we decided on Lombardo's. No, not exactly a kid's playground; but it actually worked out pretty nicely. In fact, we made a last minute reservation and they were able to accommodate us. I loved where we were seated too, right next to the pizza station and oven. It's mesmerizing watching them kneed the dough and layer it with toppings. Anyways, for the first time in a long time, Krazi (she gave herself this nickname) was able to join us for dinner. She has been on a diet and eating with me was a no-no. Well, she looks really good now and has finally decided she can eat again. However, I don't think that I'm a good influence, she really should stay away...

We were all a bit hungry and ordered a good amount of food. We started off with a Caesar Salad and a large Calamari. It was indeed a large amount of calamari on the plate. The perfectly-sized pieces were fried just right, being a bit chewy; yet still tender. Costanza and I enjoyed eating the tentacles, that's our favourite part! The pizza dough bread that accompanied the dish was not that good. It was hard and quite cold. The Casear was... well a Caesar. It did have the right amount of dressing and was not too salty. We also ordered 3 large pastas to share: Spaghetti Pomodoro, Smoked Salmon Tagliatelle and Linguini alla Pesce. When we say large, we're not talking about Anton's large. Not many places have the same portion sizes as Anton's. However, I'm more a fan of quality rather than quantity. Mind you, if the portion size is ridiculously small despite the good quality, that is no good either. The large pasta was a bit small at Lombardo's, along the same lines as Marcello. But at least the pasta here was hot and the service was quick. By the time we got our pastas at Marcello last time, they were stone cold. Our favourite by far was the linguini. Flavourful and fresh tasting, there was a perfect portion of tomato sauce coating the al dente linguini. A generous portion of mussels, clams, shrimp, squid and scallops rest atop the pasta. The only complaint was that the scallops were overcooked. We also liked the tagliatelle; but it was extremely rich and buttery. Again, the pasta was al dente and there were plenty of smoked salmon and capers. Yet, we thought that it would be difficult to finish the whole dish if it were for one person. Krazi said she could finish the whole dish herself. Uh... I don't think she should dine with me anymore, I can kill any diet. The least popular pasta was the spaghetti. Being a freshly made spaghetti, it was a bit doughy, even though it was al dente. Moreover, the sauce was a bit bland and tart. It needed possibly more spices such as garlic and a bit more olive oil.

Finally, we had ordered 2 medium pizzas - the Capricciosa and the Salsiccia. However, the Salsiccia arrived as a large. I guess it was too loud in the restaurant and there was a mixup in communication? Whatever the case, we didn't mind since the Salsiccia was fantastic. The crust was thin and not overly crispy, with a bit of elasticity when we took a bite. There were no shortage of toppings (mushrooms, onions, green peppers and Italian sausage), which really worked well with each other. The Capricciosa was equally good, with plenty of salami, ham, artichokes, mushrooms and olives. The total bill came out to roughly $30.00 per person excluding the kids. Not exactly a cheap meal; however, it was quite good and filling. I remarked to Costanza that I would gladly pay more money for good food. With that being said, for $30.00, you can practically eat anywhere including a fabulous 3 course meal at Pied-a-Terre or Mistral. Yet, if it's good pasta and great thin crust pizza that you crave, then Lombardo's is not a bad choice.

The Good:
- Great brick oven thin crust pizza
- Pretty good fresh pastas
- Attentive and friendly service
- Validated underground parking

The Bad:
- Small restaurant, seating can be a bit tight
- Not exactly cheap

Lombardo's Ristorante and Pizzeria (Commercial) on Urbanspoon


Anson said...


I'm pretty sure Lombardo's was on the Entertainment coupon list in the past. Not sure about now. With the coupon applied, it beats Mistral hands down. :)

Sherman said...

Hi Anson, you are correct with the coupon in the past. They don't have it anymore. Boo!