A Taste of the Town
A Taste of the Town Prima Italian Restaurant My friends kept suggesting that we try Prima Italian Restaurant, which opened last fall, but I was hesitant because the restaurant is located (gasp!) in the mall. Call me a snob, but eating mall food—even if it doesn’t involve plastic utensils—is not exactly my idea of a fine night of dining. Then, last Thursday, two friends and I headed out for dinner at The Delicious Grille, which readers of my blog will remember is my five-star, ultimate place to eat. I couldn’t wait for a slab of salmon infused with lemon and rosemary (my favorite dish on the menu), but alas, none of us had been to The Grille in a long time, and it turns out that the place has gone out of business. Use it or lose it is the lesson here. Oh, well, my friends said—should we try Prima, since it’s only a couple of miles from here? My brain said no, but my rumbling stomach wasn’t going to listen, and I reluctantly agreed to eat at Prima. We Arrive: Modern and Pleasant I was pleasantly surprised when we exited the sterile corridor of the mall and entered the restaurant, which distinguished itself with a cozy mixture of warmth and modernity, providing not only real silverware on the tables, but a chalkboard displaying a list of “Daily Specials.” When I looked closely, however, the specials turned out to be pretty standard Italian fare—dishes like Chicken Francese and Veal Marsala—but done well, these could be delicious. I asked our server for a recommendation, and she raved about the Chicken Francese, but as it’s not the healthiest thing in the world, I decided to bypass it in favor of the balsamic-glazed salmon. Yes, I know—I really like salmon. I asked whether the fish was fresh or frozen and was assured that everything was “fresh and freshly prepared.” We ordered some fried calamari for the table and were told that “It’s specially spiced” and that the breading has “a real kick.” We’d see about that. The First Course: Well...
About Me Hi, I’m Nancy. Tired of disappointing experiences at restaurants? I started this blog to put the restaurants in my area to the test so that my neighbors don’t have to. I hope my blog will be a help to all of the food lovers who dream of finding “that perfect meal.”
Previously Reviewed: Chutney House
Culinary Café
The Delicious Grille
The calamari came out quickly, and we all dug in. Now, I’m no calamari gourmand—squid isn’t my favorite—but I didn’t detect any “kick” at all in the taste of the breading, and my friends agreed that it was rather bland, but no matter, we had a delicious dipping sauce, and the calamari itself was not at all chewy, as it often can be. Test #1 of our mall restaurant outing: Satisfactory, but nothing special. The Main Event: Don’t Waste Your Money On to Test #2: The Main Course. It all came to the table simultaneously—my salmon, Chicken Francese for Friend #1, and spaghetti and meatballs for Friend #2, the least adventurous of us. My plate contained a nice big slab of salmon with a side of orzo as well as a culinary catastrophe: spinach that looked like green slime, showing clearly that someone had fallen asleep in the kitchen. It’s not good to overcook salmon either, but thankfully the fish was moist and not overcooked, with just a hint of balsamic flavor. It wasn’t as good as the salmon at The Delicious Grille, but I digress…. I tried the soggy spinach, just to be fair, and found it inedible, and my friend’s Chicken Francese…how do I describe it? It looked like someone had filled a bowl with butter and dropped a piece of chicken into it. A sad little sliver of lemon sat forlornly on top on the chicken. Friend #1 diplomatically declared that her dish was delicious, but as appearances would suggest, I found that the butter overpowered the whole thing. So much for the reliability of our server’s recommendations. Friend #2’s spaghetti and meatballs was as if I had prepared it, which is to say, just passable and nothing more. Actually, I could have done a better job—here the sauce was too bland, and the pasta was too soft.
A Little Bit of Soul
Rita’s
Mom’s Bakery Delicious baked goods from family recipes.
So in conclusion, if you’re ever in the mall and feeling utterly starved…skip Prima and go to the food court, where you might have to deal with plastic forks, but at least you get what you pay for. Overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars.
Comments from readers: Baked with care by real moms!
Rachel123 said… Oh, come on. It’s not so bad.
Fred1 said… Nancy, I love your blog, but I’m going to have to disagree about Prima. I thought the food was delicious.
Juan said… We tried Prima when it first opened, and I agree with you. I had the lasagna, which was OK, and my wife had some bad tilapia. Skip it.
MerylP said... I’m a longtime reader of your blog and didn’t think you’d ever set foot in a mall restaurant. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Open 7 days a week, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
About Me Hi, I’m Nancy. Tired of disappointing experiences at restaurants? I started this blog to put the restaurants in my area to the test so that my neighbors don’t have to. I hope my blog will be a help to all of the food lovers who dream of finding “that perfect meal.”
Previously Reviewed: Chutney House
Culinary Café
The Delicious Grille
The calamari came out quickly, and we all dug in. Now, I’m no calamari gourmand—squid isn’t my favorite—but I didn’t detect any “kick” at all in the taste of the breading, and my friends agreed that it was rather bland, but no matter, we had a delicious dipping sauce, and the calamari itself was not at all chewy, as it often can be. Test #1 of our mall restaurant outing: Satisfactory, but nothing special. The Main Event: Don’t Waste Your Money On to Test #2: The Main Course. It all came to the table simultaneously—my salmon, Chicken Francese for Friend #1, and spaghetti and meatballs for Friend #2, the least adventurous of us. My plate contained a nice big slab of salmon with a side of orzo as well as a culinary catastrophe: spinach that looked like green slime, showing clearly that someone had fallen asleep in the kitchen. It’s not good to overcook salmon either, but thankfully the fish was moist and not overcooked, with just a hint of balsamic flavor. It wasn’t as good as the salmon at The Delicious Grille, but I digress…. I tried the soggy spinach, just to be fair, and found it inedible, and my friend’s Chicken Francese…how do I describe it? It looked like someone had filled a bowl with butter and dropped a piece of chicken into it. A sad little sliver of lemon sat forlornly on top on the chicken. Friend #1 diplomatically declared that her dish was delicious, but as appearances would suggest, I found that the butter overpowered the whole thing. So much for the reliability of our server’s recommendations. Friend #2’s spaghetti and meatballs was as if I had prepared it, which is to say, just passable and nothing more. Actually, I could have done a better job—here the sauce was too bland, and the pasta was too soft.
A Little Bit of Soul
Rita’s
Mom’s Bakery Delicious baked goods from family recipes.
So in conclusion, if you’re ever in the mall and feeling utterly starved…skip Prima and go to the food court, where you might have to deal with plastic forks, but at least you get what you pay for. Overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars.
Comments from readers: Baked with care by real moms!
Rachel123 said… Oh, come on. It’s not so bad.
Fred1 said… Nancy, I love your blog, but I’m going to have to disagree about Prima. I thought the food was delicious.
Juan said… We tried Prima when it first opened, and I agree with you. I had the lasagna, which was OK, and my wife had some bad tilapia. Skip it.
MerylP said... I’m a longtime reader of your blog and didn’t think you’d ever set foot in a mall restaurant. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Open 7 days a week, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
