Restaurant Review

Friday, September 15, 2000

Island Italian creates fine, basic dishes

Nothing fancy on the menu, but the Alfredo is to-die-for and the meatballs satisfy

 

Frank Sinatra's velvet voice and a wonderful, garlicky aroma hang in the air at Island Italian.
   Sure, you walk past a bank of 8-liners and a low-rent looking bar to get to the dining area. But sit down at one of the checkered, green and white vinyl covered tables and you'll find you're at one of the few restaurants in town that offer, among other things, real Alfredo sauce: heavy cream, a generous dose of parmesan cheese and lots of butter.
   And that, in itself, is worth coming for.
   Island Italian isn't fancy. Inside the family restaurant's stucco-covered walls, there is no room for pretension (or much sophistication, for that matter). You will not find any dishes that call for pine nuts, there is no bruschetta available and there are no portabello mushrooms on this menu. You will find paper place mats printed with the history of pizza.
   But what Island Italian brings to the table is a wonderful and simple selection of dishes that exemplify the hearty family fare that has made Italian food a favorite. The menu and the atmosphere here, like the spaghetti westerns of the 1950s, are a comfortable combination of Americana with a cultural twist.
   On this base, owners and operators Tag and Joyce Tagliaferro have quietly grown their business since 1987.
   Fancy-free
   On our recent visit, we brought the whole family and found the staff friendly and accommodating.
   Seated immediately, our attentive waitress, dressed casually in black pants and a T-shirt, was Island friendly. A look around the dining room revealed a mix of patrons, from a family of four still dripping (literally) from a swim, to an older couple dressed for diner.
   We opted to start the meal with an unusual appetizer, named after the owner, Tag. What arrived was a wonder: a warm mixture of diced clams, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and spices. The mixture resembled a transitional Northeastern stuffing. Served with fresh, hot garlic bread to spread it on, it was a delicious, if a very heavy, appetizer.
   For the main entrees, we opted for the scallops and shrimp pasta Ala Tag, and a dish of baked ziti with Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese. The three children took advantage of a very reasonably priced kids menu ($2.75 each) and ordered cheese ravioli with a huge meatball and ziti.
   Salads came with the meal, and featured iceberg lettuce, croutons, bits of green onion, cherry tomatoes, carrot, a few slices of pepperoni and a big banana pepper. Nothing fancy, but fine nonetheless.
   Did I mention the Alfredo?
   The pasta Ala Tag was fantastic, with fresh shrimp and scallops sautéed perfectly and tossed into a huge portion of linguini, along with that rich and creamy Alfredo sauce.
   The scallops were huge. Both the scallops and the shrimp were perfectly cooked - not overdone to a tough and rubbery texture that you so often find at restaurants that claim to specialize in seafood.
   And that Alfredo sauce. Billed on the menu as a parmesan cream sauce, it was simple but exquisite (not exactly healthy, but to die without enjoying this simple pleasure of life is not to have lived). As I twirled the last noodles onto my fork, the butter in the sauce began to separate, showing that it wasn't a mix of packaged sauce.
   The baked ziti, too, was a satisfying meal. The tubes of pasta were topped with yet another sauce made back in the kitchen. And the sausage was as authentic an Italian sausage as I've seen, thick with anise seed and fennel, crumbling under a fork.
   The kids polished off their plates, devouring the spicy, hand-made meatball almost before I could snatch a taste. But the part I managed to get with my fork was great, heavy with spices and tender.
   Having not planned ahead (and after ordering that stick-to-your-ribs appetizer) we had no room for the desserts, which included cappuccino pie, cannoli (a traditional Italian cream-filled pastry), cheese cake and mousse. Maybe next time.
  
   At a glance
   Island Italian Restaurant
   16995 S. Padre Island Drive, Phone: 949-7737
   Entrees: $8.25-$14.25
   Checks: Yes
   Credit Cards: Discover, Visa, MasterCard, American Express
   Wheelchair accessible
   Alcohol: Beer and wine
   Hours: Sunday, 5 to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
   Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
   Food ** ½
   Service ** ½
   Atmosphere * ½
  

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