December 31, 2008
Russo's Restaurant4895 State Rd.
Peninsula, OH 44264
The Setup: It was New Year's Eve and my boyfriend and I had decided to keep it low key this year. A nice dinner, some bowling and maybe a drink at a local dive bar. The only problem was that it was already after 2:00 pm and we didn't have a reservation yet! We decided on Russo's, called up a few friends, and luckily we were able to get a table for 4 at 6:00 PM.
The Experience: Russo's is a restaurant which specializes in Cajun and Italian foods. Don't like things too spicy? (Neither do I!) No worries - the menu is diverse enough to offer something for everyone. Greg, Stephen, Mike and I arrived at 6:00 and were taken to our table right away. They had a good crowd, which in my book usually equals good food! We were surprised to find out once we had been seated that they weren't offering their full menu that night, but a smaller, pricier New Years Eve menu. Did we let that stop us? No way!
The Food: Since it was New Year's Eve, most of us decided to start our night off with a drink. I had a class of Pinot Grigio ($7.00), Greg had a Johnny Walker Black ($7.00) and Mike had Crown ($6.00). Stephen stuck with a soda since he was DD for the night. Next were the appetizers: Not knowing exactly what he was ordering, Mike braved the Steak Tartare on Baguette Croutons ($15.99). If you're not into raw meat this is definitely not the dish for you! Although it was prepared and presented beautifully, it was somewhat lacking in flavor. That's not to say it was a bad dish, it just needed a bit more seasoning. The appetizer I settled on was the Coriander and Fennel Crusted Big-Eye Tuna on Grilled Crostini with Garlic Aioli and Tapande ($13.99). Wow! This dish had flavor as big as its name! It was definitely the high point of the evening. I think that if they had added even one of the components of this dish to the tartare, it would have escalated that dish to a home run as well. The portions on both of these appetizers were definitely enough to share, although Mike and I kept them mostly for ourselves!
As for the main courses, Mike moved from the tartare to the Roasted Stuffed Cornish Game Hen ($24.99) which was stuffed with Italian sausage and an apple, chestnut and currant dressing. Mike really enjoyed this main course and cleaned his plate! Greg decided to take advantage of the restaurant's specialty and ordered the Cajun Sampler ($27.99). This included a mix of shrimp creole, jambalaya, catfish and collard greens, just to name a few! Not only did Greg say his meal was delicious and spicy, the portions were so big that he was able to take home some leftovers (which he demolished the next day)! Stephen decided he couldn't pass up the Grilled American Kobe Sirloin with Scalloped Potatoes and Leeks, Oyster and Shitake Mushrooms and Horseradish Oil ($35.99). We each tried a piece of the steak which was so tender it almost didn't require a knife! He was definitely satisfied with his choice. Lastly was my choice and, trying to stay somewhat on a budget I decided to go with a salad for my main course - Haricot Vert and Cherry Tomato Salad with Kalamata Olives, Hard Cooked Quail Egg and Roasted Red Peppers in a Red Wine Vinaigrette ($10.99). Although the salad looked beautiful and had it's good points, it was definitely the one disappointment of the evening and I was left wishing I had sprung for the Moussaka. The main problem with the salad was that the shallots were so overpowering and the rest of the ingredients such as the olives and roasted peppers were so scarce that I was left tasting onion all evening and feeling not quite satisfied.
Verdict: A. My salad aside, our dinner at Russo's was very good, and I think the tuna appetizer alone was enough to warrant an A grade. Our overall experience at the restaurant was wonderful and ended up being the perfect prelude to our night of bowling! If you're worried about the prices, keep in mind that this was a special menu and the regular menu has plenty of items for under $20.00. And although the regular menu doesn't include most of the items we had on New Year's, they do have an extensive menu that you can view online, so you should be able to find something comparable. And for those of you who can stomach the spice, this is one of the only places I know around Peninsula/Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio to get good, authentic Cajun food. Try it and I promise you won't be disappointed! **Insider's Tip** Having a party? Ask for Russo's party room! The room is called the Treme Room, named after a New Orleans neighborhood, and holds up to 20 people.
(Photo courtesy of www.russoskitchen.com)
