For a friend's birthday, I took her out to the area's best Italian restaurant: Il Giardinello (I've mentioned it here before, especially after Joe Pesci was spotted there a year or two ago by another friend).

My go-to dish is Linguini Marechiara (Combination of Shrimp, Calamari and Scungilli [and a few clams and mussels] with a touch of Marinara Sauce over Linguini; $24.95)

Hmm, this time the "touch of Marinara" was just that, yet this time with a HUGE SCOOP of chunky tomatoes on top that I had to pick off. Not a fan of tomato chunks in my sauce. But the dish is awesome anyway. Huge, and packed full of seafood! I added some crushed red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch.

Started off with the Oysters Amalfi (Oysters broiled with crabmeat stuffing; $12). Very good. But you serve 5 for 2 people?? Not 6 or 4? Happens all the time! lol

House Salad, and the Escarole in Brodo ($4.50) soup was good, too.

Took most of the entree home for tomorrow. My date had the Chilean Sea Bass special ($32) which was outstanding and huge!

Thankfully tomorrow's a cheap day: Leftovers, then $1 beers at the ballpark.