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 Tico special (egg battered, sautéed with white wine, garlic, butter and lemon, served over a bed of spinach and topped with fried leeks; $32) which was outstanding and huge!

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