(March 5, 2004)

You know that I don't often review restaurants that are parts of chains. It's usually because the cooks on the line have no flexibility. Every dish tastes like it's rolled out of some corporate container. Like the time I asked my waitress at Macaroni Grill if I could get some linguini carbonara. She came back and said the chef had never heard of it.

That doesn't happen at Johnny Carino's. Yes, they're a chain of 105 restaurants in 19 states, but they don't act like it. The waiters are well trained, and the chefs can adapt if you have a special request. And the food tastes like something you'd get at an owner-operated restaurant. There's no cutting open the cardboard box and pouring out the sauce at Carino's. And that's why I like it.

The restaurant group was acquired by Fired Up Inc. in 1997. Fired Up owners Norman Abdallah and Creed Ford poured over recipes from the Italian countryside and the core of today's menu was put in place. They challenged their chefs with cooking competitions, where each chef was responsible for developing their own unique contribution. The result was a menu that is constantly being tweaked and updated.

The appetizers at Carino's are intriguing. The Calamari is crisp and has a very appealing flavor. I do wish they would offer perhaps a chipotle mayo sauce along with the marinara. But it's quite good. The Stuffed Mushrooms feature cheese, onions, spinach and garlic and are finished with a tangy lemon and basil cream sauce. Again, a cut above the usual fare one sees at chains.

But the star of the show is their signature Italian Nachos. This is a neat dish. They take pasta "chips" and layer them with sausage, pepperocini peppers, black olives, diced roma tomatoes and jalapenos, then top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese along with a zesty alfredo sauce. This is a fun and very tasty dish. On the salad front, I'd recommend the Grilled Chicken Caesar, which is served over romaine lettuce. Very nice flavor.

While I don't think the pizzas are Carino's strongest offerings, the Sausage Cacciatore Pizza which features ground Italian sausage, peppers and onions [nicely marinated] and Roma tomatoes along with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, is the one I'd recommend if you're craving pizza.

In my opinion, the ultimate appeal of Carino's lies in its entrees. You have got to try the Italian Pot Roast. They began this as a weekly special last year and it made its way to the permanent menu by the weight of customer demand. The meat is savory and tender and your grandma would heartily approve. Another very strong dish is the Homemade Lasagna. It's made daily with 12 layers of pasta, ricotta cheese, and meat sauce and its darned good. The sauce has a nice kick to it and tastes, well, homemade. You really should sample the Chicken Picatta. The medallions of chicken are exceptionally tender and sautéed in olive oil with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and capers. It's finished with a lemon butter cream sauce and it's a keeper. The Spicy Shrimp and Chicken is where Italy and Louisiana coincide I guess. In a cream sauce accented with cayenne pepper, the chef tosses shrimp, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and mushrooms. The flavors are immediately satisfying.

You can choose from "solo' or "grandiso" versions of most entrees at Johnny Carino's. My suggestion: go with several of the smaller "solo" entrees and you can try more, share with your friends, and do some sampling. Prices of most solo entrees are under $10.

Johnny Carino's appeals to many: families, couples, those out for business lunches. It should not be linked with Austin's finest upscale Italian eateries like Siena and Bellagio. That was not the intent of the owners.

However, Carino's is light years above some of the other Italian chains like The Olive Garden and Zios.

So come on out this weekend and enjoy Johnny Carino's. Tell 'em Rob Balon sent you.

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