Amerigo Italian Restaurant - Knoxville, TN
Written: Jan 27 '08
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Pros: Service, food, bread, atmosphere.
Cons: No salad or soup with entree.
The Bottom Line: Great for dates or business. Reservations are accepted for groups. There's no reason not to go to Amerigo.
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| pkmom's Full Review: Amerigo |
Color me impressed with red, white and green!
Move over Olive Garden, Bravo's and Macaroni Grill. It's time to make room for the new kid on the block. Just opened last month, Amerigo is quickly becoming known as the hottest restaurant in Knoxville. The reasons are simple. Food that's beyond good, served hot and in reasonable time plus excellent service and value.
Amerigo's Italian Restaurant is part of a chain. Each restaurant will stand on its own merit when it comes to service and food quality. This review is specifically for the Amerigo's on Kingston Pike in Knoxville, TN.
My husband and I had the opportunity to dine at Amerigo's this evening. It was our first experience but it will not be our last. To say I was impressed is putting it mildly.
The first thing you notice is the cleanliness of the restaurant. Although the restaurant was very busy staff found the time to keep the doors free of fingerprints and smudges. Nice attention to detail! The wait area by the door was spotless as well.
Not that we had much time to admire it though. We were instantly greeted by a friendly hostess who whooshed us away to an inviting table by the stone fireplace. Friendliness and warmth on a cold January day. I was already halfway to falling in love with the place and my date with my husband had barely gotten started.
Just after we were seated our server arrived. Connelly was back in a flash with my husband's iced tea and a glass of water for me. She explained to us about the evening specials and how the salmon is served on a cedar plank. According to her it's "to die for". She made it sound tempting even though I am not a fan of fish.
After being assured that we wouldn't be trying an appetizer (despite her best efforts) she left us to ponder the rest of the menu. Deciding what to order was tough. The best way to explain the variety is to post a link to their website. Visit them at http://amerigo.net/resources/PDF/Fax_Knoxville.pdf
After much deliberation I decided to try the spaghetti with meatball. This came in at $9.50. My husband settled on the Goat Cheese Pasta with roasted chicken for $12.00.
The entrees came with neither salad nor soup. We weren't disappointed though. To make-up for it Amerigo has what may be the best bread we've had lately. Served in 1 inch thick slices this delight is fresh baked bread with asiago cheese and garlic. The result is a tasty temptation no one should pass up. The server brought out a small plate of oil and herbs to dip the bread in.
I was a bit surprised when the entrees did arrive. In most of the restaurants where I've ordered spaghetti with meatball(s) the meatballs were small. With luck, they would be 2" in diameter but no larger. Not at Amerigo. On my plate was the largest softball sized meatball I think I've almost ever seen. Good thing there was only one. The server would need a wheelbarrow if there was two.
My husband was more than satisfied with his selection. His Goat Cheese Pasta was loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, scallions, diced tomatoes with penne noodles.
Both of our entrees were served piping hot. When they arrived, the kitchen server then asked if we wanted shredded parmesean cheese sprinkled over the dishes. No powered stuff here! This cheese was grated from small blocks right in front of us directly onto our entrees.
Checking on us within a minute was our server. She quickly and quietly refilled our glasses while checking to see if we had all we needed. We assured her that we did. Even though the restaurant was almost completely full she managed to keep the dirty dishes cleared and the glass full.
When we finished she was back promptly to offer dessert and to remove plates. Again, she made the selections sound very tempting. The Tiramisu and Butter Pecan Brownie sounded great but we were full.
When the check came we were pleasantly surprised. The total came in at just under $25.00. That's not bad for two people dining in a moderately priced restaurant for dinner.
The dress is upscale casual. The atmosphere is relaxed. Most of the decor is in dark wood tones. Light jazz played in the background but it was not so overpowering that you couldn't hold a conversation. The bar and television is in a separate area of the restaurant. Bar noise was not a problem from where we were sitting. I liked that.
Actually, I liked everything about the restaurant. My husband and I were disillusioned by my previous favorite restaurant. We may have found a new "favorite place" to relax and unwind.
Thanks Amerigo, for opening in Knoxville.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations The spaghetti was great! The desserts look even better!
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
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Epinions.com ID:
pkmom
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Reviews written: 96
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Married Mom of two teens.
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