Chianti Cafe in Summerlin

Maybe it was because it was a Sunday evening or maybe it was because on our way to this cheery cafe it was 47 degrees and hailing outside but business was slow at the Chianti Cafe.  Chianti Cafe is located in a shopping Plaza off of Town Center Drive just past the Summerlin Parkway.  Not much to look at from the outside, the inside was suprisingly warm and cozy.  There were 5 of us and since most of the tables on the restaurant side were smaller they seated us in the lounge.  Not a problem since there was never more than one other table in the lounge and when we left there was nobody in the restaurant.  The cafe is cutting back to summer hours and will be closed on Sundays for the summer. 

The benefit to sitting in the lounge was that it was happy hour and glasses of wine and beer were only $3 until 7 p.m.  There were several selections for the happy hour wine and several beer selections.  My husband and I had the Barefoot Pinot Grigio and my mom had a Chardonay. (Of course she usually buys a whole bottle for $3 so maybe it wasn't such a bargain for her).  They also have a fully stocked bar and the bar looks new and like a comfortable place to sit.

The menu is what you would expect from an Italian restuarant. Among the appetizers were salads, soups, bruschetta, antipasti and fried calamari.  The prices were reasonable and we had a coupon for a free appetizer or salad.  We had the Caesar salad which was crisp and cold.  The pepper flavor, however, was almost overwhelming. I thought there may have been red peper flakes but Lynn thought it was just too much black pepper.  I'd go with another choice next time.

The entrees included pizzas, pastas, chicken and veal dishes as well as a steak entree and fish special.  The prices were all reasonable and almost all were between $12.95 and $15.95.  I made everyone order something different and I made sure to sample from everyone's plate.  A great idea since my entree was fairly disappointing.  My sister Lynn had the spinach manicotti, which was topped with a bechamel sauce.  It was baked in the oven and quite tasty.  My husband had the Canelloni Chianti, a veal canelloni, topped with a bolognese sauce and also baked in the oven.  I think his dish was the best I sampled.  My mother had the fettucini alfredo, which was also good, but a bit heavy on the garlic.  My brother-in-law Fred had the Gnocchi Sunrise.  I'm not a gnocchi lover but sacrificed and tasted it so I could report.  It was suprisingly good.  It tasted fresh and the tomoato and cream sauce was delicious.  I, unfortunately, ordered the chicken milanese.  It was deep fried, really heavy and could have used a sauce.  It was served with roasted potatoes which seemed to have been in the oven for days. The roasted summer squash and carrots served with it, however, were cooked perfectly. 

We were all too full for desert.  With the coupon the meal came to just over $100, a great deal for 5 of us.  All in all I would go back.  Except for my meal the food was decent and the service was good (although as Lynn pointed out it should have been since there were really no other customers).  There is a piano in the lounge and they have entertainment on the weekends, including some Saturday evening dinner shows.  None of the entertainment applealed to me but it probably draws in a decent Summerlin/Sun City crowd. 

I'll keep Chianti Cafe on my list but it's no Carmines!