SantoSuossos’ will forever be tied to Mama Jo
Pies, as we found out about both of them on the same day, the
day of the Medina county ice festival, and were committed to trying
out both. After picking up some pie options to go we headed back to
try some Italian fare in Medina. Like Jo’s they are located in a
strip mall, once a guarantee of disappointment, it seems some folk
looks to save on the mortgage or rent in order to focus on the
product. Another prejudice put to bed by the reality of the world
around me. Thank God for experience. |
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The interior is a mix of authentic and plastic you might expect in a plaza and was beyond dark enough to make me self conscious of the flash my phone produced in trying to record the dishes. Our server was named Justin and he appeared to be a well trained pro, timing everything well for the kitchen and doing an above average job of keeping up on his tasks to boot. We tried the soup du, some arancini, salads, lasagna, and chicken parm.
Bread and butter was the first thing to arrive at the table. The
product in the basket was a good sign of things to come. Yeasty and
doughy interior was encased in a tough slightly bitter crust and
served with whipped butter. I have been avoiding carbs in my recent
loss of about 50 lbs…it couldn’t be avoided here. Salads were fresh
and nicely basic with tasty dressings. The soup du was a cream of
mushroom. I was kinda wishing for a repeat of the portabella bisque
I had heard about from Steph’s first trip. The cream based soup was
good but insanely rich. |
Fresh With Garbanzo Beans...Or Cici's If Your Italian |
Ritchie Rich Cream Of Mushroom |
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Arancini, Balls Of Fried Risotto |
More Please...Crispy, Creamy, Scrumptious |
We shared an appetizer of arancini, deep fried nuggets of Arborio rice done risotto style mixed with cheese, breaded and crisped in the fryer. I haven't had them many times so I don't have much basis for comparison but I can tell you that these pallone were wonderful. Smooth and rich interior and the light crust was a great union with the house sauce. Fortunately, one of our foursome wasn't feeling very adventurous so we each got our own little treat.
I do have a confession. In my habit of noodling around in the
kitchen I have sought to bring additional layers of awesome to
Italian cuisine since leaving culinary school many years ago. Some
sort of signature wow factor. My Italian is good. Theirs is just
better. Makes me sad. I grew up with great Italian options and tried
to build on a genre. SantoSoussos’ has been working on perfecting
the balance of simple ingredients. Foolish me. The lasagna is the
quintessence of this effort. A couple of long thin noodles are
injected with seasoned beef, ricotta cheese, a bit of other cheese
and the house sauce. Nothing makes you go WOW! It just makes you go
MMMmmmmmm. The even balance of quality ingredients makes for a
memorable square of yuminess. The house sauce is a fresh version ,
featuring the acidity of the tomato and a note of fresh basil with a
splash of sweetness from some unknown source, likely a pinch of
sugar per serving. B-E-A-Utiful. |
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Hey It's Lasagna...Everyone Makes Lasagna |
But It Seldom Turns Out This Perfectly Balanced |
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Crispy Edge Of Chicken Paillard In The Chix Parm, Great Seasoning And Doneness |
Side Of Spaghetti Was Done Very Well |
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I ordered the chicken parm, a test of protein and starch. The gravy
was the same as on the lasagna, sharply acidic with a counterbalance
of sweet. The spaghetti was done to a near perfect al dente giving a
chew to the pasta. The chicken was pounded out, breaded with a
nicely seasoned crust, topped with cheese and layered with the house
gravy. Nice. The spagh was similarly loaded; with Justin offering
grated Italian cheese atop the dish. Sweet, acidic, salty and tasty.
You could do worse. But you could also do better. Santosuossos’
offers some authentic and worthwhile Italian fare in Medina county.
They fare well against limited competition, much like
Mama Jo, but if you are looking for
something to trump their offerings you will have to travel. Yes New
York, Y-town, Chi-town, even Canton might have the upper hand, but
convenience has advantages. You could do much worse than
Santosuossos’. They know the cuisine of The Boot and turn it out
well. We didn’t do dessert, we had three pies in the car, maybe
later. |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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B+ | B | C+ | A | N/A | B+ | ||
Lasagna |