Carmen’s Cafe VS. Garozzo’s

Carmen’s is new to Leawood on the very cool restaurant strip near Town Center Plaza. They have a great location that is close to shopping ,movies, and other restaurants that offer the same up-scale cuisine. But… they do it better, and they do it way better than their shadow that may follow them from their Brookside location. They are also underneath a ever bigger shadow. That shadow is Garozzo’s. Garozzo’s has four locations in the KC area, one is in Olathe, and who the fuck wants to eat there? The whole US is in a rescission but Olathe is dragging the anchor for the whole ship in state of Kansas. Another location is in Overland Park on College Blvd. And also there is one on 526 Harrison in KCMO. I don’t even know where that is, I hope you got a TOM TOM for Christmas. The last is in Lee’s Summit…. who knew that if you become a successful restauranteur you should maybe open more locations in the two most white trash cities in our beloved state. What?… Was there no open mini-mall spaces in Independence? They can’t be all that bad… and they are not really.

Garozzo’s has been around for 22 years. I know right? I haven’t done anything for 22 years…. except play with my junk and bar tend. But this place has been the STAPLE for Italian food in KC. Everyone has heard the owner’s raspy voice on the radio clamoring for people to come to his restaurant during any or all holiday’s on the AM channels between sports talk banters harping on the Chiefs. But the Garozzo’s 3 blocks away from my home  in OP is too good to pass up for a try…. so what the fuck. Like I’m not going to give that a swing.

At Garozzo’s I walked in to order to-go at the bar and immediately wondered if I was late to my own wedding. It’s 2012… lose the tuxedo shirts and ties…even for chicks it’s weirder. The staff wears the most ridiculous black tux pants and matching shirts, you know the ones with ruffles worn by the prom date that you should have pepper sprayed, plus a bow tie, (and there coming back if you play in the NBA), and the icing on the cake….suspenders. Did the producers of any movie made in the 70′s have a garage sale they and didn’t call me…. on my home phone that I don’t have, cause in the 70′s there was no texting, facebook,…. OK you get it. Anyway I walked in with plaid shorts and a T-shirt…. way under dressed for a Monday. But never the less I was hungry. I ordered the Spiedini di Pollo which is chicken wrapped in breading then topped with olive oil and seasoning which came with a side of pasta with a nice red sauce. Their side salad is extra, but worth it. Most places when they make it to-go for you they put the  salad in the box and put the dressing on the side. And they should! But there is something about Garozzo’s salad that being drenched in their dressing makes it soooooo good. I also asked to add one meatball ( cause I heard they were incredible). Well… good news first…. that salad was as good as advertised, and they sell the dressing in stores. The best side salad I have ever had! Bad news… my entree, from the picture that I gave to my readers, looks like someone Italian….. or just some crack head took a shit on my fettuccine. And that was SUPPOSED to come with linguine, per the menu. Although it tasted great. I actually love anything in olive oil. But this meal was so heavy with in that you can actually see the oil try to fight it’s way out of my to-go box. I am a fat kid… but that was TOO fucking much. I think the cook making it maybe saw that it was to-go and went OOOPPSS with the olive oil and then HA HA. I also ordered one meatball just to see how it was and I don’t know because I never got it. It never made it into my box. “That’s what I said”.

However the bartender that waited on me was one of the most professional people I have ever been served by. That guy is all class. As is most of the staff at Garozzo’s.

Carmen’s Cafe however dressed to impress with just their food. I called in my order for my first time at this new hot spot and was happier than a ex-Chantix user that just started smoking again. Love this place! I ordered Maggies Pasta and the scallops app. My order  also came with a wonderful Caesar salad, not as good as the Garozzo’s salad by miles… but very good. Who ever Maggie is, she is a genius. That pasta was better that Andrew Luck’s families Christmas this year. GOOD. The scallops were even better. They where at least 3 inches in diameter and did not have the weird muscle attached to it that some restaurants miss when the chef doesn’t separate it. Plus my scallops were sitting in a divine sauce that I can only describe as euphoric. And they were perfectly cooked as only a great chef can do. Those scallops were so good I wish I had not eaten them, but took them up stairs, put them on my Temperpidic mattress, and spooned them. I really want to have a serious relationship with that appetizer.

A big plus is that Carmen’s Cafe is just as reasonable price wise as most other Italian places like Carabba’s and Macaroni Grill. Better value than Garozzo’s and a way better product.

WINNER- Carmen’s Cafe

Garozzo’s-3.5 plastic forks

Camen’s Cafe-4.5 plastic forks