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I recently purchased a copy of the 2009 Zagat guide. I use it not necessarily for the reviews and ratings, but as a reference to find out whether a restaurant takes credit cards, has a liquor license, days and hours of operations, etc.
I go through it and check off places I’ve reviewed. Sometimes I make a mental note to try a specific eatery and then forget it. Zagat refreshes my memory.
I do not know how many times Edward and I have passed Joe Palombo’s Mirabella Cafe during our Jersey runs, but we always wanted to try it.
The establishment is in the Barclay Farms Shopping Center on Route 70 East in Cherry Hill. It’s BYOB so we stopped by Canal’s and picked up a bottle of Montepulciano Reserve, which turned out to be one fine wine.
The restaurant was doing brisk business. Holiday shoppers were out in force and needed fuel to continue. We were shown to a roomy table and discussed the large menu.
The food is Italian-American with a pasta list as deep as the national debt. An assistant waiter brought us a basket of warm triangular-shaped rolls that tasted a little like pizza dough. A small dish of seasoned, deep-green olive oil arrived for dipping.
I noticed eggplant rollatini among the pastas. It was a bit odd since this classic dish is usually grouped with the antipasto. Our waiter told us I could have the rollatini ($9.95) as a first course. I received one small eggplant roll filled with ricotta and topped with sauce. Not only did it lack eye appeal, it lacked flavor.
Fried smelts ($8.99) were just OK. Edward liked them better than I did. Although not a bit greasy, they were tasteless. So many chefs have a heavy hand with salt, but it appears the crew at Mirabella’s don’t use it or don’t use enough of it. I sprinkled some salt and squeezed a bit of lemon on them, but they still lacked flavor. A gravy boat of marinara arrived with the dish. It was obviously homemade and imparted a rich taste and texture.
House salads come with dinner. I was delighted we did not receive run-of-the- mill bagged spring mix, which I am growing to detest. It instead consisted of pieces of fresh, cool, not a bit rusty romaine leaves with bits of mozzarella and a few grape tomatoes. The house vinaigrette arrived on the side. All it required was a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Veal alla Milanese ($19.99) is one of Edward’s favorites. It is a veal cutlet, pounded thin, topped with dry — emphasis on dry — arugula and shards of Parmigiano-Reggiano. He told the waiter exactly how he wanted it prepared as described above. It was hard to find the veal as it was buried under a big mound of arugula. The kind used in this dish was the small leaf variety, which lacks the flavor of the larger version. Someone forgot to stem the greens, which also contained dried cherries and tiny bits of cheese. I thought the veal was a bit overcooked and lacked flavor. The breading needed more seasoning. A roasted potato and a few pieces of zucchini, yellow squash and roasted peppers came with the dish. The vegetables were on the cool side.
I’ve eaten pork chops alla Milanese ($19.99) in a number of restaurants. Bones add flavor to beef and pork and I was happy to see mine retained the bones. Still, it lacked flavor and was overcooked. The chops should have been juicy. I received the same arugula and cool vegetables.
Service was fine even though Mirabella Cafe was quite crowded. A quartet came around singing Christmas songs and took requests. Edward asked for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and they sang it splendidly.
Although Palombo uses good ingredients, he and his chefs sometimes overcook them. The dinner was like the bland leading the bland.
One tip of the toque to Joe Palombo’s Mirabella Cafe.
Joe Palombo’s Mirabella Cafe
Barclay Farms Shopping Center, 210 Route 70 East, Cherry Hill, N.J.
856-354-1888
Credit cards accepted
