Cafe Verona

Cafe Verona Restaurant Review:

In an almost exclusively outdoor setting, part of the wraparound patio is lushly landscaped with exotic flowers and a burbling fountain, while granite tables are topped with orchids in Orangina bottles. It’s a charming, unpretentious scene and the service is friendly. As for the food, we’ve enjoyed lunches of fresh salads and a focaccia panino stuffed with prosciutto, Fontina, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto mayonnaise. A wide variety of pastas is offered, including toasted Sardinian pasta accompanied by a mélange of seafood, while entrées range from pan-seared lamb chops with wild mushrooms to an Italian version of shrimp and grits in which a bowl of polenta is topped with shrimp, eggplant and Gorgonzola. For dessert, there’s tiramisu and a respectable pear tart. The all-Italian wine list is relatively short, but more than adequate for a casual patio dinner. Brunch --- think eggs Florentine and smoked salmon-goat cheese frittata --- is served on weekends.