Restaurant Thu Feb 07 2008

Strip Mall Gem

Strip mall fare usually falls along the taste spectrum somewhere between "bland but edible" and "foul." About a year ago, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised to discover a definite exception to the rule, La Gondola, a family owned and operated Italian restaurant all but hidden away in the Jewel Plaza at Ashland and Wellington.

La Gondola's handful of tables are consistently filled with regulars who will tell you that a reservation is a must on Friday and Saturday nights. The atmosphere is cozy, if a little cramped, as a carry-out line often fills the tiny waiting area. But everyone's in it together at La Gondola, where the chef has been known to man the register in a pinch on busy nights.

The service is good and the atmosphere genial, but they come for the food.

Traditional Italian dishes like chicken vesuvio and veal parmigiana are just like Nonna used to make: fresh, generously portioned, and chock full of that extra special something (love?)

La Gondola's thin crust pizza with a sweet tomato sauce and just the right amount of cheese drives their take-out business and delivery business. We've ordered it several times and have never been disappointed. On a recent night, we split a small sausage, artichoke and ricotta pizza, and an eggplant parmigiana sandwich. We expected leftovers, but had no idea the sandwich alone -- three layers of fried eggplant smothered with marinara on crusty Italian bread -- would be enough to serve two very hungry people.

The moral of the story: don't be afraid to venture into the strip malls. You may even find a Zagat-rated gem like La Gondola.

- Mandy