Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano

4010 West Jefferson Boulevard
Fort Wayne, IN 46804-6814
(260) 459-6700
www.biaggis.com

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The 3 Elles were out again - this time we had a return visit to Biaggi's. It was our second visit to this interesting eatery. Our first visit was sans Adams L and was back in September 2008. This time, the 3 Elles were all present and accounted for (minus the 45 minutes when I was a bit loopy from the 2 delicious Cherry Basil Fresco drinks).

Atmosphere -
If you have never been to Biaggi's - you absolutely must go. It is a very interesting restaurant. It appears extremely high end but you'll find people wearing all different types of clothing (jeans to business suits) and eating there for all kinds of reasons (closing big business deals to enjoying girls night out). I think Biaggi's is suppose to be primarily high end, but I think the lack of Hoosier decorum has forced the FW Biaggi's to welcome a more diverse clientele.


Hostess and Server -
Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by a hostess or two who quickly acknowledge you, welcome you, and get you seated with your party. Our server's name was Bobbi and she was excellent. She was kind and competent and had a sense of humor. She was a lot of fun.


Drinks -
I arrived 10 minutes late (sorry Elles) to find that Adams L had already ordered and received the cutest LITTLE drink ever - called a Blood Orange Billini ($8.95) We all tried tiny sips since it was such a small and expensive drink, but it was delicious. Completely NOT worth the cost. Adams L says that places like Johnny Carino's (Muncie, IN) sell them by the pitcher and are much cheaper - sounds GREAT to me!!!



I looked over the very well organized menu (Kudos, Biaggi's) and decided upon a Cherry Basil Fresco - YUM!!!!!!!!! It was a cute drink at a reasonable price of $6.99. When Bobbi brought it to me, she put on the table a little carafe of sprite and said that as I drink it I could add the sprite. It seemed VERY confusing to me - why would I want to do that? What is the point? I did as she said and unfortunately it completely ruined the drink. It tasted like cherry sprite. I explained my confusion and disappointment and she went to talk to the bartender. Turns out it was suppose to be club soda and not sprite and it was to make the drink carbonated rather than flat if one wanted. Bobbie brought me a new drink it was AMAZING. If you like Maraschino cherries then you'll absolutely LOVE this drink. I'm wondering why they don't consider using real cherries and call it a seasonal drink????




Bread -
They have 2 types of bread in their bread basket. One made from garlic mashed potatoes and another type which is plain french type bread. Both were delicious. Adams L & Allen L preferred the plain bread. I did not dislike the mashed potato bread. At B's the bread is served with oil, parm cheese, and pepper - delicately delicious!




Appetizers -
Because I was a FEW minutes late, the other Elles ordered and already began eating Bruschetta (seriously, is anyone shocked that Bruschetta was ordered???? Of course not, it's a staple of any 3 Elles event!) The presentation was beautiful and it delivered a variety of delicious flavors. It also was a larger portion that most other restaurants serve. Easily shared among the 3 of us, and importantly noted - it was large enough for Allen L to know it was not her personal bread plate (Nothin' but love - Allen L)



Adams L ordered stuffed mushrooms as her entree. They were delicious, but a far cry from the Stuffed Mushrooms at the Tavern at the Coventry which were absolutely out of this world!!!!! Adams L would probably not get these again. They must have been prepared in the dish they arrived in as the presentation lacked the flare of the other dishes such as the Lobster Bisque and the Bruschetta. Notice the baked on splatterings around the dish - not very appealing.




Soup & Salad -
Frequent readers of this blog can close their eyes and know exactly what soup Allen L ordered - drum roll please . . . NOPE - not French Onion . . . YEP Lobster Bisque! The exquisite visual presentation was the preamble to an enjoyable palate experience.



Adams L enjoyed a spinach salad. The picture doesn't do it justice. She said the salad was a delicious punch of a variety of flavors enhanced by the vinaigrette dressing. It was large enough that she enjoyed it as her entree.




Entrees -
Oh this is exciting part to discuss. Where to start - Ohhhhh, the UGLY dish that Allen L ordered called "Shrimp and Crab Cannelloni". See for yourself -



The spinach pasta was a very bright fake green color. The sauce was a bright orange color that left the pasta drowning. Despite the appearance, Allen L enjoyed it very much. The seafood, with the sauce, was delicious.

I enjoyed the Chicken Marsala which was a repeat purchase for me. It's one of my favorite entrees no matter where I go and Biaggi's does it well. It comes with spinach, but I was able to change that to asparagus for no extra charge. The asparagus was prepared well - not overcooked at all. The garlic mashed potatoes were fantastic with the marsala sauce. The presentation surely didn't look healthy or delicious, but rather appeared to be a smothered plate of dense calories, but the hardy flavor made it all worth it!!!!




Restroom -
The restroom was lovely EXCEPT for the first stall of the ladies' room. I walked into the stall and the first thing I saw was the broken toilet seat that was half off the toilet - what is up with that. Seriously - Biaggi's, can't you replace a broken toilet seat????? Inside the stall, the side wall tiles are stunning. I would love to have the same in my own home. Looking at the floor in the stall will really facilitate you "loosing your lunch." They were quite nasty-first, a good thorough cleaning followed by polishing would go a long way! My advice - don't look down! The sink area was clean and impressive.


Decor -
The restaurant is quite lovely. There is a large fire place, and various seating sections including secluded tables, "center stage" tables, and booths. It is very clean and inviting. There is an upscale bar area where you can eat or just enjoy a cocktail. There is a private dining area for large parties and a private wine tasting room that seats about 20. I would recommend asking if you could take a quick walk through the wine room which is very charming (look up - the ceiling is unexpectedly ornate)

Overall -
We will definitely return to Biaggi's and recommend you give it a try. We guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Until the next bite -