Regular Joe's Guide

(Rue Dante - in middle of same block as Inferno) This was a compromise selection as I had hopes to find something open on a Monday night. There's not a lot to pick from on Dante, but this little gem gave me a very solid dinner. They also have a limited lunch sitting - noon to 2:30 - so better timing options than many of the other places listed here. Menu changes daily at Lucca, in fact they do not print a menu at all (all chalk board). Comfortable setting, focus on fresh ingredients, and a mix of higher-brow fare with traditional red-sauce. It was a cold, nasty day, so I wanted to find something warm to start. Decided to follow that theme throughout dinner. First course was a butternut squash soup. Very good but not a deal-maker or breaker. It warmed me up to the main course, a mixed seafood grille with linguine and red sauce. Scallops, shrimp, clams and mussels - all piping hot and served with a very stout red sauce & pasta. (I did not inquire as to whether the pasta was ho...

(Rue Saint-Zotique - one block SE of Inferno) This one will be more brief as I ordered carry-out after working late one night. Primarily (exclusively?) a pizza joint - one that was started by the friend of one of my 30-something colleagues who studied / trained in Italy. I ordered a Diavolo pizza and a caprese salad to go. Salad was huge - probably could have done with a half size. Pizza was better than I had hoped - and I had high hopes! Very spicy (they cook in the crushed red pepper - more potent than sprinkling on top), excellent sauce, with salami, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Crust was good, wood-fired with some flare-spots where the bubbling had caused some extra-crispy cheese. Will go back and have one on-site since the to-go takes a bit of the crunch away. Still one of the better pies I have ever had. Also, closed Monday. - Rude Dante review

OK - as promised (later than initially stated), let's get those Rude Dante reviews out there. Rude Dante - take it away! --- As a follower and kindred spirit of the RJG, one can only imagine my delight in having a couple weeks in Montreal. At first I had no concept of the place - other than it is a long flight on a little plane to get there. And as my arrival was in April, it is considerably colder than my home in the west. But on to the dining. There is a remarkably strong Italian community in Montreal (ed : Having been in 2004, and exploring the area ourselves, we can vouch for this ). It's been there forever, but some of it is rather new and actively evolving & redefining itself. (Rue Dante @ Rue Saint Dominique) Stopped in after having my first visit (quite enjoyable) to the well-known Pizzeria Napoletana further down Rue Dante (more on this place later). Business travel being what it is, I opted for a spot at the bar. I was hungry but not famished, and had the expecta...

Just when you thought the RJG had stabilized into a routine – he goes off and…. moves! Well folks, what can I tell you? This has been in the works for some time, but for one reason or another – primarily work/career - we couldn’t leave DFW. As we entered into 2018 it appeared we were going to stay put for at least another year, as I needed to be in Baltimore every 3 to 4 weeks, and the job had become more routine. But then my boss suggested I really only needed to be in Baltimore every 2 months or so. Opportunity struck. We decided to sell our home – and it sold in ONE DAY. Which caught us by surprise naturally enough. We needed a new home! Of course we knew where we wanted to go – it was just a matter of flying there and buying one. It’s a place the RJG lived from the winter of 1993 to the spring of 1995. I had always wanted to stay but job/personal circumstances did not allow for it. It’s a place where we hope to be our final home. And that place is… Colorado Springs. Mrs. RJG and I ...