Michael's Italian American

On Friday I visited Michaels Italian American Restaurant in Waukesha with my parents. I had never been there despite its close proximity to our house. When we arrived the parking lot was packed with cars as was the adjacent street. I feared a long wait. When we entered the restaurant we only waited 10 minutes for a table (if we wanted smoking we would be seated immediately).

I opted to start my meal with a tomato mushroom soup. The powerful taste of tomato dominated the soup which made the presence of the mushrooms almost undetectable. I could see them floating in the soup, but the taste was entirely lost amongst the tomatos and spices. That being said, this was a great tomato soup. They would be better served just calling it tomato soup. Although then I would have never ordered it. Maybe they discovered that people were more likely to order tomato soup if it has something in it. I’ll be the first to admit that I would order Tomato Spinach Soup, Tomato Ravioli Soup, or Tomato Chicken soup but not Tomato Soup. I guess I am just a soup snob. I will never order chicken noodle in a restaurant either. The other option was the obligatory Friday Clam Chowder, which I am eager to try the next time I visit.

While my parents had a taste for pizza, I wanted more of an entrée. I opted for the Veal Marsala, one of six veal entrees on Michael’s menu The menu describes this entrée as “tender veal slices sautéed with button mushrooms, hint of garlic, marsala wine and veal demi-glace. Served with hand-crafted linguini and our special blend of seasonings” I would have to say that this was one of the best veal dishes I have had. Each bite of the tender veal exploded with the flavors of marsala and mushrooms. I have had veal marsala where the sauce is way too watery (Trattoria diCarlo in Oak Creek comes to mind) or too thick and flavorless. This was a perfect consistency bursting with flavor. The veal was also served with squash and zucchini that were perfectly sautéed. Typically restaurants don’t do this correctly and the result is usually overcooked and watery or undercooked vegetables. These were lightly browned and a dash of salt was all they needed to bring out their flavor.

I tried a piece of the pizza with green peppers, mushrooms, and sausage. It was decent but the crust was too bready for my liking. If I were strictly going for pizza, I would give the edge to Matteo’s, just down the street. Dinners were served with a great loaf of bread and butter.

Overall I would recommend this restaurant based on the strength of the veal entrée. There are numerous other entrees that I look forward to trying.

Ratings:
Ambiance: 7/10. The Décor was old school Italian restaurant (think dark reds) mixed with the comfort of a supper club.
Food: 7/10. The veal was great, the pizza average.
Service: 8 out of 10.

Michael's Italian-American Restaurant

1400 S. Grand Ave. (corner of Grand and Sunset)

Waukesha, WI 53186

Phone: (262) 549-0406 Fax: (262) 549-3236