Italian in Akron

Tonight we went to an Italian restaurant in Akron called Papa Joes. Check out their website: http://www.papajoes.com/. It has been around since 1932 and there is a reason for their longevity. It is simply fabulous. The decor isn't trendy and probably could use a little updating but the food is delicious, service excellent and the prices are just right! We had taken a ride to one of our favorite farm markets and Robert said he had passed by a cute restaurant on one of his bike rides nearby and wanted to try it. Surprisingly it was a place I had been to before years ago with my parents. We had just had ice cream cones and still ate a ton. I can't wait to go back and try more!

What we ate:

Zucchini Frette - We shared a huge platter of lightly battered and fried zucchini topped with Parmesan cheese and served with ranch dressing.

Robert had the Penne Marinara with meatballs. It was another huge serving and he ate all of it. It was served with a house salad and dinner rolls. I couldn't believe he ate it all.

I had the stuffed artichoke for my entree, it was an appetizer but I can't pass up artichokes on a menu. It was soo soo good. It appeared to be steamed, trimmed and halved and then stuffed with Italian sausage and breadcrumbs served with a creamy lemon garlic aioli. I also had the Caesar side salad, fresh but no anchovies!

They had a great wine list, but we stuck with water and soda tonight. Total bill $36! You can't beat that..we will definitely be back. We are hoping to invite a few friends with us next time as well.