Linguini and meatballs A Must
On my anniversary with my girlfriend of three years and now fiancé, I wanted to take her to an authentic Italian restaurant, local to Norwood. So, after numerous inquiries with customers, friends, and of course good old Google reviews played a role in my decision, I made my reservation at Joe and Maria’s. Joe and Maria’s is a small intimate corner spot located oddly enough next to The Chateau (A great family Italian restaurant for the price) and is built into the Hampton Inn located at the base of the hotel. The restaurant seats roughly forty people in the dining area and ten at the bar. We walked in and were seated by none other than one of the owners, Maria. The restaurant was started by husband Joe and wife Maria in 1991. Since the start of the family’s restaurant, they have been serving up quality Italian food. Paul Mancuso, the chef and youngest son of Joe and Maria, has created a menu that will expose your palette to the delicacies of northern and southern Italy.
Once seated, we were introduced to the wine list, as fresh bread and an herb/garlic oil was placed on the table. With an extensive wine list, we were very ecstatic, as wine is a fundamental must, when it comes to enjoying the true Italian experience… While we searched for a wine, we ordered some appetizers. My Fiancé ordered the Mediterranean Steamed Mussels, which was steamed with a white wine, tomato, kalamata, olives, garlic, and a very subtle hint of red pepper. I decided on the Arancini, which from past experiences, if not prepared properly, can be a massive tease. So, needles to say, I took a gamble. Appetizers were delivered and my fried risotto cake stuffed with ground beef, English peas, and buffalo mozzarella, garnished with our classic house marinara, smelled heavenly! I will admit that I was a bit envious of the Mediterranean Steamed Mussels my fiancé had ordered because it looked and smelt absolutely irresistible. Luckily, unlike a first date, we have been together for 3 years, and are engaged, so this leads to rights of sharing! We had ordered our dinner, but given the taste of these appetizers still being fresh on my mind, I did what I typically do, and went on a small tangent.
Dinner was featuring a classic dish for me with the Linguini with Meatballs in a homemade red sauce, and for the lady in my life, the Alla Chicken Parmigiana. As you maybe thinking, they took the safe route, but trust me that is not the case. We just had a need for some classic simple Italian dishes. After consuming our appetizers, we were pretty stuffed with a very satisfied stomach. Dinner arrived and the portions were very generous, as it should be in any respectable Italian restaurant. The first bite into the perfect sized meatball sent my taste buds for a loop! The perfect mixture of seasons, ground beef, and ground sausage, placed into one ball of goodness, left me wanting more! In result, I embarked on a quest to tackle this large plate of linguini and meatballs. Of course, I did not finish, as I am not the champion eater I once was. The same was true for my fiancés dish, very generous portion, delicious home made sauce, perfectly cooked linguini, but the only complaint here was the chicken. We were expecting the chicken to be thicker and home breaded, but it seamed to be alright, just your average chicken. Aside from that minor mishap, service was pretty good (a little slow because it is a family restaurant with 2 servers and one busser,) but that is to be anticipated. Deserts looked great, but we were absolutely stuffed, and still had left over food, to make for a hearty lunch the next day. I will be back and do recommend you try this hidden gem of Norwood.
Rating: 4.0/5
Location:
434 Providence Highway
Norwood, MA 02062
(781) 769-5730
Price: Appetizers, $6 to $15; EntrÉe, $17 to $23; Pizza, $8 to $13; Sandwiches, $8 to $10; Pasta $14 to $23, Burgers $7 to $10; Soups $3 Cup & $5 Bowl; Sides $3 to $4; dessert, $6.95 to $12.95. Extensive Wine and Beer List.
Details: Open 7 days a week from 3 – 10 PM.
Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality.
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found your site today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!
Fine Italian Cuisine! Make sure to visit this “Hidden Gem.” Great review here. Keep them coming along