When Domenico founded the restaurant in 1986 at the original location on Springfield Pike in Springdale, Swiss Steak was a favorite lunchtime special.  The eye of round steak is flattened then lightly floured and braised in a tomato mirepoix demi glace sauce, served with  buttered fingerling potatoes.  A hearty meal that is back as a new addition to our popular value carryout menu for only $6.00.It is frozen in a microwaveable container,its pretty tasty,stop in, pick one up and enjoy!

We’ve had multiple requests for our famous meatballs, so we brought them back.  Our gourmet 2 oz. meatballs are made fresh, fully cooked then we individually freeze them for convenience.  Simply thaw the meatballs, simmer and serve with pasta, on a hoagie roll or as an appetizer.  For a classic spaghettini and meatballs, I would recommend using our Pomodoro or Pomodoro Basilico sauce.  If you like a spicier meatball dish try our Arrabbiata Sauce.  32 oz. jars of our sauces are available at the restaurant.  You can pick-up the carryout meatballs or any other entrees from our menu during regular business hours. 

Grazie e a presto!

It is February and it is snowing, a great reason to warm up with our Mango Moscato Martini!  This delicious concoction of citrus vodka and mango infused moscato will make you feel like you are lounging on a beach in Turks & Caicos.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

Oyster Stew is back.

We are offering for carryout only a 32 ounce meat lasagne for $15. This classic dish is made with our very own pomodoro sauce and a combination of ground beef, pork, veal and a blend of mozzarella, asiago, provolone and parmigiano cheeses. The lasagne is frozen, so simply thaw it in the refrigerator the night before you want to serve it, preheat the oven to 350 or 375 degrees and bake for approximately 40 minutes.  Each lasagne will serve 3 to 4 people.

Buon Appetito!

A La Salute,

**Try a bottle of Cantele ‘Salice Salentino’ Riserva, negroamaro varietal from Puglia to accompany your lasagne at a discounted price of only $25.

I came across these wine quotes and wanted to share them with our fans.

“Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.” – Ernest Hemingway

“Come quickly!  I am tasting stars!” – Dom Perignon

“I have enjoyed great health at a great age because everyday since I can remember I have consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I have consumed two bottles.” - A Bishop of Seville

“Wine is a living liquid containing no preservatives. Its life cycle comprises youth, maturity, old age, and death. When not treated with reasonable respect it will sicken and die.” - Julia Child

“A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover.”
- Clifton Fadiman, N. Y. Times, March 8, 1987

“Compromises are for relationships, not wine.” – Sir Robert Scott Caywood

A La Salute,

Brian

At Germano’s we strive to use only the freshest ingredients.  As luck would have it Angelina just picked some of the nicest swiss chard you or I have ever seen, from her organic garden!  We will feature this super fresh swiss chard in our minestone for both lunch and dinner tomorrow.  Stop in and see us soon!

Toscana arguably produces some of the finest wines in Italy, and Sangiovese is the primary player in many appellations throughout the region.  Sangiovese is not typically bottled alone, however there are exceptions. 

For example, Chianti is created by blending varying percentages of Malvasia, Canaiolo, or Trebbiano to tame the tannic structure of Sangiovese, which comprises a minimum of 75% of the total blend. 

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah are popular grapes that are blended with Sangiovese to create “Super Tuscans” and Bordeaux style blends.  I will dive further into Super Tuscans in a future blog, stayed tuned.

Wines that are 100% Sangiovese are popular for the enthusiast looking for big, bold wines with a typically long finish.  These wines are made famous by Montalcino, a town approximately 63 kilometers south of Sienna.  Brunello is king in Montalcino, made with strict guidelines.  Rosso di Montalcino often called a “Baby Brunello” is also 100% Sangiovese Grosso but a much softer wine requiring much less aging and meant to be consumed while young.  At Germano’s we have quite an extensive selection of Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines.  My favorite Rosso is La Spinetta’s ‘Il Nero di Casanova’ a nice smooth and supple wine.  As for Brunello, one of my favorite styles of all Italian wines, Castello Banfi 1993 ‘Poggio All’Oro’ Riserva ranks high as one of my all time favorites.

When you think of wine from Piedmont (northwestern Italy); Barolo and Barbaresco, the big, tannic Nebbiolo based wines often come to mind.  Barolo and Barbaresco are fantastic, however the inhabitants of Piedmont don’t drink these wines on an everyday basis.  Barbera on the other hand is a varietal that is low in tannins, high in acidity with rounded fruitiness, making it more approachable especially to people that are looking to explore wines from Piedmont.  Barbera is often used in blends, but also holds up nicely on its own.  The two primary DOCs are Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Alba, with Asti tending to be more fruit forward and less structured than wines of Alba.  My favorite Barbera on our wine list is the Giacomo Grimaldi ‘Pistin’ from Alba.  Giacomo Grimaldi is a well known and respected producer of fine single vineyard Barolo wines.