Pasta, pizza both shine at Caruso's

by Ryan DuVall, Restaurant Critic
The Journal Gazette, March 1, 2009

Italian restaurants usually fall under one of two umbrellas – great pasta places that also have pizza and great pizza places that also have pasta.
 
When people talked about Caruso's in Angola, however, just as many raved about the pizza and breads ticks as did the overall Italian fare. And what I discovered was that both sides are right.
 
In the shadow of Fun Spot Amusement Park just off Interstate 69 on County Road 200 near Lake James, Caruso's showed consistency on many levels. The atmosphere was nice enough for a date or celebratory meal- with its subdued but not too - dark lighting, simple decor with aged menus adorning the walls, an attractive tin ceiling and stained glass accents - but its mood was not so stodgy that it wouldn't be a great place to take the kids to chow down after a busy day at Fun Spot.
 
No matter the occasion, you must start with breadsticks. Everyone who has mentioned Caruso's to me has mentioned the sticks. These plump, crusty, goodies were topped with Parmesan and were swimming in butter. Although my doctor may not agree, I found them perfect and would never go there again and not order them.
 
The sticks went great with my cup of minestrone, which was full of carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, lima beans and sausage. Topped with melted cheese; it proved to be a real belly warmer. It may be hard to get soup on the weekend, however, because Caruso's was out of it one Friday night, and I was told it is made daily before lunch and when it is out, it is out.
 
I assume the soups run out often because the house and Caesar salads were rather mediocre. The Caesar did not have enough dressing for the fresh romaine, and the house was just common with iceberg, red onion, tomatoes, shredded cheese and croutons.
 
The stuffed pizza was anything but common. This double-crust pie had a thin layer of mozzarella between its two crusts and plenty of toppings - zesty ground sausage in this case - to make it a deep-dish delight. The crust was browned well, as was the top layer of cheese - always a plus -.and the ends of the crust were fantastic when dipped in some of that butter left over from the breadsticks
 
The regular-crust pizza was not as impressive or filling with its crisper, thinner crust, but the variety I chose was unique. Caruso's German pizza is topped with sauer-kraut, ground sausage, cheese and chunks of kielbasa, and the crust is brushed with a mustard sauce instead of tomato.
 
As strange as it sounded, it was worth trying. There could have been a bit more mustard, but I loved the way the kielbasa got well done and charred around the edges. The kraut was not as overpowering as you might think.
 
The lobster lasagna was also unique. Prepared like traditional lasagna but with what they call a blush sauce - half marinara and halt white vodka sauce. It was layered with small pieces of lobster, which melded wonderfully with the creamy sauce and ricotta cheese, and pepperoni was sprinkled in to give it a little zip.
 
Shellfish was a good pasta option all around as the shrimp scampi hit a high note. Served over fettuccini alfredo, the dish was full of garlic, but the sauce was rich and creamy and tempered the garlic perfectly. And the shrimp were sprinkled with bread crumbs, which browned to give it a nice textural element.
 
The bread crumbs on my chicken Parmesan had the right Italian herb flavor, and it would have been perfect if that coating had been browned well like it was on the shrimp. But it was lifeless and soggy under the sauce and pile of melted mozzarella. The chicken breast was juicy and delicious, too, so the oversight was ever more disappointing.
 
The spaghetti side also disappointed a bit because it was not adequately drained, and I was left with half a 'bowl of red water when the pasta was gone.
 
I was lucky enough to dine at Caruso's on a night when tiramisu was available for dessert. I have been told there is a call sheet of regular customers who want to be notified every time it is available.
 
Served in a wine glass, it looked kind of small, but it was extremely rich thanks to a heavy soaking of coffee and brandy. It was the perfect mix of light, sweet mascarpone, cheese and heavy, soaked lady fmgers, and it was easy to see why it was so popular.
 
The chocolate cake with its carmel icing was just as good. My 6-year-old son put it best as he tried to imitate his father by saying, "it is a little bit yummy, and the icing tastes kind of like ganache."  Hearing him say "ganache" was amusing, but even more so because he was right.
 
This icing was dense and coated the top of the cake like a ganache but was not as intense as the super-sweet white icing on the carrot cake, which was also a great choice. It was packed with cinnamon and nutmeg and needed the sweet icing to tame the spices.
 
If tiramisu and cake are not available, choose the cannoli over the pie. It's made with two kinds of liquor, and the mascarpone, ricotta and cream cheese filling with chocolate chips was just as creamy and delicious as the tiramisu.
 
The cinnamon shell was crunchy and sweet, and each end was dipped in candied crushed pistachios, the perfect garnish.
 
Regardless of the occasion, the service at Caruso's will likely be good. During both of my visits, the place was packed and there were people waiting, but the wait was remarkably short. The servers were knowledgeable about the menu and eager to rave about how everything is made from scratch.
 
So I guess Caruso's doesn't fit the norm when it comes to Italian-themed restaurants. It's a great pizza place with great pasta, great service, great atmosphere and great desserts. And that is pretty great thing to be.
 
Ryan DuVall'is a restaurant critic for The Journal Gazette. This review is based on two unannounced visits. The Journal Gazette pays for all meals.