By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
April 5, 2000
People always complain about the lack of good restaurants in the suburbs. That’s because they don’t know where to look.
Marino’s Pizza & Pasta is a gem of a place, attached to a small corner of the upscale La Zingara Trattoria in Arlington Heights. Created for catering, carry out and delivery orders, Marino’s–which has no seating–offers hearty food at reasonable prices.
A first-rate pizzeria, Marino’s serves up stuffed, thin crust and pan pizza. My favorite is the thin crust Pizza Vivace (from $13 for a 12-inch pizza to $21.75 for an 18-inch pie). Smothered with fresh tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella, the pizza is generously covered with artichokes and freshly roasted peppers. As if that combination isn’t heavenly enough, olive oil is sprinkled on top to keep the ingredients moist and delicious.
Another must for those who are sick of marinara is the spaghetti or linguine aglio e olio ($7). The al dente pasta is tossed with a fragrant combination of garlic and oil. The portion is generous, and I found that the leftovers tasted even better heated up the next day.
Also worth a taste is the gnocchi (potato dumplings), served with meat or marinara sauce ($7.75).
All entrees come with soup or salad and bread and butter, so you don’t really need to order an appetizer. But if you like having variety and want one, I recommend the fried calamari ($7.95). The squid is tender and served with a slightly spicy tomato sauce for dipping.
The Italian ice cream ($4.50) didn’t fare well during the trip home. And the tiramisu ($3.50) was nothing to get too excited about either.
But the cannoli ($3.50) was lip-smacking good.
And don’t throw away the carry-out menu when you get home because there are coupons included that you can use for your next order.
