Chow – Italian Restaurant Review

Italian Restaurant with Very Reasonable Prices

Chow
215 Church St (Market St), 552-2469
Open 11am-11pm Sun-Thurs, to midnight on Friday & Saturday.

See Also: Steak Restaurants Update (6/1/04)

This 65-seat restaurant resembles a French bistro or Italian trattoria. Chow's decor is warm, and inviting. The menu is predominantly Italian, and multi-sided. All is gourmet quality, at very reasonable prices.

One-plate meals, $6.50-8.25, change daily, e.g., Monday, BBQ beef brisket, summer tomatoes & slaw $6.50, Wednesday, grilled salmon sandwich with arugula, tomatoes & black olives $7.95, Saturday, soft-shell crab. summer tomato, cucumber & olive aioli, Sunday, meatball sandwich with arugula & melted cheese $6.95.

A la carte menu, starters – vegetable minestrone soup $1.95 cup, $2.95 bowl, wood-roasted Penn Cove mussels with lemon & butter $6.50, organic greens and vegetable salad with lemon-shallot vinagrette $4.50, Caesar salad with garlic-thyme croutons & parmesan $4.95.

Pasta & pizza. There are many choices, e.g., organic egg fettuccine with summer tomatoes, garlic & basil $6.50, home style spaghetti dinner with meatballs & parmesan $6.95, Thai-style noodles with steak, chicken, peanuts & spicy lime-chili broth $7.95, Hobb’s pepperoni pizza $5.95.

Grills and meats, include eggplant parmesan baked in wood-fired oven $6.95, Portobello mushrooms with roast peppers, summer squash, polenta, & mushroom jus $7.95, burger Royale (Neiman Ranch beef) & cheese on a baguette, with French fries $7.95, _ grilled young chicken , with herbs & garlicky mashed potatoes $8.95, char-grilled flat-iron steak, golden potatoes & Greek-style salad $9.95, pot-roasted short ribs with red wine, bacon, mushrooms, & mashed potatoes $10.95.

Seafood. There are usually two seafood entrees on the menu. Price varies with the market. Recently, there was grilled salmon with garlic-mashed potatoes & watercress salad $12.95, and Chilean sea bass with same accompaniment $12.95. These are the most expensive items on the menu, but could be 50% higher, or more, in other comparable-cuisine restaurants.

Desserts, at Chow include cannoli $2.95, warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream $4.95.

Beer, wine. Bottled beers are very reasonable – Budweiser $1.95, world-famous Czech Pilsner Urquell $2.75 (up to $4.95 at upscale restaurants). House red or white wine $3.75 glass; other wines are relatively expensive at $4.75-5.95 glass, as is coke at $1.95. But, no corkage fee (you can bring your own wine without charge!)

The food at Chow is as good as at restaurants that charge double. Some dishes are special, such as the roasted mussels in a wood-fired oven, a recipe of which is given below.

PARK CHOW, at 1238 9th Ave (Irving/Lincoln), 665-9912, has a similar menu.

Recipe of the Day:
Wood-fired Mussels – Ingredients: rock salt (can be purchased at Safeway for under $2), 20-22 cleaned mussels, kosher salt, clarified butter, parsley, & lemon. At home, put them on a pan layered with rock salt, sprinkle with kosher salt, and bake in 375-400F degree oven, or broil them. They are ready when they pop open, in minutes time. Serve with clarified butter, sprig of parsley, & wedge of lemon.
Note: Discard any mussels that do not open.