Amerigos | Quick Bites Review

For this episode of Quick Bites, we stopped off at a small but thriving Italian chain with branches in Nashville, Brentwood, Memphis, Flowood and Ridgeland. Described as a casual Italian dining spot for business lunches and family dinners serving traditional Italian food, Amerigo is celebrating its 25th year in business, no small feat when you consider the stellar competition in the area.

The menu includes authentic Italian pasta and hand-prepared pizza, wood-fired steak and fresh seafood as well as a wonderful Veal Picatta…

Chef Steven Robilio personally buys the freshest ingredients he can find from local markets including the Franklin Farmer’s Market each month.Menus change according to seasonal availability so there’s always something new to try out. Chef Robilio was born and raised in Memphis and spent his formative years working at the Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen as well as Hog & Hominy and several other restaurants after learning his craft at the New England Culinary Institute. His parents emigrated here from Sicily in 1909 which explains where his natural talent for the cuisine comes from.

 

 

 

 

About Chef Steven Robilio:

Vital tool: KitchenAid stand mixer

Favorite gadget: immersion circulator

Pantry essential: ring molds

Necessary extravagance: foie gras

Favorite beverage: sweet tea

Favorite smell: rendered bacon sautéing with onions and garlic

Comfort food: mom’s meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli

Inspiration: my dad; I work hard everyday to try to be half the man he is.

Last meal: whole roasted chicken with assorted vegetables and potatoes roasted with the bird, and a sauce made from the drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Ok, on to the meal… Our brief lunch encounter was a highly pleasurable diversion from a fairly hectic day;

Veal Picatta

– sauteed and finished with a white wine lemon butter, gourmet mushrooms and capers, topped with jumbo crab meat, over angel hair pasta

• Large portions! Sauce flavorful without being overpowering on the capers.
• Veal is tender and not too smothered so you can still taste the veal itself
• Oyster mushrooms I think? Nice touch.
• Creamier Picatta than I’ve had before.

 

 

 

 

Porchetta

– roasted sausage and rosemary-stuffed pork loin wrapped in bacon, sliced and served over blended Asiago cheese leek potatoes with green beans

• Huge portion. But tenderloin very very dry.
• Potatoes and sauce seasoned well.
• Flavor profile is good but overshadowed by dryness of pork
• Green beans are cooked with some bite still- just the way I like but he doesn’t like them no matter what

 

 

 

 

Drinks

Honky Tonk, Tennessee Jed 6.2% from Nashville; Darker, kind of a Red wheat beer. Smooth, think it’s about to get hoppy but finishes smooth and sort of sweet.