JULY 7, 1999
Normally, I would think of going to 42nd Street Eatery for the Exploded Pig sandwich. The establishment has a reputation for smoked pork so tender it virtually explodes on a grilled French roll. And it’s served with a side of barbecue sauce for $4.99. On Mondays, you can get two of these sandwiches for the price of one. What a deal!
But I went to the restaurant Thursday to try the new Italian meal I had been hearing about. I asked Jan Zahrly (JZ), whom I also call Ms. Manage, to join me. We took a serious look at the offerings on the red Italian menu and noticed they include four appetizers. There is bella Napoli, or Italian nacho chips. There is calamari fritti, otherwise known as breaded squid, deep-fried with spicy marinara sauce. There is breaded ravioli as well as chicken strip Parmigiana.
We asked for none of the above, sensing that we would be more than sated after eating our entrees. JZ chose tortellini alla prosciutto (Italian ham) ($8.99). This was a cheese tortellini tossed with prosciutto, peas and mushrooms in an asiago cream sauce. I ordered farfalle Milano—butterfly pasta with grilled chicken, sun-dried tomato and mushrooms in a pesto cream sauce ($8.99).
The entrees—a total of 14—are served with an Italian bread that’s good and heavy. With the bread, there’s a plate of extra-heavy virgin olive oil, and another of olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar that we found more appealing and lighter eating. The bread was interesting and well-seasoned.
Entrees were enormous, and were presented nicely with a sprinkling of dried parsley flakes. I would have liked at least a small salad or, perhaps, a slice of melon or other fruit with so much pasta. The sauce was appealing, but after eating about halfway through our entrees, we were ready to ask for boxes to take the rest home.
There are three desserts on the menu including spumoni ($1.99), Italian ice cream that, to me, is the perfect ending to an Italian meal—if you save room.
42nd Street Eatery also offers regular specials that seem to draw in diners. Besides the Exploded Pig special on Mondays, there is a $6.99 all-you-can-eat riblet special Tuesdays. On Thursday evenings, customers buy one deep-dish burrito ($6.49 to $7.49) and get a second one for a buck.
With its proximity to UND and its reasonable prices, the restaurant draws students. Clarence and Maxine Thompson, who were sitting at a nearby table eating burritos, said you ought to see the place Sunday evenings, when UND is in session and students swarm 42nd Street Eatery for all-you-can-eat pizza for $5.99. Now on summer evenings, you find young people playing volleyball and using the seating on the deck outside.
Our waitress, Shari Thompson, is a UND student. She seems to have a good time on the job, and her cheery approach adds to the dining experience.
42nd Street Eatery changed locations and names to become 32nd Street Eatery. It is no longer in operation.