My spouse
and I dined for an early dinner at Molinari’s on a Saturday evening in late
February 2016. Molinari’s is open for dinner only on Mondays through Saturdays
(closed on Sundays). They accept reservations via telephone or on their own
website. We have dined at Molinari’s several times since it opened in fall of
2011, usually as a couple but also once in a group. Complimentary parking is
available in the lot across the street from the restaurant. (During the day,
the parking lot is reserved for St Luke’s Southside Medical Center patients, so
it is utilized by Molinari’s patrons in the evenings.) Metered street parking
is also available.
This Southside
restaurant space previously housed the Lucky Duck Diner and the Steel Mill Bar and
Grill, but the third time (owner) is a charm for Molinari’s. The restaurant is
located in the corner space of a small retail-type building, with two or three storefronts
alongside it, and St Luke’s space above it on the second floor. The restaurant
is located directly across East Third Street from the Charter School for the
Arts, and within close proximity to the ArtsQuest venue (in case you plan to
see a movie or show before or after dining). The restaurant space features
extremely high ceilings, and two main areas for dining on either side of the
front door. You can also dine at the bar, which is where we sat on the busy
night that we dined because we arrived without a reservation. (Although we do
not usually choose to dine at a bar, all tables were reserved; our
bartender/server Jesse was incredibly adept at his job and provided terrific
service with a smile.) Mostly table seating is available, with one row of
booths along the inner wall of the restaurant (the other wall features large
windows). Patio dining is available in the warmer weather. In the winter, the
restaurant hangs heavy curtains around their door to protect guests from the
chilly breeze when the doors open (a great idea that we often see in NYC but
not in the Lehigh Valley). Creatively, the restaurant has placed high-backed black
wooden benches just beyond those curtains to give waiting patrons a place to
sit, as well as to define the two main dining areas a bit.
The food at
Molinari’s is amazing, and their menu changes often based on seasonality and
ingredient availability. (Local products are used whenever possible.) They
serve authentic Italian food (their tag-line is “Save on the Airfare” [to
Italy]), great appetizers, house-made pastas, Neopolitan pizzas, a few (just
four) traditional meat/fish entrees, and homemade gelato and sorbets, as well
as Italian wines and beers. On our most recent visit, we ordered the roasted
beet salad, basil spaghetti (topped with braised rabbit, Italian meat, mushrooms,
and cheese), and the smoked paprika fettuccine (accented by brussel sprouts,
speck [ham], and sliced fingerling potatoes topped with grated cheese and sesame
seeds). The beet “salad” was most unusual because it contained no lettuce.
(Usually when we order a beet salad, the amount of beets is miniscule, but not
so with this dish!) It was beautifully presented, with three dollops in the
center of the plate divided by rye crackers. (One dollop was mashed red beets,
one was mashed golden beets, and the third was whipped ricotta cheese.)
Arranged around the edge of the plate were roasted carrot and squash chunks,
sprinkled with crumbled pistachio nuts. The beet dish was beautiful, delicious,
and creative! Both pasta dishes were amazing, and we cleaned our plates. (Pastas
are available in smaller portions, although not priced as such on the menu.) The
dessert menu leaves a bit to be desired in our opinion, serving affogato,
chocolate budino (pudding/custard), and many types of sorbets and gelatos. (We
are fans of cake-like desserts; however, in the past, we have tried some of Molinari’s
amazingly flavored sweet and savory gelatos such as corn, honey cinnamon, and brown
butter, and they are fantastic!) The privo basil cosmos (non-alcoholic) were so
delicious, made with cranberry and grapefruit coulis, basil syrup, and fresh
lime and orange, that I drank three of them! House-made focaccia bread
(arranged on a plate in “Jenga-like” fashion) is served to all tables, along
with the olive oil du jour (supplied by Seasons Oil & Vinegar Taproom in
Downtown Bethlehem). Do not expect to order Italian favorites like lasagna or
veal parmesan at Molinari’s – their cuisine is completely different (in a good
way!) than any other Italian restaurant in the Lehigh Valley.
Service is
always excellent, and this time was no exception. (See my earlier mention about
our terrific bartender.) The owners of Molinari’s have taken the time to train
their staff properly, and management seems to encourage staff try all the
dishes so that they can offer patrons their actual opinions. Silverware is
replaced with each course, whether or not it was utilized (it is our pet peeve when
restaurants ask you to keep your used silverware to use for the next course!).
No other
Italian restaurant in this area can produce food of the quality of Molinari’s,
with unique ingredients, attractive presentation, and great service. We just
wish that they were open for lunch on a Saturday, because we would visit more
often.
March 2018:
June 2018:
