Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2008 > January > 02 > Entry
Your A-List: Best Italian Restaurant
Everything certainly is bigger in Texas, which is likely what explains your love for Cannoli Joe’s, winner with 37 percent of the vote of the Your A-List poll for Best Italian Restaurant in Austin.
Cannoli Joe’s is a massive restaurant that seems to play to the big appetites of large-waisted Texans, offering bottomless dishes of pasta and items such as chicken parmigiana from its 3,000-square-foot “scatter buffet table.” You read that right. 3,000 feet.
Located in Sunset Valley, the restaurant is a concept of Culinary Institute of America graduate Bob Hauser and the restaurateurs who brought Austin The County Line barbecue restaurants. The family-friendly spot which seems to have been made with expansion (or franchising) on the brain, charges $8.99 for lunch Monday through Friday, $12.99 for dinner Monday through Thursday and $15.99 for dinner Friday through Sunday, with children 12 and younger eating for half price and children 3 and younger dining free.
The restaurant, with its numerous rooms all styled in different themes, may seem to be trying a little too hard when it comes to ambience, a potential sign of trying to make up for weakened food-quality, but Statesman food critic Dale Rice says the appeal of the restaurant stretches beyond the buffet gimmick, decor and pricing structure.
From his Aug. 23 review of Cannoli Joe’s:
“The steak with the mushroom-Marsala sauce was moist and tender. The thick strips of roasted vegetables, such as zucchini and red pepper, were lightly charred, crisp-tender and tasty. The ziti with Bolognese sauce was robust and appealing. The gemelli with sausage was delicious. The thin slices of eggplant Parmesan were tasty. The pizzas were generously topped with cheese and ingredients. And there was a large variety of desserts, including apple and peach crisps, bread pudding, mini-cannolis, lemon bars, cream puffs, brownies and many flavors of hand-dipped ice cream.”
Buon appetito, y’all.
Cannoli Joe’s [site]
4715 290 East [map]
892.4444
A personal aside: My pick for best Italian restaurant is Will Packwood’s Cibo. Sublime.
Others receiving votes:
- Joe DiMaggio’s, 34 percent
- Vespaio, 7 percent
- Cibo, 7 percent
- Mandola’s, 3 percent
- Romeo’s. 3 percent
- Enoteca, 3 percent
- Brick Oven, 1 percent
- La Traviata, 1 percent
- Asti, 1 percent
- Ciola’s, <1 percent
- Bellagio, <1 percent
- North, <1 percent
- Primizie, <1 percent
- Hill Country Pasta House, <1 percent
- Stortini, <1 percent
- Rocco’s, <1 percent
Write-ins: Barris, Bella Sera, Brick Oven, Carmelo’s, It’s Italian, Johnny Carino’s, Reale’s, Siena, Treehouse, Uno’s and Vinny’s
Image by Mark Matson FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Your A-List
Comments
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By Bob Hauser
January 3, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this
Dear Mr. Odam,
While we are honored to be recognized by the readership of your paper, I thought I would mention that Cannoli Joe’s was not conceived with idea of “Large-waisted Texans” in mind. Actually, the concept is based more on a European style of eating where you can sample many different flavors of different foods at one setting. This is different than what you see happening in most other casual dining restaurants in America these days where they serve you three pounds of one flavor on a massive plate.
Also, I am not sure how trying a little too hard on ambience equates with losing points on the food quality scale. Should I go take down some decor to improve our food?
Anyway, thanks to all who voted for us and I look forward to seeing you soon at the restaurant!
Bob Hauser Chef/Proprietor of Cannoli Joe’s
By Matthew Odam
January 3, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
Mr. Hauser, I apologize for the perceived mischaracterization. Congratulations.
By mario battali
January 3, 2008 11:11 PM | Link to this
Bob Hauser, if Cannoli Joes equals European-style eating, then I might as well spend my next European vacation at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. Blech!
By TS
January 11, 2008 7:04 PM | Link to this
Even though I like Cannoli Joes, I see a flaw in the polling method. I think the polls should be limited to one vote per one e-mail/one computer. It is far too easy to manipulate polls by having someone sitting in front of the computer and poll every hour.