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Caffé Pranzo

9622 N. May Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
(405) 755-3577

Caffe Pranzo in the Collonade Shopping Center

I have been told by some owners of Italian restaurants that there is no such thing as "Italian food," but rather that each region in Italy has developed its own cuisine with certain specialties that seem to set it apart from other parts of the country. Perhaps this is why each Italian restaurant in the U.S. seems to have its own special dishes, its own twist on the food it serves, and its own way of preapring sauces and other essential ingredients.

Caffé Pranzo does indeed have certain dishes that stand out, and this is what has made it one of my favorite Italian restaurants. The quality of the food indicates that there are probably several more outstanding dishes that I have yet to discover.

Prices are a little higher than at most restaurants, and it would probably be classified as one of the city's "special occasion" restaurants (although not to the point that dressing up would be necessary). While some Italian restaurants in town seem to cater more toward families with pizza for the bambini and entrées for the adults, Caffé Pranzo is a more quiet and intimate place geared for a leisurely meal.

Complimentary bread is given to each table

It usually takes time for the meal to be prepared, with the employees keeping a watchful eye to ensure that everything is done correctly. The wait is made less burdensome by fresh bread and a tangy and quite unique olive oil mixture for dipping. Customers are not just given a slice or two of bread, but a whole loaf, and it is quite good.

Several appetizers are available, and I was told the onion soup was quite good. The menu on the restaurant's web site lists everything that is served.

Dinner salad

Several salads can be ordered, but I thought the Dinner Salad that is available with entrées was just about perfect, with fresh salad greens, olives, and a tangy dressing. This is definitely one of the restaurant's better features.

Linguini with marinara sauce

The most outstanding item I have tried was Linguini with Marinara Sauce that not only had an excellent plum tomato sauce but also a pasta that was flavorful in its own right. I find the sauces at many Italian restaurants to be overly spiced, and I prefer the ones that are light and fresh tasting such as the one here. Other sauces are also available but I have never tried them, I like this one so much.

Margherita pizza

The brick oven pizzas at Caffé Pranzo are another outstanding item, with the Margherita Pizza serving as a good example. This was a fresh tasting pizza with the crust tasting just right, and everything about it was one of the best in OKC.

The Chicken Parmigiana had a high quality cut of chicken with one of the best breadings anywhere, and was covered with cheese and marinara sauce. Having sampled several versions of this dish at different restaurants, I thought this was one of the better ones.

The Lasagna had a fairly high tomato sauce to pasta ratio, and some flavorful chunks of Italian sausage. As has been the case with several of Caffé Pranzo's dishes, the pasta seemed to be of better than usual quality.

The main disappointment I have had was with an order of Manicotti that was not hot throughout, leading to the conclusion that it had been frozen or refrigerated, and not heated properly before serving. My dining companion did not want to send it back to the kitchen, and it was not cold to the point that it was inedible, but it was nevertheless strange that it would come out this way.

The manicotti comes with a choice of sauces (marinara or alfredo) or a mixture of both can be put on the same order. This provided a convenient way to test both sauces. As I suspected, I preferred the marinara sauce, but I did not care for the alfredo sauce as much as I thought I would. Maybe others have more of a taste for it than I do.

Caffé Pranzo has surprised me by making linguini (something I would not normally order) that is good enough to be my favorite dish at the restaurant. This is definitely a place where it is worth going beyond the normal menu items that I usually order.