Pippo’s Fantastico

Early birds flock to this Southampton, Pa., restaurant for hearty Italian favorites.

By: Judith Norkin

   Judging from the wall-to-wall cars we found in the parking lot one Sunday night at Pippo’s Fantastico in Southampton, Pa., we knew Pippo’s had to be Fantastico.
   We felt lucky just to be able to insert our compact car into a spot at the edge of the parking lot between a mega-SUV and a deep puddle. It was pouring rain, and we figured no one in his or her right mind would come out in this weather unless tempted by the tantalizing promise of something fantastico, right?
   We entered the restaurant, hung our coats in the cloakroom, were greeted amiably by the host and then quickly led to a table in a lovely dining room. There were serene peach-colored walls, graceful fluted columns and a large reproduction of Michaelangelo’s David, with a red lipstick kiss on his pouting mouth. The draped window treatment suggested a Roman toga, and there were large framed pieces of art on the walls, which created a generous, palazzo-like feeling. It was a welcome change from the nasty weather outside.
   The waitress promptly brought us a basket of warm, dense bread and a delicious basil-infused olive oil and we settled in, convinced that dinner here would relieve us of all our worldly cares. This impression was bolstered by the Chianti ($4.50), a warm and perfectly balanced glass of wine. There is no doubt the atmosphere at Pippo’s Fantastico struck a fine note — gracious, old-world and relaxing. Unfortunately, we found the food and the service to be well-intentioned but frustratingly uneven.
   We started by sharing an antipasto misto ($7.95), a platter of traditional Italian favorites. There was provolone, roasted red peppers, black olives, marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, prosciutto and sopressato. When it arrived, we admired how beautifully it was arranged, but except for the cheese and the olives, the other ingredients were disappointingly bland and tasted suspiciously close to what is available in jars at the grocery store. Not so fantastico. The other prelude dishes were not so fantastico either. The crispness and crunch of my Caesar salad ($3.95) — a small plate of romaine with grated cheese, croutons and a few anchovies — was completely drowned in thick dressing. My husband’s salad, included in his early-bird dinner, met with the same soggy fate. I’ll ask for it on the side, next time. The waitress then brought out my husband’s soup, included in the early-bird dinner price. It was turkey and spinach, she said, but there were no discernable elements of either ingredient. A generous sprinkling of salt helped bolster the flavor, but fantastico it was not.
   We sat for a rather long time then, surrounded by empty plates, which the waitress seemed not to see. On the plus side, a very attentive man with a pitcher made sure our water glasses were kept at maximum volume. Also at maximum volume, though in a less pleasing way, was the dining room. Situated as we were in a doorway, everyone entering or leaving had to walk around our table and all the motion and clatter created an ambiance more diner than fine dining.
   The children’s meal arrived first, a platter of chicken fingers ($5) and onion rings ($2.50). It was more than enough for two and both were very good. The thick, golden, batter-dipped chicken was moist and fresh. The onion rings were sweet and crunchy. The dish came with a small pitcher of hot marinara sauce. Though the children preferred ketchup, I helped myself to the marinara. It was a thick and well-balanced combination of sweet and spicy flavors.
   Pippo’s offers a wide variety of traditional Italian entrées with veal, chicken, seafood and pasta selections. My husband’s veal Parmesan ($9.95, including soup, salad and dessert as an early-bird selection) arrived next. Though presented without garnish or fanfare on a plain white plate, it was a freshly breaded piece of veal topped with sauce and cheese and had a vivid, homemade taste. He declared it a success and attacked it with gusto. I watched him eat. Then watched some more. I looked at my watch. I nibbled the children’s leftovers.
   "Yours will be out soon," the waitress kept reassuring me. Five minutes passed. And another five. And then some.
   By the time my dinner arrived, a Boursin filet ($24.95), the family had finished their dinners and I had emptied the breadbasket. I was not sure I had any appetite for the towering composition of meat, cheese, potatoes and spinach that the waitress placed before me. The "oohs and ahhs" it would have received had it arrived sooner were lost in the frustration of the long wait. It must be said that the dish was artistically presented, and taste-wise, the tender meat was a good contrast to the garlicky Boursin. But the potatoes were dry and the sautéed spinach was so salty my mouth puckered. Had I known, I would have stuck to the lower-priced and perhaps more quickly cooked dishes.
   Luckily, the desserts were undeniably good. We ordered a cannoli ($4), the traditional wafer with a delightful filling; Tiramisu ($5) with a rich, deep rum and coffee flavor; and chocolate layer cake ($5.25), a traditional Black Forest cake with a wonderful cherry filling. The early-bird dessert options were for either cheesecake or a dish of ice cream. We finished with cappuccino ($3.25) and finally made our way back out into the rain and into a parking lot that now — long after early-bird hours — had emptied.
   Frankly, using a superlative in a restaurant’s name is risky, especially when the word is "fantastico." Despite any lingering doubts about whether the name accurately reflects our dining experience, the fact remains that a full dinner from start to finish for $6.95 to $9.95 is fantastico. Now I know why the parking lot was so full. My best advice for dining at Pippo’s? Follow the flock. That’s what we’ll do next time we dine there.
For directions to Pippo’s Fantastico, click here.