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During my visit to Fiorentino's at the Lancaster Airport, I felt like I was in a modern-day reproduction of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," replete with the requisite diversity — in Italy with Three Pasta Bowls.
We journeyed to the airport location with a visiting friend who had requested pasta that evening. As we walked through the restaurant foyer, it opened up into a dining room which seemed intentionally furnished to look like an extension of a terminal — linoleum flooring with a sparseness. Although the chairs and booths weren't of dubious airline quality or look, it almost had the comfort of them. Tucked into the back was a bar that seemed quite inviting and cozy. A shame the rest of the space didn't look and feel the same.
When we sat for dinner, I was pleased that the bread was accompanied with good olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese and ground pepper. A nice start; I do love that simple combination of tastes.
After much agonizing contemplation about what I would have — the menu was full of items I thought I would enjoy — I finally settled on the Veal Frangelico, but then was told it was not available. And that they've stopped ordering veal, actually, so could I please choose something else? That essentially wiped out their beef in pasta offerings, so I settled on the Chicken Jaelena ($14.95) — chicken sautéed with sun-dried tomatoes, onions & tomatoes in a balsamic reduction, tossed with whole-grain pasta and topped with feta cheese. It sounded so good — a cacophony of flavors that would somehow find the same tempo and end on a high note; I was greatly anticipating it.
My friend couldn't quite decide what he was in the mood for, so he ordered the Chicken Portofino ($15.95) — strips of grilled chicken, shrimp, Italian sausage and mushrooms in a tomato sauce, tossed with penne pasta and covered in melted mozzarella. Come on, go ahead and just throw in the kitchen sink!
The last pasta dish of the night was the Eggplant Parmesan ($13.95) on spaghetti, ordered by the traditionalist of the group. Bo-oring!
The dishes came to the table; I assessed my choice. It was amply adorned with each of the ingredients the menu promised.
As I dug in, I was jolted by the strong balsamic flavor. Too sweet! It also had this metallic aftertaste that lingered in the back of my tongue. It was all I could taste, which was quite a feat, given the intense flavors present in the other ingredients. But no amount of draining of the sauce was doing any good, and I looked longingly at the other pasta dishes at the table.
I reached over and forked the Chicken Portofino, gathering a balance of ingredients in one bite. The moment it hit my tongue, I thought, Holy Saliferous, Batman! Too salty! I could feel my blood pressure rising.
Finally, I turned to the Eggplant Parmesan. I swirled the spaghetti onto my fork and speared some eggplant. With hesitancy, I consumed. Ahhh, just right. The purity of the tomato sauce was unencumbered by over-the-top-seasoning and meshed with the cheeses and eggplant quite well.
I took a second and third bite before I was reminded that I had my own dish in front of me. Oh, that's right. But more than that, I was reminded that one of the things I love most about Italian cuisine is its simplicity. Next time, I intend to remember that.
Write to Sunday News restaurant critic Lina Bierker at living@lnpnews.com.
