Polina’s Salerno an Italian family favorite

DINING OUT

The oldest, longest-running Italian eatery in Laguna Beach, Polina’s

Salerno on Beach Street was created in 1975 as Salerno Restaurant. It

was after the demise of original owner, Tony Manzi who created the

place, and following death of son Salvatore, that their favorite

waitress purchased the venue. Paula Ferrell, who Manzi affectionately

termed Polina and is now called Polly, took the reigns 20 years later

on romantic Valentine’s Day,

It seems to be something of a love story ever since, noting

Polly’s warm affection for her loyal clientele and by token of the

fact that the original chefs, Carmelo and Miguel, continue to hold

forth in the kitchen. In addition, her son Makiyo, an infant when

Polly first started here, is now manager working diligently with

equally caring wait persons likeJosh, one of the crew dashing happily

from table to table on the busiest days as if in a marathon.

This is real old-fashioned Italian home-style cooking featuring

all the expected favorites at very affordable prices. You’ll find

every pasta dish imaginable from oven standards such as manicotti,

cannelloni, lasagna, stuffed peppers and eggplant parmigiana to a

category called “create your own pasta.” For this there are a dozen

sauces to combine as you wish with half a dozen pastas. Choose from

linguini, mostaccioli, fettuccine, spaghetti, rigatoni and angel

hair. Add such as spicy fra diavolo, garlic-oil, tomato-cream,

Alfredo, plus red or white clam sauces. The latter tossed with

linguini was recently named by Sunset Magazine as “the best in

America.” These are prefaced with a basket of Italian bread, butter

pats and an excellent small salad lightly dressed with olive oil and

vinegar, flanked by a slice of tomato and cucumber.

Beyond some 16 other unusual pasta specialties served with the

above prefaces, come an octave of veal presentations, a quintet of

chicken dishes and almost a dozen seafood favorites. These start with

the same welcoming salad and bread and include a side of pasta.

Noteworthy are veal scaloppine and chicken breast picatta, both

seasoned with mushrooms, eggplant, lemon or prepared marsala style

blanketed with sliced mushrooms. There is calamari marinara, mussels

in white wine, two scallop entrees, a sextet of shrimp dishes and a

combination of the last two cooked with marsala, cream and mushrooms

atop fettuccine.

A la carte appetizers run a tasty gamut from steamed clams,

mussels and sauteed mushrooms to marinated eggplant, cheese pizza and

fried mozzarella. These start at $3 going to $12.95 for red or white-sauced conch which are also listed at dinner with all the

trimmings for a mere $5 more. Meat entrees range from $17.50 to

$23.95 (saltimbucco Romano); seafood is mainly in the $20 range.

Pastas are mostly $8 to $10, up to $14.95 for fettuccine majori laced

with shrimp in a cream marsala sauce. The lunch menu is even more

inexpensive featuring soups, salads and sandwiches from $4.25 to

$8.95, 10 pasta entrees at $7 to $8.95 including that crisp little

dinner salad. Poultry, veal and seafood are from $8 for sausage and

peppers to $13.95 for shrimp scampi.

You needn’t have a sweet tooth when it comes to dessert because

Polly’s luscious tiramisu is more redolent of cream, frangelica and

espresso than sugar and she personally prepares the celestial treat

from the recipe she created here early on. Do not overlook, either,

her carefully customized selection of boutique wines from Italy and

Australia as well as California’s Santa Barbara, Napa and Sonoma

Valleys, some featured on her reasonably priced monthly wine

bulletin.

A few are available by the glass as are the red and white house

selections which are also served by the liter and 1/2 liter for

$6.25, $15 and $25 respectively. Italian brews are at the ready too,

as are domestic Samuel Adams and Coors.

* GLORI FICKLING is a longtime Laguna Beach resident who has

written restaurant news and views columns since 1966. She may be reached at 494-4710 or by e-mail at [email protected].