If you look next door to the construction of the soon-to-be El
Toro Brew Pub on the corner of Monterey and Main streets in Morgan
Hill, you will see a small, white house with a small sign in front
that says
”
Sicilia In Bocca.
”
Meaning
”
Sicily in the mouth,
”
or better translated,
”
a taste of Sicily,
”
this lovely restaurant is a treasure for those who love Italy
and its food.
If you look next door to the construction of the soon-to-be El Toro Brew Pub on the corner of Monterey and Main streets in Morgan Hill, you will see a small, white house with a small sign in front that says “Sicilia In Bocca.” Meaning “Sicily in the mouth,” or better translated, “a taste of Sicily,” this lovely restaurant is a treasure for those who love Italy and its food.
“Intimate” would be the best way to describe the ambiance. Seating a little more than 30 people, the home-like atmosphere will remind anyone who has visited Italy of that country’s quaint, local restaurants. The dining room is open and airy, with Italian memorabilia covering the walls and vintage Italian music playing softly in the background.
The restaurant was pretty quiet on the Wednesday night that my husband and I visited. The staff was warm and friendly, and we were ushered directly to our table and handed menus.
After a couple of minutes, our waitress appeared with two pieces of fresh, complimentary bruschetta and took our drink order. We chose wine from the Italian side of the menu. (Both columns of the wine list provided great selections. One side was fully California wines, and the other, all Italian.)
I wanted a nice, dry white so I requested a glass of the Orvieto Classico ($4.50 per glass). At our waitress’ suggestion, my husband ordered the Nero d’Avola ($5.50 per glass) – a new wine to us. It was a nice, medium-dry red, and he continued with it through dinner.
The bruschetta looked wonderful, so I picked up my piece to transfer to my bread plate. Unfortunately, the bread wasn’t strong enough to hold the topping, and it all fell back onto the serving plate. I’m sure that toasting the bread or using heavier bread would make this yummy appetizer easier to eat.
In addition to the regular menu, which included a nice selection of both pasta and meat entrees, there were a few specials listed on the back of the menu. The Insalada Contadina ($7.50) grabbed my attention right away.
Using fresh summer ingredients, the salad included roasted gold potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs and olives, all tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In Europe and Mediterranean countries, salads seldom contain the heaps of lettuce that Americans are accustomed to, so this was a very authentic – and delicious – start to my meal.
My husband ordered the Tortellini Soup ($4) and was told that the tortellini was hand-made that morning. Simply served in a light broth, the al dente pasta was filled with fresh ricotta cheese.
The meal was nicely paced, and we had a few minutes to digest our appetizers and sip our wine before our entrees arrived. My order, Linguine Porticello ($13.50), was fresh linguine with small gulf prawns that were nicely butterflied, sweet roasted peppers, olives, capers and garlic in a white wine sauce. Again, the pasta was perfectly done and the fresh ingredients blended together, rather than fighting with each other, to create a fragrant, delicious and satisfying dish.
My husband chose the fish special of the day, Sea Bass Marie Chiaro ($21.50). Filets of this fresh fish had been simmered in a light tomato sauce with fresh basil and a hint of cream. The dish was served with creamy scalloped potatoes and fresh asparagus. The fish was firm yet still moist with the very delicate flavor that makes sea bass such a popular fish.
The dessert menu was presented in true Italian style – like a picture book. Photographs of various desserts, usually ice cream creations in fresh fruit shells, were shown in full color. Our waitress described the homemade cannoli ($4.50), which I couldn’t pass up. My husband chose the cherry ice cream dessert ($3.50) – rich, creamy and full of fresh fruit. It tasted as good as the picture looked!
Our wonderful waitress presented us each with a complimentary glass of sweet Italian wine to accompany our desserts – a lovely ending to a delicious and relaxing repast.
Buon appetito!
Sara Leigh has lived in Morgan Hill for 26 years with her husband and two sons, who are now away at college. She loves food and wine, and keeps all the delicious calories in check by avid race-walking. Reach her at ca*******@*****il.com. All reviews for The Dish are anonymous, and all reviewers’ meals are paid for by South Valley Newspapers.
