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Category:
Published: June 2007
Augie's Italian Restaurant
183 Church Ave
Ballston Spa, NY
www.augiesrestaurant.com
Some of my friends had been raving to me about a restaurant in Ballston Spa called "Augies." They told me the food was terrific, the prices were reasonable, and the portions generous. After eating there, I have to tell you, they could not have been more right.
The atmosphere at Augie's is relaxed and casual. As you enter there is a sports bar right in front of you. One look at the wall and you can tell immediately the owner is a baseball fan. The tables in the restaurant are adorned with red and white checkered tablecloths and are always packed with happy customers. Augie's only takes reservations for parties of six or more, but we were seated right away. The restaurant serves family style dishes, which means that each order will serve two or more. From what I saw it seemed like each dish could serve four!
We started our evening by ordering lobster ravioli with prosciutto and Portobello mushrooms in cream sauce and broccoli di rabe with sausage. The rabe and sausage were wonderful. The rabe were cooked to a crisp perfection. The lobster ravioli were sublime, from the pasta to the filling and cream sauce they were ideal. For our entrees we ordered three dishes to share between the six of us. At the end of dinner we had food to spare. We decided to have the chicken sorrentino, veal saltimbacco and the "kitchen sink pasta." The last dish was recommended by our waitress. The kitchen sink seems to have everything but its namesake on the plate. It consisted of penne pasta with shrimp, sausage, prosciutto and chicken in a cream sauce. I'm not usually a lover of mixed meat dishes, but even I found it to be delectable. The chicken sorrentino was equally yummy. It had a mix of pan fried veal and chicken with eggplant, prosciutto and mozzarella. Everything was cooked just right and the flavors were perfectly locked in. As a veal lover, my favorite dish of the three was the Veal Saltimbocca, veal cutlets with spinach, prosciutto and mozzarella.
Although we were full, we couldn't pass up Augie's famous desserts. The six of us shared a piece of Augie's homemade tiramisu and key lime pie. They were both exceptional.
Augie's more than lived up to its reputation. The prices were reasonable, the food outstanding, the choices varied, and the portions large. For those of you on a diet, they even offer a Heart Healthy menu that is low on calories but still high on quality and taste. Everyone should drop by to see for themselves why Augie's is one of Lori's picks.
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