On a miserable night recently I really wanted to go to DiCristina’s in downtown Covington. I associate Italian food with comfort, and the weather made me want comfort. I am not a big fan of the food at DiCristina’s but sometimes you just want the food your mom might have made if she was Italian. There are now four Italian restaurants mere blocks from each other in downtown Covington, and all of them offer something completely different. DiCristina’s is the least good, least glamorous, and definitely least hip. But it is the one I think of first when I am looking for comfort. Also, when I am craving a stuffed artichoke.
Maria DiCristina is a member of the Rocky & Carlo’s family, but I prefer the food at Rocky’s. We never went to DiCristina’s much until they moved, but I love their new digs downtown, closer to the action. They took over the old brewery space and really did a great job renovating. It is not fancy but it is spacious and welcoming, with lots of booth seating and a bar they didn’t have before.
The servers here are great. They have always been great. DiCristina’s employed one of my favorite servers ever, Barb, until her untimely death a few years ago. The new crop is wonderful, but there will never be another Barb.
On this night I just got a stuffed artichoke because I had been thinking of their stuffed artichoke for over a week. I was going to stop in and get one anyway. And ML wanted some of the famous baked macaroni. Because I was eating the artichoke for dinner, it would be an odd meal. ML got Chicken Parm with a side of the baked macaroni and of course the famous red sauce.
I have always been smitten with this particular stuffed artichoke, which is made in house. That is extremely rare, though stuffed artichokes are found on lots of menus around town. Nearly all of them are made by a third party, so kudos to these two for doing the extra work necessary to bring this great local Sicilian specialty to diners. Rocky’s and DiCristina’s have a family recipe that is very close to the one that my mother used. Simple and straightforward: garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan/Romano cheeses, olive oil drizzle. The only variables to this simple recipe are ratios and quality of ingredients.
The Rocky’s/DiCristina’s stuffed artichoke always seemed wetter than my mom’s but that is a minor quibble. It is usually served heated, which explains some of the softness. On this day the spice level was greatly increased from what I remember, as was the salt proportion. I am never going to say I didn’t love this stuffed artichoke, but it was my least favorite of any I have had here. It was also much too salty. I ate it anyway. In two sittings.
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Chicken Parm is something ML loves, and gets pretty often when she sees it on a menu. This would definitely be a place to get a dish like this. She ordered it with the famous baked macaroni and had the red sauce too. But on this night, she was also disappointed in the plate placed before her.
The food came really quickly, so maybe the speed accounted for its appearance. But it looked sloppy both in presentation and preparation. The baked macaroni is usually exempt from any criticism. It is always the same. Consistency in a dish so beloved is essential, and strict standards are maintained. Except on this night, when even this iconic dish was off.
But the Chicken Parm was even more unlike its regular state. In addition to the smallish size of the chicken, the protein itself seemed to be of lesser quality than usual. Also, the breading was coming off, and the crispiness under the sauce and cheese common with this dish was missing.
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It seemed to just be a disastrous night for DiCristina’s, but no one but us seemed to notice. The place was pretty full of regular customers. The portions were large and the food came fast. Service, always friendly and competent, didn't miss a beat.
We will go back, hoping we just caught it on a bad night. Like I said, we love the place and the people. And the food is usually good enough. We’ll have to see if the hiccups on this night become a trend. I really hope not, for our sake. DiCristina's is a very important part of the Italian equation in downtown Covington. I must keep it as part of our rotation, for when I need the warm embrace of a plate of pasta on a rotten weather night.
