It was traffic that chose our dining destination this evening. We ran an errand in Mandeville post show, and looking at the traffic heading north on the Northshore at dusk, it was immediately decided that we should pull into a parking lot nearby and eat. The nearest-by was Times Grill (not to be confused with the Chimes Bar & Grill…though why not?), and Reginelli’s, the recent outpost of the proliferating chain owned by Darryl Regenilli and Ti Martin of Brennan fame.
Knowing Tom’s longtime railing against Times, it was decided: Reginelli's. I have long been puzzled by this place. We remember Reginelli’s when it first opened on Magazine around 20 years ago as a much more ambitious restaurant. We absolutely loved the place. Since Darryl placed his fortunes in pizza, our admiration has cooled. I think I’ve been to the later version of Reginelli’s way more often than Tom, and I hardly go. My brother frequents the place, and I called when we arrived.
“I know what a fan you are of Reginelli’s, “ I started. Before I could continue he stopped me.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a fan, but it works when I need something quick. There seems to always be one nearby,” he corrected me.
Hardly a recommendation, and I was a little insulted for poor Reginelli’s. We already had two appetizers coming from a very appealing list. BBQ shrimp? At Reginelli’s? Ambitious! Had to be the Commander’s influence, though Darryl Reginelli proved from the getgo that he was capable of terrific gourmet food. And something I wasn’t surprised to see - spinach and artichoke dip. We also ordered a meatball sandwich, Shrimply Irresistible tortellini (a great name I think I remember from somewhere in the past…maybe a long-ago visit to Reginelli’s), and a slice of Detroit-style pizza. Enough of the deep dish cities vying for dominance!!
I was excited for this order to arrive. The spinanch dip came in a large ramekin flanked by slices of focaccia. The shrimp arrived the same way, but accompanied by ciabatta. Though both focaccia and ciabatta will always be remembered in my mind primarily as two breads whose pronunciations evoked a “God Bless You” from Tom, (sadly, no longer) they are very much not the same. I am nuts about ciabatta. Focaccia, meh.
The barbecue shrimp (appropriately here as BBQ shrimp) had that Emeril-signature Worcestershire base flavor, which I love, though the sauce was creamier than usual. The shrimp were peeled, which makes sense in a place like this. I liked it rather well. It had a perfect spice level, ample serving size, and a nice presentation. Good stuff.
Despite the presence of ordinary focaccia on the plate, the spinach dip was also very good. Nothing spectacular or extraordinary, but it was very good. Next time I’ll ask for ciabatta with it. This would have been better with a thin crostini, or maybe fried bowties, a popular accompaniment in other places and entirely appropriate here.
The slice of Detroit-style pepperoni came next, and I was grateful that a slice option is available here on the pizza. The sauce was too sweet for my taste, but it was otherwise fine. A lot of cheese, and the essential blob of thick doughy crust. Question for deep dish-lovers: By definition, doesn’t “crust” denote a thin shell? Just asking…
The same sweet sauce plagued the meatball sub. The meatballs were tender and good, and it was a shame they were so overpowered by the sauce. And more of the dastardly focaccia. Next time I will ask for ciabatta, more cheese, less sauce.
The Shrimply Irresistible tortellini turned out to be a misnomer. The tortellini were plump, the shrimp plentiful and nicely seasoned, the flavor fine, and the sauce, inexplicably pasty. What a way to ruin a dish that had such potential! I took it home because we were too full anyway, and when I heated it I seared the shrimp first, then added the pasta, but I also added more cream and parmesan. I think the pastiness came from not enough cream. It was quite tasty after I fixed it, though Irresistible is still a stretch.
We will probably return to Reginelli’s, though likely the same way. Convenience. I find the place confusing, both in service and decor. We weren’t sure if it was fast-casual, because people came to order at a counter, and due to short-staffing I’m sure, waiters seemed to be doing everything. And I don’t understand the look of the place at all. I feel like I’m in some futuristic cartoon.
The food was perfectly fine, nothing more. (It could have been less, so that’s something…) I was excited at first when I saw the menu, which was really appealing, and the food was good. Fine. Good. And though I disagreed at first, in the end I realized my brother nailed it.
