Restaurant Review :: La Grolla

This Friday my sister came into town from Chicago.  We wanted to go out for a family dinner Friday evening, and in order to kill three birds with one stone (blog, dinner with the fam, carbs for Saturday's run), I suggested La Grolla on Selby Avenue in St. Paul.  I've been to La Grolla a handful of times and it's probably my favorite Italian restaurant in St. Paul.  It's a smaller restaurant, with tables tucked into corners, understated decor, and big windows that welcome in a lot of natural light.  Because of its space, La Grolla is both intimate and bustling, and it would be the perfect setting for any lunch or dinner.

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But you can't talk Italian without talking about the menu.  La Grolla has a diverse dinner menu, with dishes ranging from the classic cappellini pomodoro (my favorite) to a Norwegian salmon stuffed with crab and lemon/chive sauce.  In addition to the menu staples, the chef whips up a plethora of nightly features.  Our server mentioned at least a half of a dozen specials, including osso bucco (a veal shank stewed for hours).  It's not the most vegetarian-friendly menu, but the pasta is so tasty that I keep coming back for more.  There are a few menu items that I have in my La Grolla rotation, and all of them are perfectly wonderful. 

My mom and I started out with small salads -- I got the "fresca" salad, complete with veggies and a light vinaigrette, and my mom tried out the salad with pears and Roquefort cheese.  Both were fresh and tasty, but I had to give my mom's salad the edge just for the combo of flavors and use of amazing cheese.  Yum.

For my main course, I opted for the penne vodka.  The penne was perfectly cooked to al dente so it still had a bit of a bite to it.  And the sauce was lovely.  Creamy with a hint of tomato sweetness but not at all heavy or overpowering.  Think of a light pink Alfredo sauce without all of the guilt!  With some extra Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of pepper, this dish was spot on.  The portion size was absolutely giant sized, so I get to enjoy my penne vodka again this weekend.  (I'm trying not to think about it while I type this out.....resist the temptation....)

I also had a bite of my sister's pasta dish, which was the Cappelletti ai Quattro formaggi.  In layman's terms, it was a hat-shaped pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese.  The menu called for a four-cheese based sauce, but my sister (for reasons I cannot begin to understand) opted to substitute the cheese sauce for a chunky tomato sauce.  Since it wasn't that busy, the chef entertained her bizarre request, and the little ricotta-filled pasta still held up well to the tomato sauce. 

For dessert, we all split some cannoli -- fried pasty dough stuffed with sweet, creamy cheese and dipped into a little bit of chocolate.  I thought it was a great end to the meal -- not too heavy and just sweet enough. 

Overall, I once again enjoyed my dinner at La Grolla.  Great food, fun atmosphere, and good times with the family.  Best part?  When my sister was reenacting a scene from Portlandia and she whipped her arm out and almost knocked over the bus boy.  Good work, sis!