Restaurant favorites done well at Filomena's

October 16, 2014 12:00 am • Last Updated: April 10, 2015 2:12 pm

By Alex Nunes

Filomena's in Waterford is the type of restaurant that feels familiar even on first visit.

The decor is unpretentious: light-up beer signs call your attention from the parking lot, and family photos and Little League pictures greet you at the entrance. The walls in the dining area are maroon, the tables and chairs are wooden, and there's a comfortable booth along the front window, which I plopped myself into recently for a long Filomena's meal.

The familiarity extends to the menu. You won't find anything too envelope-pushing here. But what Filomena's specializes in is restaurant favorites done well and with significant portions.

If you're coming in a group (or with a particularly hungry date), I'd recommend the polenta bites ($6) and Rhode Island style calamari ($9) to start.

The polenta come in small squares. They've got a crisp at first bite and moist corn meal consistency on the inside. A Gorgonzola fondue on the side adds flavor and a touch of decadence. The calamari are prepared with a round in the deep fryer before being sautéed in garlic butter with deep fried peppers and lemon. The squid was more tender than chewy, and the peppers and lemon added a dynamic flavor to this quite sizable app.

Another starter worth a try is the jumbo lump Maryland crab cake ($9). It's more suited to an individual diner and consists of a single, yet generous patty of lump crab meat, onions, red bell peppers and Italian bread crumbs pan seared and served with tomato cream sauce. It's soft, savory and possibly a bit too oily, depending on personal preference.

With all the focus on fresh veggies and lean proteins at restaurants these days, a good pasta dish seems to be an endangered species. However, Filomena's waves the carbohydrate flag proudly, and both the dinner and lunch menu have impressive pasta options, like the Federal Hill lobster ravioli ($22) served in a tomato cream sauce with fresh basil and parmigiano reggiano cheese, the pesto gnocchi with grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, mozzarella, spinach and pine nuts, and the spinach and Gorgonzola ravioli ($18) topped with mushrooms, sausage, basil and parmesan.

I went with the gnocchi al palma ($16), which features an exceptional homemade gnocchi, Italian sausage, plum tomatoes, baby spinach and shaved parmigiano reggiano cheese tossed in garlic and olive oil. The ingredients in this dish are well paired and make for a gnocchi that's both light and satisfying.

There's a wide array of sandwich options at Filomena's, and considering the fact that all of them are priced somewhere between $7 and $9, a filling sandwich might be your best option for a lunch on the run. I tried the Philly cheese steak ($9), which was classically prepared with shaved steak sautéed with mushrooms and caramelized onions and served with provolone cheese and mayo on a club roll.

The grilled Portobello sandwich was the most appealing vegetarian option to me on the menu. It comes with large portions of vegetables - Portobello caps, caramelized onion, grilled zucchini and roasted red peppers - fresh mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano and a drizzling of balsamic vinaigrette. It has a delightful variation of texture and flavor and sticks to the bones more than your average veggie dish.

A noteworthy element of each sandwich is the bread, a club roll that looks and tastes like a hybrid of a ciabatta and brioche bun.

The kids options are also worth a mention: they include linguine ($5), chicken fingers with fries ($6), and a quesadilla ($4). My 3-year-old son and I were impressed by his chicken fingers, and I found myself stealing more than my share of the battered and crispy side of fries.

A mini cannoli ($2 each) for dessert will satisfy your craving for something sweet while keeping you from a night of heartburn and regret. It comes with a chocolate chip and vanilla ricotta filling and a couple of dabs of whipped cream.

While at Filomena's, you might notice former New London city councilor and mayoral candidate Mike Buscetto, who runs the restaurant with his brother. When I was there, he was cleaning down tables and asking patrons how their meals were.

My response was, "Quite good."