Giuseppi's

Blvd. Agua Caliente No.2600

I. The Setting

Giuseppi's entrance is a coffee shop with large, uncovered windows which look out onto busy Agua Caliente. To the right as you walk in is a cozy dining room divided into two sections with a bar in the middle. The roof is festooned with Chianti wine bottles hanging down and the tables are covered with red checkered tablecloths. The dining rooms have stained glass windows high on the walls, near the ceilings. Some of the windows have a geometric design and others have flowing, plant-like designs. We definitely prefer the warm atmosphere of the dining room. If you are being guided to a seat in the coffee shop, do request to be seated in the dining room. There are also two fairly large banquet rooms, a very plain one off of the dining room and the other behind the coffee shop. Our large group once dined in the banquet room behind the coffee shop and it was definitely an experience worth repeating. The walls are painted with a Venetian scene with phosphorescent paint; the lights can be lowered and you are instantly transported to a summer evening in a Venetian city, gazing at the glowing lights coming from the windows of the buildings painted on the banquet room wall.

II. The Service and the Food

Although in the past we've been able to get separate checks at Giuseppi's, this time they absolutely refused. The service otherwise wasn't too bad, a few things were fogotten but overall the service was acceptable. Basket after basket of bread with a marvelous very garlicy butter was served while we contemplated the large variety of items on the menu. Giuseppi's serves full meals, a series of scallopini, milanesa, chicken and fish dishes, which all come with soup and salad. The soup was fantastic, "habas" or bean soup in a tomato sauce reminiscent of minnestrone, but much tastier and slightly pureed. They also have pannini sandwiches, pasta and pizza. We've always been fond the Mexican pizza, which has chorizo and jalapenos on it. The vegetarian pizza is great also. A mini pizza at $30. Mexican (US: $3.75) is a terrific bargain. The pescado relleno de jabia, a fish filet stuffed with a large amount of delicious crab and served with a delicate ginger/red pepper sauce, was fabulous, very light and flaky but with an outstanding flavor similar to a demi-glace. One drawback: They no longer accept credit cards! One of our diners visited a nearby Banamex ATM machine to pick up cash and was very surprized when he was charged a $6. transaciton fee!

III. Beverages

Margaritas and mixed drinks very good, very strong and not sweet. Wines from La Cetto, Domecq and Chilean Casillero del Diablo.

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Copyright © Pat Fisher, 1998-02 Last Reviewed: March 2001 email: pfisher@hungryhiker-tj.com