On the Menu: Enjoy the art of fine Italian food and fun at Arturo's

Whenever driving by Arturo's Italian restaurant, the beautiful awning that overhangs the entrance always catches my eye. "Arturo's, the Art of Fine Italian Food and Fun." The marquee is more than a sign alerting patrons to the 844 Bald Eagle Drive location, it is a statement of fact about the dining experience waiting inside.

June 16 was the birthday of a very special friend and my beautiful wife and I decided we wanted more than just a meal. We wanted our birthday guest to have a special experience loaded with fun.

As one of the first summer thunderstorms was making an 8 p.m. appearance, we arrived at Arturo's and hurried inside. With a crack of thunder rumbling overhead, we were warmly welcomed by Bianca, our hostess, who led our party to a seat at the bar.

The cocktail lounge at Arturo's regularly has a fun crowd, but there always seems to be space available for a few more to join in the fun.

I believe the onyx stone bar at Arturo's is one of the most clever cocktail forums ever. The onyx was imported form Mexico, carefully groomed and polished, and fitted with a lighting system that glows from underneath. The result is amazing as the onyx is semitransparent and allows subtle light to flow through the stonework and highlight the beautiful veins of marblelike minerals. A visit to this incredible example of stonework blended into art is a must, even if you only drink shirley temples.

After a celebratory birthday cocktail, Bianca led our group into one of the dining rooms and showed us to a cozy, tucked-away table. Our waiter, Dano, arrived with a winning smile and hinted that he knew this was a special occasion. He then explained the evening specials and teased our palates with exciting appetizer ideas.

For starters, we decided to sample and share shrimp cocktail for $11.95, mozzarella caprese for $10.95 and the stuffed portobello mushroom for $10.95.

The icy shrimp cocktail was just the way I like it: jumbo, fresh and popping right out of the tail. The mozzarella caprese salad was filled with fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes and fresh basil drizzled with light vinaigrette and topped off with a wonderful prosciutto "rose" — a delicious Italian favorite. The portabella mushroom appetizer was a large example of the trendy mushroom of our era, with crabmeat stuffing and melted cheese — crab-stuffing fans shouldn't miss this one.

Incredible crisp, gorgonzola-topped salads followed the appetizers with our server Dano right on target with resting times in between courses. With the crumbled gorgonzola vinaigrette, a fresh greens salad at Arturo's will have anyone challenged not to finish every bite.

For dinner, my beautiful wife and our birthday dinner guest chose the veal sorrentino for $22.95, the special, salmon with capers picatta for $24.95 and the Edgar's al modo mio for $16.95.

The veal sorrentino was thinly sliced veal with prosciutto, eggplant and mozzarella, finished in a wine sauce. A side order of pasta with homemade marinara accompanies this Mediterranean delight and leaves no doubt as to where Arturo learned his culinary craft.

The salmon picatta was a perfect entrée, blending the delicate flavor of the wonderful fish with the herbs and spices so popular with Italian cuisine.

Another specialty of the night was our final choice of Edgar's al modo mio. This was a hard decision, with the famous Arturo's stuffed pork chop for $24.95 being a major contender for any dinner selection.

The Edgar's special, however, was far from disappointing. With penne pasta and artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and portobello mushrooms, this creative selection was finished with peas sautéed with garlic and oil — a mixture of flavorful ingredients that we found to be a winner.

As my tablemates and I were relaxing after the wonderful meal, I could not help but notice how everyone in Arturo's was also relaxing in the casual yet elegant setting. The acoustics are perfect, and even though there were many patrons, the dining rooms were never noisy. The wait staff never seemed to be "too busy" to offer their complete attention and the old restaurant adage of, "every table should think they are the only table," certainly is the norm at Arturo's.

The next time we saw our server Dano, he was leading an entourage of other servers followed up with our hostess, Bianca, and Arturo himself. Dano was carefully cradling a serving of tiramisu with a birthday candle glowing in the center.

As the cheerful group approached, they were singing, "Happy Birthday from Arturo's."

Our birthday guest was overwhelmed with the genuine hospitality and tearfully commented, "Wow, it's just as if I were home."

The tiramisu was creamy, delightful and disappeared in fewer than two minutes.

For wine lovers, I should also mention Arturo's offers an extensive wine list, featuring wines from some of the finest vineyards in the world.

Arturo's is open from 5 p.m. seven days a week, with the last reservation requested before 9:30 p.m. It welcomes private parties, catering opportunities and take-out service. Arturo's can be reached at 642-4949, or visit its Web site: www.arturosmarcoisland.com.

I later learned, but was not surprised by, the unofficial credo for Arturo's: "When you come back to Arturo's, it's like you're coming home."