AT AROMI, TRY DESSERT FIRST.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic The big draw at Aromi Cafe is its gelato ge·la·to n. pl. ge·la·ti An Italian ice cream or ice. [Italian, from past participle of gelare, to freeze; see gelatin.] . For those who've never heard of gelato, it simply is the Italian word for ice cream. But when made correctly, it's ice cream that's more intense in flavor - especially the fruit flavors - as well as being nondairy non·dair·y adj. Containing no milk or dairy products: nondairy coffee creamer. , very low in fat and never cloyingly cloy v. cloyed, cloy·ing, cloys v.tr. To cause distaste or disgust by supplying with too much of something originally pleasant, especially something rich or sweet; surfeit. v.intr. sweet. Reader Frank Barron of Van Nuys describes the gelato as the ``best we have found since our days in Verona.'' Banana and lemon gelati are the ones from Aromi that stand out as being so sensationally strong in taste. It's like having the actual fruit multiplied in flavor intensity many times in each refreshing mouthful. And luckily, there are several more flavors that the Aromi folk produce, some two dozen of them in all. Unfortunately, there's only room at the counter to store and display 10 at a time. To date, in addition to the two already mentioned, I've tasted raspberry, melon, stracciatella Stracciatella (from Italian stracciato, "torn apart") is an Italian egg-drop soup, usually said to be "alla Romana" ("the way it's done at Rome"), but also popular in Marche and Emilia Romagna. (chocolate chip), bacio (chocolate hazelnut), regular hazelnut, vanilla and mint-chocolate. And they've all been superb. Untried so far are strawberry, peach, kiwi, mango, papaya papaya (pəpī`ə), soft-stemmed tree (Carica papaya) of tropical America resembling a palm with a crown of palmately lobed leaves. , wildberry, pineapple, green apple, chocolate, tiramisu, espresso coffee, coconut, pistachio and mousse al caffe (coffee mousse). But Aromi Cafe is more than a gelateria. It tosses up a quartet of good salads, all under $6. It serves some excellent soups ($3.95 each) and fine panini Panini (pä`nēnē), fl. c.400 B.C., Indian grammarian. His Ashtādhyāyī [eight books] (tr. 1891) is one of the earliest works of descriptive linguistics and is also the first individually authored treatise on Sanskrit. Italian-style sandwiches ($5 to $7) made with outstanding rustic bread purchased from its next-door neighbor Spumoni spu·mo·ni or spu·mo·ne n. An Italian ice cream having layers of different colors or flavors and often containing fruits and nuts. [Italian, augmentative of spuma, foam, from Latin restaurant. This allows locals to enjoy a satisfying four-course, casual meal of soup, salad, sandwich and gelato for well under $20. Soups enjoyed here, ironically more American than Italian, have been split pea, gumbo and chicken-vegetable. Wonder if you can find gumbo soup in Italy? Switching to the panini, the best of Aromi's sandwiches are the Veneto ($5.95), consisting of turkey, pancetta pan·cet·ta n. Italian bacon that has been cured in salt and spices and then air-dried. [Italian, diminutive of pancia, belly, from Latin pantex, pantic-.] (Italian bacon), provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato; the Genoa ($5.95), with mortadella mor·ta·del·la n. A smoked Italian sausage made of ground pork and beef and cubes of pork fat, flavored with wine and spices. [Italian, feminine diminutive of murtato, , Genoa salami, provolone, pancetta plus romaine lettuce and tomato; and the grilled chicken panino pa·ni·no n. pl. pa·ni·ni An Italian sandwich made usually with vegetables, cheese, and grilled or cured meat. [Short for Italian panino (imbottito), stuffed bread, sandwich ($6.95), with cheese, romaine lettuce and tomato. Those who prefer to stay away from these thicker, meaty sandwiches might find the tuna salad panino ($4.95) and the Caprese ($5.95) with fresh mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil to their liking. And at Aromi there are bonuses. The little cafe offers a deli-case full of Edie's (of Canoga Park) delicious pastries, a variety of biscotti Biscotti (plural of Italian biscotto, roughly meaning "twice baked") are crisp Italian cookies often containing nuts or flavored with anise. Traditionally, biscotti are made by baking cookie dough in two long slabs, cutting these into slices, and reheating them to dry , Italian sodas, gelato shakes, even a cooling gelato lemonade. It's a quasi-self-service place with a single sandwich maker, and most of the ware is disposable, which, of course, helps to keep the prices down. Because it's not a chain-style, fast-food operation (thank goodness), there's sometimes a wait before orders come up. Patience may be needed. Any wait though, is, believe me, worth while. There's also good recorded music and a lively, modern European air to this charming, friendly cafe. And if you're unsure about a particular gelato flavor, ask for a taste before choosing one. Aromi will gladly accommodate you. AROMI CAFE Where: 14531 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. When: Open for snacks and light meals from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Recommended items: Panini (Italian-style sandwiches), soups, salads, gelati (Italian-style ice creams). How much: Everything under $7. All major credit cards. Wine list: No alcohol. Reservations: First come, first served. Only 22 seats (inside and outside). For information call (818) 905-5542. Our rating: Four stars for gelati; three stars for other food. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Aromi Cafe in Sherman Oaks offers a wide variety of gelati - intensely flavored Italian-style ice creams. (2) Alfred Aghajanian, owner of Aromi Cafe, displays some menu items. The cafe offers soups, salads and sandwiches in addition to gelati, and all entrees are under $7. Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer |
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