Dreams come true for Italian family.Byline: ON THE MENU By Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard Restaurant: Bada Bings. Owner(s): Brothers Sal and Frank Abatangelo and Sal's son, "Little Frank." Cuisine: Italian and proud of it. In fact, Bada Bings has a motto: "Eat, drink and be Italian." The Abatangelos bought the restaurant formerly known as G Williker's a year ago. At first, they kept the menu heavy on the burger and sandwich options, but now they've revamped the menu to showcase favorite Italian recipes, many of them originally from the kitchen of Sal and Frank's parents, Lena and Frank Abatangelo. Philosophy: Here's how Sal puts it; this little essay called "Dreams" appeared on the cover of the first Bada Bings menu. "We all have (dreams), I guess it's a part of life. Maybe it's life itself. Growing up, I had my dream, owning my own place ... a place to go and have good food and a great time. As time passed, so did my dreams. My family always told me, 'Never forget your dreams, but focus on reality.' "I'm older now and time has passed, but my dream hasn't. Dreams really can come true. Look at me now, my dream, 'my place.' Come live my dream, 'Eat, drink and be Italian.' "By the way, my dream came true because of my family. Thanks ..." Entrees: The menu includes pasta dishes favored by - and named for - members of the family, including Mamma Lena's fettucine Alfredo, her husband's favorite spaghetti and meatballs Noun 1. spaghetti and meatballs - spaghetti with meatballs in a tomato sauce dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" and sister Jane's cheese ravioli. Also on the main dish menu - linguine and clams, lasagna, eggplant parmesan Eggplant parmesan or melanzane alla parmigiana is a common Italian dish which originated in Naples. It typically includes sliced eggplant, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese, layered repeatedly, which are then baked. and chicken Marsala Chicken marsala is an Italian-American food dish using Marsala wine in the sauce. A typical Marsala sauce involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots, then adding mushrooms and herbs. , as well as a wide variety of brick-oven, New York-style pizzas in four sizes. Bada Bings still has hamburgers, but instead of a dozen choices, they're "build-it-yourself," Frank Abatangelo says, with a base price and additional options - cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce, mushrooms, pineapple, guacamole - available for 25 cents each. The menu also offers a couple of other sandwiches, one featuring Italian meatballs and the other Italian sausage  This article or section may deal primarily with the U.S. and may not present a worldwide view. .
Specialties: Probably the pastas, made fresh every day, says Sal Abatangelo, who got his first taste of the food business at age 12, when he went to work in his Uncle Nick's restaurant, Leaning Tower of Pisa Leaning Tower of Pisa White marble campanile in Pisa, Italy, famous for the uneven settling of its foundation, which caused it to lean 5.5 degrees (about 15 ft [4.5 m]) from the perpendicular. in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . He came to Oregon in 1993 with his dream of opening his own place, but spent more than 10 years selling cars before he got his chance last October. "My brother and I sat down and starting putting together a list of what we ate at home when we were growing up," Abatangelo says. "We wanted traditional foods that would be something unique - something that didn't taste like 'restaurant food' - so we're using all my mom's and dad's old recipes." Price Range: Appetizers range in price from $2.50 to $8 and in taste from spicy chicken wings Chicken Wings can refer to:
Decor: In transition from its previous life as G Williker's but looking more Italian all the time, with red-and-white checked tablecloths and walls painted with antique washes over faux red bricks. Capacity: Nearly 300, including an outdoor deck that can be used in good weather and a sports bar adjacent to the restaurant area. Bada Bings also has a large dance floor, with dance bands performing Friday and Saturday nights and live jazz playing Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. - or maybe midnight - on Sunday. Opened: October 2004. Location: 440 Coburg Road. Telephone: 338-9094. Reservations: Not required. Shared recipe: Mamma Lena's Pasta al' Aglio e Olio o·li·o n. pl. o·li·os 1. A heavily spiced stew of meat, vegetables, and chickpeas. 2. a. A mixture or medley; a hodgepodge. b. , a simple but rich dish of spaghetti tossed with ample garlic sauteed in olive oil olive oil, pale yellow to greenish oil obtained from the pulp of olives by separating the liquids from solids. Olive oil was used in the ancient world for lighting, in the preparation of food, and as an anointing oil for both ritual and cosmetic purposes. and sprinkled with Romano or Parmesan cheese a kind of cheese of a rich flavor, though from skimmed milk, made in Parma, Italy. See also: Parmesan . At Bada Bings, it's served with soup or salad and garlic-cheese bread, offered occasionally as a "family special" on the menu. Mamma Lena's Pasta al'Aglio e Olio 2 to 3 quarts water 2 teaspoons salt 1 pound spaghetti 1 cup olive oil 6 cloves garlic, chopped fine 1 teaspoon crushed dried red chili pepper 1/2 cup chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley Freshly grated Romano (or Parmesan, if preferred) cheese Bring water and salt to a boil; cook spaghetti until al dente - done but still a bit chewy chew·y adj. chew·i·er, chew·i·est Needing much chewing: chewy candy. chew  i·ness n. .
In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile , heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet; saute sau·té tr.v. sau·téed, sau·té·ing, sau·tés To fry lightly in fat in a shallow open pan. n. A dish of food so prepared. the garlic until fragrant and golden. Add the crushed chili pepper and saute 30 seconds to a minute longer. Drain the spaghetti and turn into a large serving bowl. Toss with the garlic-oil mixture and the parsley. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Serves 4 to 6. CAPTION(S): Pasta dishes are a specialty at the year-old Bada Bings. Chris Pietsch / The Register-Guard Lena Abatangelo holds a plate of pasta at Bada Bings. |
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