Cantone’s
Southern Italian Restaurant
4701 Fritchey Street, Harrisburg
652-9976


by Sue Barry

Regulars keep coming to Cantone’s for that Old World Italian cuisine. But those in the know have discovered that there is more to this kitchen than mere red sauce. While spaghetti is being twirled and stromboli devoured at the tables around us, the chef of two months at Cantone’s is dazzling our taste buds with Specials, some that even skirt the Italian cuisine.

For instance, always on the Specials List is the chef’s signature dish, pan seared Almond Crusted Sea Bass ($21.95). Upon impact, your taste buds become exhilarated by the crisp, nutty crust and characteristically delicate, yet sweet flavor of the snowy white fish hailing from fresh cold waters. As Oriental flavorings bring sea bass to life, fresh ginger sauce adds another tangy layer to this one entree where Italian influences are not missed.

But Cantone’s is an Italian restaurant. Tucked one block away from the Jonestown Road commercial strip and traffic congestion, Cantone’s white stucco structure, displaying both the American and Italian flag, offers a quiet respite for those wanting relaxation and good fare. Inside the open and airy raftered main dining room, an awning bearing the salutation, “Buon Appetito,” descends from a brick façade and fabricates an outdoor street scene along the far wall. A cove to the left side of the room gives full coverage to Frank Sinatra in his heyday. Although the food might have ’em hanging from the rafters, patrons are made more comfortable snuggling into the long tufted banquette or at cozy tables and chairs. Grapevine etched glass partitions separate the main dining room from the bar that is strategically laden with old sports photos and paraphernalia. Servers are friendly, knowledgeable, and more than accommodating.

A quick glance at the Specials sheet for appetizers has us bypassing the standard menu appetizers. Garlic Bread ($2.75) gives way to Bruschetta ($2.75), delicious fresh toasted slices of baguette rubbed with garlic and topped with chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Instead of Sauteed Mushrooms ($2.95), Portabella Calabrese ($6.50) is ordered as it features the warm meaty Portabella mushroom cap topped with soft-hearted artichokes, chopped tomatoes, garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Large slices of Fried Calamari ($6.95) arrive at the table flash fried to ideal tenderness with marinara sauce on the side. If you want some fire, forgo the Wings ($5.50) and go for the tips — spicy Blackened Tips ($8.95), that is. Be sure to choose one of several well-selected wines by the glass that also, show up on the Specials menu.

Take some of that great herb-flavored olive oil that was placed on your table and pour it onto your bread plate. The assorted warm slices of bread provided from the mini-loaves are perfect dipped into this olive oil. A tossed salad that accompanies your dinner entrée is best dressed with the house-made blue cheese dressing. It is worth the extra 75-cents you will shell out for this treat.

Cantone’s has a full menu of classic Southern Italian entrées all made from Mama Cantone’s recipes. This is the unpretentious Italian food we grew up with — Manicotti and Meatballs ($11.50), Baked Lasagna ($11.95), and Hot Sausage and Peppers over Penne ($12.95). An abundant platter of Fettuccini Alfredo ($12.50) is sent out of the kitchen thick and creamy, firm and luscious. In all of its simplicity, a favorite of mine, Aglio e Olio (pasta with garlic and olive oil, $9.95), is delivered with full flavor. With so few ingredients, high quality is a must for a good Aglio e Olio.

Cantone’s Eggplant Parmesan ($8.75, with a side of spaghetti) is firm, thick yet delicate and well-coated in cheese and sauce. A choice from the menu of Clam Posillipo with Linguini ($17.95) consisting of a least three dozen littleneck clams poached in white wine served on a bed of linguini napped with marinara sauce is outstanding, a fresher alternative over the Pasta with Red Clam Sauce ($13.75), the latter made with chopped clams.

If you are still sticking with the menu choices, another outstanding offering that excites both the seafood and pasta lover is Lobster Ravioli in Shrimp Sauce ($16.95). The lobster flesh is woven directly into the dough with only shrimp added to the sauce to enhance the uncompromising sweet lobster flavor. Chicken, crab cakes, and a dizzying number of notable veal scallopini dishes are very popular at Cantone’s.

Italians seem to love lamb and lamb lovers who order the Special Rack of Lamb ($24.95), will get the whole rack, fanned over a generous pool of earthy reduction sauce served with a roasted stuffed tomato. All formality aside, I like to pick up these juicy baby ribs and eat them with my hands like they do in Italy, where they are grilled and called scottadito, or “burning fingers.”

With the songs from the 1996 movie Big Night playing in the background, a bit of subliminal enticement goes into ordering another entree from the Specials list — Shrimp and Scallops Risotto in Lobster Sauce ($19.95). Was this dish at Cantone’s inspired by the uncompromising seafood risotto that the two brothers in that movie couldn’t give away to Americans in the 1950s without a side of spaghetti and meatballs? There are still those Americans that want Spaghetti and Meatballs ($12.45), and Cantone’s classic will deliver. But, for us who like modernist trends, we wallow in the labor-intensive, creamy yet firm, refined and luxurious lobster risotto surrounded by mounds of shrimp and scallops.

Carnivores lusting after a hand written Special on the list, the high-ticket Char-broiled 16 oz. Veal Chop Rosemary ($29.95), get their fill. This loin chop is sized for a king — the only way a veal chop should be. It is sublime, subtly accented with rosemary to heighten the flavor not to overpower it.

Desserts round out meals delightfully. A smooth Coconut Pie or a rich and creamy Crème Brûlée will satisfy that sweet tooth. In keeping with the Italian style of desserts, a less sugary Ricotta Cheesecake will hit the spot, and, Tiramisu, that traditional Italian dessert that gained fame more than a decade ago, is outstanding with its espresso dipped lady fingers, airy filling of mascarpone cheese and sprinkling of bittersweet chocolate.

Whether you are looking for Old World Italian cuisine or something new, you will be sure to find what you are looking for at Cantone’s.

“To eat good food is to be close to God.”
– Master Chef Primo Pilaggi,
from the movie Big Night, 1996