Rocco's (Academy & Maizeland)

After seeing the afternoon performance of the Mannheim Steamrollers at the Pikes Peak Center, we felt like grabbing some Italian chow on our way home.  We went by the Roman Villa - which we hadn't been to in years - but they were closed, so we backtracked just a bit and went to Rocco's.

Rocco's is a little family place stuck back in the corner of a strip mall at the corner of Academy and Maizeland.  It's been around for years (I think 25+) and is decorated with Italy's red, white, and green flag colors, red checked tablecloths and curtains, and some kitschy Italian art.  It's cozy and comfy - and is really just a little neighborhood joint.

The daily specials are on a chalkboard by the door and as the hostess took us to our seats, we noticed that the place was not overly full that particular night.  We were shown a booth (but from past experience, we could have asked for a table) and Stephanie, our waitress who’s been there over 5 years), hustled over to take our drink orders.  The wine list at Rocco's is limited - but really - in an Italian place like Rocco's, all you need is a good Chianti!  Which we ordered - ½ litre, please!

We perused the menu, which hasn't changed in years, either - but on this occasion, I skipped over my usual tortellini and read the other pasta dishes in detail.  I finally settled on the manicotti (with one sausage and one meatball) and Mike decided to try the scallops and linguini.  We also got an order of garlic bread to go with dinner.

Our dinners came with soup or salad and I opted for the dinner salad with blue cheese and Mike got the minestrone soup. The salad was very fresh - always a plus point - and Mike said the minestrone was really good and not too salty, as minestrone can be sometimes.

It didn't take long for the dishes to come out - piping hot and smelling wonderful! I had to let my manicotti sit for a few minutes and even then, when I dug in, I could see the heat from cheese rise.  The dish was cheesy (no, not that kind of cheesy), tomato saucy, and with a sprinkling of shredded parmesan cheese offer by Stephanie, delectable!  I enjoyed the manicotti - but if I were to get this again at Rocco's, I'd pass on the sausage and meatball. Don't get me wrong here - they were both good, but just not my taste. I ate a couple of bites of each - just to see what they tasted like - and passed the rest to Mike, who thoroughly relished them.

Mike said his scallop dish was really good - lots of scallops and the linguini was perfectly cooked.  The sauce was not too heavy and had a very nice lemon component. 

Needless to say, we didn't save any room for desert and I actually took one of the manicotti home to have for lunch the next day.

Rocco's is truly just a little neighborhood joint - with lots of return customers - and if they keep serving up meals like the one we had - they'll be around a lot longer.

So, Rocco's - Do Again?  Si! It was .. Chow bella!