Stressed server, bland baked ziti make for so-so dinner

By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We arrived at 6:30 p.m. on a Wednesday and stood beside the “Please wait to be seated” sign for about five minutes, just long enough to notice the big “Push the prime rib” edict on the kitchen’s dry erase board. Scary.

Service: Our server seemed exhausted (he sat in the far end of our large booth every time he came over) and stressed (he said our garlic bread starter would probably show up with our entrees because they were “slammed,” even though Cappotto’s was less than one-third full). Everything was painfully slow. Our appetizer made it out well before our main dishes, but that was probably because 20 minutes passed between our waiter's first and second visits. My glass of iced tea, which was filled well short of the rim, was served in a chipped, cafeteria-like plastic glass. I think the only time the service made us smile was when the woman who cleared our plates said, “My dog will thank you.”

What we liked: Cappotto’s uses a pork shank rather than the traditional veal shank for its osso buco, and the result is delicious. The large bone of meat was surrounded in a flavorful risotto, and its lean, juicy, tender sections of pork were repeatedly torn off by both our forks (after one bite of the bland baked ziti, we were double-teaming the famed Italian dish).

Scene: Let’s put it this way: They use electrical tape to keep the check holders from falling apart. It’s low-budget, from the faux Romanesque columns and extravagant fake flower arrangements to the random pine-cone garland on the shelf above our booth. Cappotto’s could have avoided the "poor-man’s Italy" look if they had stuck with the simple style they use near the entry — a big shelf stacked with cans and jars of Italian sauces and such.

Bathroom break: Simple and clean.

Tab for two: $46 with tip and tax for garlic toast ($3.25), cup of pasta fasul ($2.95), osso buco ($16.95), baked ziti ($10.25) and an iced tea ($1.49).

If work weren’t buying: Fatman’s Pizza is the only Junction joint you’ll ever find me in.

A.J. restaurant marked by long waits, food reminds of county fair

By CHRIS PAGE
Get Out

Wait: We arrived at 2 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday and were seated almost immediately in Cappotto’s empty dining room.

Service: Most attention was being paid to the modest Super Bowl party happening in the bar in the other room, and though our server made all the requisite deliveries and checkups with minimal fuss, we would have liked him to guide us through the menu a bit. It took a significant wait to get our check, too.

What we liked: You know you’re in trouble when the best part of the meal is the bread. Here, it’s a crunchy, nutmeggy loaf we snacked on throughout the otherwise plain-to- ghastly lunch. The lasagna was surprisingly tasteless and smooth- textured. My companion’s tortellini was undercooked. Whatever you do, avoid the crab cakes: Overfried on the outside, they have all the obnoxious crunch of county fair food; meanwhile, on the inside was gastro-detestable goop.

Scene: Capotto’s has the potential for a romantic vibe — dim lighting, walls accented with pillars and stonework — that was shattered during our visit, when someone in back turned on the stereo and blasted classic rock over our meal.

Bathroom break: The men’s bathroom is clean enough but quotidian — the kind of joint where you can learn about the nuances of champagne from the promotional poster hung on the wall like fine art, where the no-smoking sticker on the paper towel dispenser is there because it’s a regular problem.

Tab for two: $33 for tortellini ($10.25), lasagna ($7.25) and crab cakes ($8.25).

If work weren’t buying: There’s gotta be better Italian in A.J., right?

Cappotto’s Italian Deli & Grill
1075 S. Idaho Road, Apache Junction
Major cross streets: Broadway and Idaho roads
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 4 to 9 p.m. Sun.
Reservations accepted? Yes
Most recent health report: Not available
Kid friendly? Yes
Web site? No