As we all know there is no shortage of great italian food in Western Mass. It seems that every town has its signature italian place. Living in Agawam there are a couple great italian spots and one of those is Michael's Pasta in the Pan.
Michael's Pasta in the Pan is just that - delicious pastas served right in the pan that they are cooked in. The serving of the pasta right in the pan means that nothing gets "lost in translation" so to speak from pan to serving platter. You capture every bit of flavor without missing a drop of olive oil or a piece of garlic. Yum yum!
The atmosphere is scenic with a view of the Connecticut River out the front windows. Lots of seating for groups from two to twenty so whether you are out for a date or going out with a group you will easily be accomodated. The restaurant is softly lit with white twinkle lights and candles on the table giving it a cozy and romantic feel and the moment you walk in the door you begin smelling the sweet aromas of garlic. A nice size bar with a wide selection of beer, wine, and spirits. They even have live entertainment in the bar area which was a nice touch.
This was my first trip to Michael's. I had heard rave reviews from my boyfriend as he goes there often for lunch so we decided to make a date out of it. We started off our meal with a couple of appetizers. We had the Golden Fried Calamari which was crispy and spicy tossed with a sweet jalapeno and mango sauce. Definitely not your standard calamari. We also had the Artichokes Franchaise which were hearts of artichoke with white wine, butter and capers. Both appetizers were delicious and large enough to share with a group and both were reasonably priced at $8.99.
For my entree I orderd the Chicken Gorgonzola. Gorgonzola cheese, as you will find out as my posts continue, is my weaknesss. I had never tried it before moving here and once I did give it a try I was absolutely hooked and found myself ordering anything and everything GORGONZOLA! My partner in crime (aka "the boyfriend") ordered the Chicken Mississippi. All entrees come with a starter salad and of course bread and butter. The bread was perfect. Warm, firm on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. Dangerous. The salad was pretty standard but the parmesan peppercorn dressing definitely perked it up.
My entree was quite good, however I was a little dissapointed with the amount of gorgonzola cheese as I was expecting it to be very cheesy and it was more so sprinkled with gorgonzola. Other than that the entree was great with red peppers, garlic, and tender pieces of marinated chicken. The Chicken Mississippi which was described on the menu as "spinach and roasted red peppers in a jalapeno cream sauce was right on target. Entrees are a little on the pricier side with most entrees priced at $15.95 and up but the portions are large and we both took home to go boxes.
On a side note the one thing that you will most certainly find at Michael's Pasta in the Pan is that they LOVE the garlic. I guarantee after a trip to Michael's there will be no secret as to where you have been. As a matter of fact, I can always tell when Andy (aka "the boyfriend" and "partner in crime" ) has been there for lunch because I can smell him from a mile away. Just thought that it should be noted to prevent any embarrassing post dinner breath moments.
Make sure that you save room for dessert, they have a large display case of different desserts that change from night to night so you are sure to find a special treat. I debated between the Chocolate Mousse Cake and the Snickers Bar Cheesecake and finally decided on the cheeesecake (these are the really tough decisions in life) which was decadent with chocolate, caramel and rich cheesecake.
The service was friendly and our server was very attentive to us despite the fact that the whole restaurant was full. Reservations are not required but they do accept them so it never hurts to call.
I will definitely be headed back to Michael's Pasta in the Pan and I hope that you will check it out too!
Michael's Pasta in the Pan
395 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
http://www.michaelspastainthepan.com/
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