DINING OUT: Caruso’s Brick Oven Trattoria

by Walter Bender

On the border of Souderton, Caruso’s has become a local tradition. Executive Chef Gaetano Chiaro and his son Joseph have a wonderful Italian restaurant, offering classic Italian dishes as well as some terrific specials.

I went to Caruso’s with a very large group of people, after the final performance of dcp’s ODD COUPLE. The cast was hungry, thirsty and very rowdy, and Kim and the rest of the wait staff were ready and able to handle all of our needs. Soups and salads appeared quickly (no one ordered from the extensive appetizer menu, but the Caprese is on my radar for my next visit.) The Paste e Fagioli was fantastic, the strong broth accompanied by the traditional beans and pasta. Salads were fresh and made to order. Together with the home made bread and fresh olive oil to dip it in, we were all off to a fine start. Entrees included Veal Parmigiana (my choice), Chicken Parm, Gnocchi in a blush sauce, and the special of the day, a veal chop in a marsala sauce, smothered in mushrooms with a side of rigatoni. There were a couple younger eaters with us who enjoyed a more traditional spaghetti and meat balls. Comments at the table were all very favorable, and the dishes I tasted were wonderful. (If you go and the veal chop is on the menu, I strongly recommend it!) The meal was very filling, but in the interests of giving you all a proper review I “forced” myself to have their Lobster Tail dessert. The Lobster Tail is one of Chef Gaetano’s creations, a layered filled pastry with chocolate drizzled over top. It is light, very tasty, and a highlight of the meal. Kim told us that this dessert is very popular, with dozens of the tasty pastry needing to be prepared daily!

Checking their menu, the lunch selection features Neopolitan pizzas where you can pick your own combination of toppings from their large list, Focaccia sandwiches, and an express pasta menu. Both lunch and dinner selections are very reasonably priced. The restaurant is BYOB, but there is no corkage fee…bring your favorite wine and enjoy a fabulous meal.

Side note…if you are a gelato fan, the Ciaro’s have opened a second restaurant down the street, The Red Tomato, which features the frozen dessert among other dishes. A future Dining Out column will cover this restaurant. For now, if you are heading out to the Souderton area make your reservations for this fine establishment.

Check out this awesome commercial for Caruso’s!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOuVbSMdubo

Caruso’s Brick Oven Trattoria
424 North Main Street
Souderton, PA 18964-1630
(215) 799-1312 for reservations and information
www.carusobrickoven.com

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1 comment

Rita Fischer March 6, 2011 - 6:55 pm

My husband and I “stumbled across” Caruso’s one night while looking for a place to eat. We were greeted with friendly smiles and a warm welcome from everyone in the restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious from appetizers, soup, salad, the entree and, of course, the desserts! We knew immediately that we had found “our restaurant.” We visit there as often as possible, usually weekly and sometimes more than that. I/we have enjoyed many lunches as well as dinners at Caruso’s and have brought family members and friends along so that they could also enjoy the warm family environment and the DELICIOUS food! We’ve held special dinner parties at Caruso’s, some small gatherings and my husband’s 50th surprise party as well and our guests still talk about how much they enjoyed their experience at Caruso’s. We recently visited friends from out of town, a couple invited to my husband’s 50th who plan to spend a weekend with us in the summer and their only request is that we take them back to Caruso’s!!! This year, we started a new tradition by spending New Year’s Eve with family members at Caruso’s and plan on continuing that tradition for years to come! The entire wait staff, especially Kim, Franco and Barb, make for a very pleasant experience..no one does it better! From our family to the Caruso family, thank you for providing the area’s BEST restaurant and for making us a part of your family!

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