Johnny Carino?s Earns Four-Star Lunch Review

Scottsdale Center has become the restaurant mecca of Benton County. And after our latest trip to the ever-growing business park, Johnny Carino’s at 535 N. 46th St. in Rogers has become the center of attention for a couple of our diners.

We went during the lunch rush and the place was packed, but we were entertained by a friendly wait staff and even moreso by the on-goings in the kitchen. In fact, we finally had to ask our waitress what the cooks in the “country Italian” eatery were yelling each time they started near ceiling-high flames on the grill.

“Andiamo,” she interpreted, laughing as if to tell us we were not the first to inquire. “It means come quickly, food hot and ready to go in Italian.”

Andiamo it was.

The meal began with a basket of freshly basked large bread sticks that were so mouth-watering even Marlon Brando would have to beg for more. Well, all we really had to do was ask. The roasted garlic and olive oil for dipping the bread in tasted so good it seemed almost sinful to indulge as much as we did.

“I could have made a meal of that,” said one of the diners, who referred to the garlic and olive oil concoction as a “sopping” dip.

One diner ordered the Johnny’s “skilletini” ($7.50) with the spicy chicken and sausage combo. It is served in a sizzling black iron skillet and covered mightily with peppers and onions on a bed of spaghetti complete with a spicy marinara sauce.

“I can’t say I feel like I’m in Sicily chowing down with the Corleone family, but I doubt they were ever any more satisfied than I am right now,” said the diner. “The meal was near perfect.”

The second diner had had the chicken parmesan ($6). He called the entree “nothing earth-shaking, but good all the same.”

Other specialties at Johnny Carino’s include homemade lasagna ($6), which is 12 layers of pasta, cheese and meat. There’s also the Salvatore’s fish positano ($10), a filet of sautéed tilapia covered with green and black olives, garlic, capers and roma tomatoes in a white-wine and lemon-butter sauce served on a bed of angel-hair pasta.

There’s also such dishes as grilled Sicilian meatloaf ($7), timballo ($9), grilled chicken diavolo ($7), eggplant ptarmigan ($6), veal ptarmigan or scaloppini ($12 each), Tuscan ribeye ($14), spicy romano chicken ($9), penne gorgonzola ($6.50), chicken artichoke manicotti ($9) and many others.

Johnny Carino’s has six different Italian pizzas, including sausage cacciatore ($7), “margherita” ($6) and calzone of the day ($7).

There’s also ample supply of sandwiches, salads and appetizers.