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radio MILANO
3950 East Campbell Road | 602-956-6600
Hours: 5 p.m. - 11p.m Nightly

               Glancing around the open space of the Arcadia area’s newest hotspot, I feel like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. If only my companion looked more like Gregory Peck, well never mind… 
        The interior of the restaurant is part urban, with its exposed gray brick walls and wood arched ceiling, intermingled with mid-century style tables and chairs that lends of feeling of those 1950’s Hollywood films made around European locales with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
        A framed vintage Italian radio ad and black pop-art prints contribute to that feeling, accented by the perfect blend of background music from the era such as Dean Martin’s That’s Amore.
One entire side of the menu is devoted to a myriad of classic cocktails ($10 each) like the Gibson or more interesting offerings like blood orange champagne. There is also an ample selection of mostly Italian wines along with some European beers.
        Appetizers here are meant to be shared and arrive at the table accompanied by empty plates for each diner.
        The Radio Chopped Tricolore Salad ($9) was a plentiful crunchy mix of greens and halved grape tomatoes tossed in a tart oil dressing.
        We also shared the Roman Artichoke with Toasted Bread Crumbs ($10). The steamed thistle was conveniently cut down the middle, artfully displayed with one half upright and the other resting on its side along with a delicious herbed dipping sauce.
         I have always thought artichokes were a lot of work, scraping one’s teeth along the leaf for such a tiny bit of meat at the bottom. But since these leaves had a coating of delectable garlicky bread crumbs clinging to them, the pay off was well worth the journey.
        We promised ourselves next time we would try the Made-to-Order Potato Chips with Sea Salt ($5) or the Eggs Diavola ($5), six deviled egg halves beautifully presented on a wooden serving plank.
Companion’s entrée of Sautéed Clams with Grilled Crostini in Seafood Broth ($15) was a bowl brimming with clams atop a large piece of untoasted crostini bread soaking up the briny broth, while a second toasted hunk of crostini rested on top of the shells. Companion proclaimed that each meaty clam was succulent and juicy.
I was tempted to choose the cutely titled Meatballs with Some Spaghetti ($12), but opted instead for the Polpetone Italian Meatloaf with Wild Mushrooms ($14).
Moist and stuffed with large pieces of mushroom, the thick slab rested next to a bevy of beautiful miniature carrots, the entire plate drizzled with a light beef gravy
        The nice thing about radioMilano’s shared appetizers and downsized entrees, is that you will leave just enough room for dessert. We shared a serving of Chocolate Budino ($7), chilled dark chocolate pudding served in a glass bowl on top of a matching chocolate colored napkin and topped with a browned wiggle of espresso-flavored meringue.
        Better yet, was the Olive Oil Cake with Housemade Jam & Thickened Cream ($7). The dense, sweet slice was infused with the flavor of citrus and felt like several desserts in one—tasty bite of cake plain (yummm!), then a bite dipped in blackberry jam, perhaps just the cake with a spot of cream, then a taste of cake with both jam and cream, oh my—I forgot about sharing this dish with companion.
        Whoops! Maybe if you looked more like Cary Grant…. I might have remembered you were sitting next to me.