Two Guys from Italy

Deciding on dinner is sometimes a chore. Craving something different than the average fare, trying to find a place that is not a chain and still has something for everyone. This time we decided to head over to Two Guys from Italy in Glendale. The restaurant had a bar taking up the front area of the restaurant, then you follow the hostess down a hall past the kitchen and into a large room filled with tables. There are probably not that many tables at all, maybe twenty, but the room seemed big because it was so long.

They didn't really have any tables available that were made for three, so they gave us a large circular table in the window. I was rather impressed that they even offered the big table as it always seems like restaurants are saving those in case a big party comes in. The restaurant was pretty full, almost every table was taken. The bar was completely full, and they had people coming in for takeout orders. I also observed the delivery people coming and leaving constantly throughout our dinner.

We received garlic bread and delicious homemade bruschetta topping on the side to start. This was a free appetizer. It far surpassed the regular plain bread with ice cold butter that is usually served while you wait. The tomatoes were incredibly flavorful with hints of garlic and basil.

The menu was pretty large covering the usual pasta, pizza, calzones, and sandwiches. I like to order the first thing that takes me by surprise or interests me. I noticed a pasta dish with eggplant and mozzarella cheese, and even after I scoured the menu, I ended up deciding on it. The thing is, I don't really like eggplant, but I have always wanted to like it, so I thought I'd give it a try. My fiance ordered a calzone and our other guest ordered the exact same thing as me, a personal pet peeve.

The pasta comes with a salad to start. I ordered it with the Italian dressing and was pleased to find the dressing to not be bottled Italian. It had the delicious pickling cucumbers which in my opinion have way more flavor, and garbanzo beans added a nice touch. After the salad and the unlimited garlic bread, I could have stopped eating before my entree even came.

The pasta came steaming hot and overflowing the dinner bowl.I waited before burning the roof of my mouth. The cheese was delicious and fresh and melted throughout the pasta. Unfortunately for my dislike of eggplant, the eggplant flavor came out really strong. The dish was filled with the vegetable. Despite my usual dislike for eggplant, I enjoyed the pasta--but I really ate most of it the next day.

The calzone was moon-shaped. While it tasted good, the toppings weren't evenly distributed throughout the crispy cooked crust.

Everyone was too full to even think about dessert, but they didn't force us to leave, they were content to have us sit as long as we wanted. We didn't stay too long, but it was late enough that I doubt our table filled afterward.










Two Guys from Italy
405 N. Verdugo
Glendale, CA 91206
Map