Manducatis Rustica

We’ve visited most of the Long Island City restaurants around the Vernon Blvd area. We had stopped by Blend on the Water hopefully for a walk-in, but there was already a wait. We’ve walked by Manducatis Rustica several times, and we figured it was worth a shot to see if they can take us. When we arrived, there was hardly anyone there. They told us that they had garden seating, so we opted for that.

Ambiance

The restaurant interior felt rustic although a little dated. It had that very strong mom and pops feel to it. The tables inside were all spaced wide apart from each other, and the lighting was dim. The garden at the back of the restaurant has a small fountain, and we sat at a corner table that faces the air conditioner. My partner very much liked the outdoor decor here, but that was probably because mosquitos enjoyed ravaging me.

Food

The left was simply a Stella beer, which is a popular Belgium pilsner.

The right was a negroni, which had gin, vermouth, and Campari.

They gave us complimentary bread with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and parmesan on the side in small plastic containers. This came room temperature, and tasted fine with the oil and vinegar dip.

The chicken parmesan came with spaghetti and San Marzano tomatoes. The chicken had a consistency of being frozen, and the breading wasn’t crispy at all. Nevertheless, the chicken itself tasted reasonable if you lowered your expecations. The spaghetti was definitely overcooked. The sauce was pretty good though it’s a fairly standard San Marzano sauce that also tasted similar to those from a can. Overall, the chicken was kind of how you would expect. There was nothing that was mind blowing.

The berkshire pork chop came with braised Tuscan kale, grilled peach, and red onion jam. This was pretty decent. The pork chop had a good crust on it, though slightly overcooked and a tad dry. The first thought that came to my head was that the berkshire pork chop could’ve been cooked a bit better with a better sauce. The red onion jam was pretty much how you wuold expect, but there wasn’t enough. The grilled peach was probably the worst part of this dish as it was a little tart and not soft at all.

Final Verdict

Overall this restaurant is a pretty no frills Italian restaurant. Their garden is pretty nice provided you are not a mosquito magnet. The food itself is pretty standard Italian frills which is a decent alternative in Long Island City.

Yelp Jabs

The chicken parm was a must get.

No, it’s definitely not a must get. The thoughts that were coming across my mind was “upscale frozen dinner”. It’s alright if you like spongy chicken textures.

The food was impeccable.

When an Elitist uses this word on a pretty middle of the road restaurant, it is as if they had no tastebuds. I don’t think the food was terrible, but it was certainly no where near impeccable.