The Rocket

Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Focus

East Wind Restaurant
1418 Butler Ave.
New Castle, Pa. 16101

Conveniently located just off Route 422, the East Wind Restaurant specializes in Italian, Arabic and American foods. The large variety is sure to appeal to any appetite.

Claiming to be the oldest restaurant in Lawrence County, the 42-year-old establishment, a quaint restaurant and bar, offers a quiet, beautiful setting for dining.

FOOD

My guest and I decided to share an appetizer of potato skins. The starter consisted of five halves of baked potatoes filled with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits. They also came with a small side of sour cream.

Unfortunately, the potato skins were a little dry and the sour cream just wasn't enough. I was also disappointed with the bacon bits. Overall, the appetizer was OK but would have been better if it had real bits of bacon.

I decided to try one of the weekly specials, the pepperoni casserole, accompanied by a dinner salad and a basket of bread. This dish came as a plate of penne noodles covered with East Wind's special homemade tomato sauce. It was topped with melted provolone cheese and had a few hidden pepperoni slices under the sauce. I was a little unsatisfied when I didn't find the two meatballs that the menu promised. I was also surprised that the meal was more of a platter of pasta rather than the usual serving shape you expect from a casserole.

My guest chose the grilled chicken breast sandwich-which is pretty hard to mess up-and East Wind did a great job. The chicken came on a fresh homemade roll with a side of french fries. The sandwich came standard with lettuce and tomato. The side of ranch gave the ordinary sandwich some extra flavor.

PRICES

The prices were mostly moderate with a few that were on the upper end of the price scale. Appetizers started at $2.25 for kibbee (ground lamb and cracked wheat with onions and spices) and the rest were less than $6, except the wings, which were $7 per dozen and $9 for a sampler platter.

All of the salads (steak, lamb or chicken) were $9. The wide variety of dinners ranged anywhere from $10 to $19. The Italian specialties included all the Italian favorites and cost anywhere from $9 to $12, while fish dinners averaged $12.50. The two veal choices were $14 each.

They also offered lamb and beef dishes from $12 for petite filet or top sirloin to $19 for a double serving of lamb, which includes about 14 pieces, served with pepper sauce, Syrian bread and garlic sauce.

Entrees of fried chicken, roast beef or chicken miswa were all $10. Sandwiches were all less than $8 and $1 off every day from 11a.m. to 4 p.m.

The restaurant also features both nightly and weekly specials.

ENVIRONMENT

The atmosphere was very inviting. I really wasn't sure what to expect by the name of the place or after I took a quick look at the restaurant's Web site before my visit. We walked into a small waiting hall with a coat rack on the wall.

The main dining room was welcoming, with nicely upholstered chairs and booths. It was well lit and had stylish mirrored panels on the walls. The railing behind the booths had grapevine decorations intertwined with lights that gave the room an elegant touch.

There was a small smoking section behind the dining room and a bar behind that. The dining room was rather quiet. Some music could be heard coming from the bar. The room could have used its own music to liven it up just a bit.

The shabby ceiling tiles could stand to be updated and the paper placemats remind you that you're still in a small-town eatery. But for the most part, the restaurant was classier than I expected.

SERVICE

The waitress wasn't exactly super-friendly. But then again, it was getting late during this particular visit, as we were her last customers and she had probably been there a while. She did her job well. Our food came on time and she checked on us frequently to make sure everything was OK.

The food was great, but I was displeased to find no dessert menu. They had advertised in the menu and on the table that there would be homemade pies…next week. But no worries, as it was nothing a quick stop at Dairy Queen couldn't fix.

THE BOTTOM LINE

East Wind Restaurant presents a relaxed atmosphere and moderate prices. I loved that there was such a wide variety of food to pick from.

I would recommend this restaurant for a good sit-down meal, like a Sunday lunch, a peaceful dinner with friends or even a quiet dinner date.

Meagan Gribbin is a junior communication major and the advertising manager for The Rocket.

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