Tried Puccini's today

I took my 2 teenagers here today on a whim. I was most pleasantly surprised at how good this new "chain" is. A spinach artichoke appetizer was delicious and was made with fresh spinach. I had spinach ravioli which tasted a lot like Lotsa Pasta's. The marinara sauce was fresh and homemade with fresh basil on top. They had 2 fat free dressings...mine was a very tasty Italian with a nice vinaigrette , no gummy fillers. DD had a delicious artichoke and tomato calzone...lunch size, not too huge and they make the crusts there...not too doughy like some. Other daughter had fettucino alfredo. The 3 meals, appretizer and bottomless soft drinks cost 31 dollars.
This place is hands down better than Fazoli's, Sbarro, etc. It fills a very nice niche....a place with dine-in or carryout in a pleasant atmosphere with very good prices. There are 2 varieties of pizza daily, one meat one vegetarian. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and you can get any sauce you like, including red and white clam. This is a perfect place for families and I have a feeling it will do very well.
http://puccinissmilingteeth.com/index.html

I'm afraid they win the award for the worst logo ever ...

I forgot to mention...the reason we were out and about was that they had dentist appointments earlier, LOL! So the "happy teeth" guffaw was not lost on us.

I've actually been using Puccini's in Indianapolis (86th Street location) for the last couple of months when I need to a lunch for a meeting. They do a really nice job and my team loves it.

The best thing is they pack everything very professionally to keep the food warm and they provide good serving utensils - something that amazes me about some of the establishments we've used for meetings.

The food is really good, fresh and its not like having pizza or subs brought in.

Where on Shelbyville Road is it?

Deb

Website indicates Shelbyville Plaza. I'm guessing they mean Shelbyville Road Plaza where Borders and Wild Oats is.

Thanks, Ed. I couldn't remember which of the plethera of shopping centers was Shelbyville Plaza. Good to know if we are in the area...

Deb

4600 Shelbyville Rd PH# 721-0170

I just had lunch there and would classify it as above average. I had the salad and a slice lunch special. The salad was fresh and crisp with tomato, iceburg, purple onion, carrot, green pepper, black olive and mozerella cheese. The italian dressing was light and flavorful. The pizza was also good. Today's meat slice was the Ultimate Warrior (pepperoni, sausage, black olives, onion, mushroom and green pepper). The crust was crisp enough to hold up the slice (which I like), the toppings were cooked well and the cheese proportioned right. It could have used a little more spice in the sauce, but that is my personal taste.

$6.50 inclusing a drink is hard to beat and I was compleely full when I finished. One of my co-workers had the meatball calzone which he enjoyed very much, another had an italian sub which he described as "good".

Service was attentive and friendly and the place seems very family oriented.

Nothing to rave about, but I'll definitely go back.

Should I assume they don't have wine or beer available?

Deb

They did have both beer and wine, including BBC Nut Brown and Kentucky Ale on tap and by the pitcher.

It was a lunch w/ co-workers so I didn't explore the lists closely. I doubt the wine list would be impressive.

The deserts did look interesting, especially the tiramisu and chocolate ganache cake.

Definitely expecting some inexpensive "house wine" but it's nice to know there is a least an option. I have a really hard time eating Italian food without some wine. Soda just seems (and tastes) wrong....

Thanks,
Deb

We took our kids (6 & 4) for dinner last night and we all thought it was pretty good. A nice option if you're in the area. We tried two different pizzas and and the artichoke, mushroom, tomato calzone. The only nit I have is I didn't see many mushrooms and tomatoes but the artichokes were plentiful. I tried the pizza leftovers today for lunch and it was good. Not Boombozz, but much better than the big chains in town. Huge selection of toppings too.

Next time I go back I'm going to try the entree side of the menu.

They did have a very short & generic wine list.

They have a pretty decent red sauce - or "gravy" as I learned how to describe it.
They are located where Payless Shoes used to be in Shelbyville Plaza.

It is almost as good as the cute little Italian place that used to be where Qdoba is now on Breckenridge Lane near Home Depot - can't remember the name but I do remember liking it.

The Italian Oven