Sugo Modern Italian Bistro Delivers

My love for Italian food began in my early childhood, so when Sugo Modern Italian Bistro opened up March 4 in Cuyahoga Falls, I was beyond excited to taste the wide variety of dishes they offered.

The small restaurant is intimate and romantic; lit candles sit on top of every table, music plays softly in the background and the lights are dimmed to create a cozy atmosphere.

I also noticed the restaurant caters to sports fans, providing ample bar seating and a flat-screen television, which probably has been rigged to stay on ESPN.

The wait staff was wonderful, and chef and owner Louis Prpich did a wonderful job in ensuring the bistro is enticing to everyone.

"I want people to be comfortable when they come here," Prpich said earlier this week. I think Prpich did a wonderful job in that aspect. A diverse clientele inhabited the restaurant last night; I saw people casually dressed in construction boots and jeans enjoying a beer and some bar food, as well as a woman wearing a cocktail dress enjoying a date with her significant other.

My experience was nearly flawless, but with one major drawback to my evening: it took over an hour for the main course to reach my table. I understand it was opening night and, according to one waitress, they were "still working out the kinks," but I was starving when my osso bucco was finally set down in front of me.

However, the food was well worth the wait. To begin my night of Italian bliss, I ordered Ahi tuna ribs, which Chef Prpich suggested himself. I have had Ahi tuna many times before, and I have always thought it was tasty, but Prpich's spin won first place in my book. It was the most delicious Ahi tuna I have eaten in my entire life, blended perfectly with just the right amount of spice and counteracted with the sweetness of the gorgonzola in crema.

For my main course, I ordered osso bucco, which Sugo serves with a little twist. My dinner date ordered braciole.

The osso bucco is served on two different plates: on the first plate, you recieve roasted marrow with vegetables and grilled ciabata bread. The combination was wonderful, and I can now add marrow to the list of foods I have tried and loved.

The second part of the meal was just as deliciqous as the first—only more filling. Stuffed veal on top of a bed of risotto Milanese, a classic Italian dish that Prpich's imagination took to new heights.

While my dinner date devoured her braciole, I risked death and managed to snag a few bites. Although I was partial to my osso bucco, her meal was also extremely tasty and very traditional— pasta with two giant sausage meatballs.

So will I go to Sugo Modern Italian Bistro again? Most definitely.