La Gondola dishes up Italian goodness in creamy pink sauce

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

The Food: Italian, with pastas, chicken and veal specialties, plus steak.

The Story: La Gondola has been a Mansfield mainstay for years, serving up Italian specialties. Dinners range from $12.75 for a plate of spaghetti to $$33 for an 8-ounce filet mignon.

We started with La Gondola Crab Cakes ($12), a pair of blue crab cakes served over greens with a side of mild tartar sauce. The cakes were lightly seasoned and coated in fine bread crumbs. The flavor of the crab came through, and it was fresh and delicious.

My house salad contained a green leaf lettuce, a pleasant alternative to the usual iceberg, with a couple of cherry tomatoes and a yummy creamy garlic house dressing.

I chose the salmon and shrimp ($26), the special on the Wednesday night we visited. The large, fresh salmon slice was topped with three fat shrimp and smothered in a creamy pink sauce. The salmon was flaky and delicious, as were the boiled potatoes on the side, but the asparagus was a little limp.

My dining companion opted for the Pollo Rollatino ($19), a chicken breast stuffed with ground sausage and swimming in the same creamy pink sauce with the same mixed vegetables on the side, plus giant mushrooms. The sausage was mild, but not sweet. The plate was a vivid mixture of a lot of flavors, with a lot going on with this meal.

La Gondola also has a dessert menu, featuring tiramisu, cannoli, crème brule and lemoncello cake, each for $7. We will be back for the lemoncello.

The Atmosphere: Tucked into a busy shopping center on East Debbie Lane, La Gondola anchors a row of shops and even has some outdoor seating. Indoors, the place is warm and welcoming with soft, neutral colors and woodwork. The large room is broken up with half-wall dividers that give diners some privacy. A full bar lines the restaurant’s east wall.

The Details: 1211 E. Debbie Lane; 4-9 p.m. daily; full bar; lagondolamansfield.com; 685-518-1235

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