Mannino's: Pizza Joint Extraordinaire

Mannino's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant on West Trenton Avenue in Morrisville, Pennsylvania is a "pizza-joint" extraordinaire, offering both take-out and in-house dining. Upon entering the restaurant, you notice the style is similar to traditional American pizza parlors, however, by glancing to your right, you'll notice a small, cozy dining area set aside to enjoy both their pizzas and their delicious dinner menu.

The pizza menu is quite extensive. There is the classic Round Pizza, available with any combination of toppings including sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, ham, green peppers, onion, black olives, spinach, broccoli, pineapple, steak, shrimp clams, eggplant and fresh garlic. They also offer a wide selection of Gourmet Pizzas, that can often be found available by the slice during lunch time, such as White Pizza that's served with fresh garlic and an abundance of cheese, and can be topped with fresh broccoli or spinach. Another variety of sauce-less pizza is their White Hawaiian Pizza, complete with ham, pineapple and ricotta cheese. There's also a mouth-watering White Vegetarian Pizza, covered in fresh veggies such as broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic. Their Tomato Pie keeps us coming back again and again; it's fresh cooked with spices and olive oil, tomatoes, fresh garlic, onions and Parmesan cheese. Other specialty pizzas include the Buffalo Chicken Pizza, a spicy blend of chicken, hot sauce, Bleu cheese and mozzarella, the Meat Lover's Pizza chock full of sausage, ham, meatballs, pepperoni, cheese and sauce, The BBQ Chicken Pizza which is a lovely arrangement of chicken and BBQ sauce with a surprising kick of smoky bacon. Lastly, their Chicken Parmigiana Pizza is a special treat, covered in breaded chicken, mozzarella cheese and a delicious, hearty tomato sauce.

Other good selections for lunch or a quick take-out dinner would be any of the Hot or Cold Sandwiches. Hot Sandwiches in this local area tend to be a Philadelphia Cheesesteak, but Mannino's takes it one step further with offerings such as the Mushroom Steak, the Pepper Steak and the Mannino's Special, which is a cheesesteak featuring pepperoni, peppers, mushroom, fried onions and tomato sauce. Other cheesesteak varieties include a Cheesesteak Hoagie, a traditional Steak with Fried Onions and a Pizza Steak, which is my personal pick; it's a steak covered in mozzarella and tomato sauce, then turned into a "grinder", which by definition means to put the sandwich into the pizza oven for a few minutes so the roll get crispy and the cheese melted and warm.

Other Hot Sandwich selections include Sausage, Meatball, Veal and Chicken Parmigiana sandwiches as well as sub sandwiches of the same varieties. Mannino's stombolis and calzones would make a great lunch but expect leftovers, as they are quite large and quite filling. Another good lunch pick would be one of their hamburgers; each burger is served with French fries.

Cold Sandwiches include a huge range of hoagies, including Italian, American, Ham and Cheese, Tuna, Roast Beef and Turkey. They also serve a selection of wraps such as a Chicken Caesar or Turkey Club Wrap, as well as Tony's Wrap, which is a tasty combination of eggplant, roasted peppers and fresh mozzarella cheese.

Any selection of appetizer, side order, soup or salad would be a good addition to lunch or dinner, but many could be lunch or a light dinner by themselves. Appetizers include Brushetta, Fried Calamari, Mussels or Clams and Mozzarella Caprese, a platter of roasted peppers and fresh mozzarella drizzled with Mannino's special dressing. The selection of salads range from a traditional garden salad, Chicken Caesar salad, Chef Salad and my son's favorite, the Italian salad which is a mix of lettuce tomatoes, onions, olives, hot peppers and fresh mozzarella tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

If you're stopping in for dinner, feel free to bring your own wine, but they do serve a complimentary glass with each entrée. Entrées include a huge, diverse selection of pasta dishes such as Alla Carbonara, which is served with a sauce of proscuitto and ham, parsley, eggs, butter and Parmesan cheese. Other sauce choices are Butter and White Romano Cheese and White Sauce Sauté, a pleasant broccoli, garlic and Romano cheese sauce as well as more traditional tomato, marinara, meat, Alfredo, garlic and oil and red or white clam sauce.

The Stuffed Pasta dishes and the Homemade Baked Specialties are so fabulous. Favorites include Baked Stuffed Shells, Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce, Sicilian Style Baked Ziti, a wonderful blend of ricotta and Parmesan cheese and ground sausage. Mannino's Combo Trio is a great way to taste a few of the baked dishes as it includes ravioli, manicotti and stuffed shells. We also love the Chicken Marsala, Chicken Cacciatore as well as the Veal Piccatta and Parmigiana. The menu also includes a variety of seafood dishes such as Fr Diavolo, a spicy blend of shrimp and scallops in a fiery marinara sauce and Stuffed Flounder, bursting with crabmeat and smothered in a lemon sauce and served with spaghetti or the fresh veggie of the day.

Even the kids will find something they love at Mannino's. The Children's Menu offers quite a few pasta options with kid friendly sauces, such as marinara or butter and cheese. They also offer child size portions of soup, ravioli, tortellini and stuffed shells.

Mannino's prices are fair, their portions are large and the staff is very friendly. If you decide to dine in the restaurant, be sure to bring your own wine as the staff does not rush you through your meal, you will be free to enjoy the company of your family and friends.