Restaurant Review: Larco's Italian Chophouse, Troy, Michigan

We decided to celebrate the upcoming shedding of our youngest child, who was going back to college, with dinner at Larco's Italian Chophouse in Troy. Located on Big Beaver Road between Rochester Road and Livernois, Larco's is only one of a stable of great steak houses stretched along Big Beaver. These include Morton's of Chicago, Ruth's Chris and Shula's, but Larco's is the only one that leans toward its Italian roots.

Unlike the other three big guns in the steak world that are housed in office buildings or hotel, Larco's is located in an attractive, stand-alone building. The dark interior, spacious dining room and trendy bar area make this restaurant popular for destination dining and milestone celebrations.

We had reservations, but even on a Friday night, the restaurant was busy but not crowded. Immediately, several wait staff came by to inquire what type of water we wanted and were we ready to place drink orders. Overall, the service was excellent, although our waiter was a bit on the abrupt side.

While we were waiting, we were treated to a bread basket and plate of cheese and olives.

The bread here is hearty, soft and to die for.

For an appetizer, we chose the calamari and bruschetta. The calamari arrived piping hot and garnished with hot yellow peppers. The bruschetta components were served separately: the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar served on one side of the plate, and the Italian bread freshly toasted on the other side. Both appetizers were delicious.

It is hard to make a choice, but we managed to narrow it down. For dinner, my husband had the grilled rib eye with a side of mushrooms, served with their signature potatoes Anna. The steak was perfectly prepared and potatoes, which are in a cream sauce, were good. My daughter decided on the pasta Alfredo topped with chicken. I have to insert here that the pasta dishes normally do not have meat, but she asked for the dish to be topped with chicken, and they did a great job making the adjustment. I had the Veal Chop Barolo, which is accompanied by a mushroom ragout and roasted red potatoes. The chop was a generous portion, prepared a perfect medium rare, and the mushroom ragout was wonderful.

Dinnertime entrees aren't what one would call inexpensive. The veal chop is $38, the grilled rib eye steak $30, and the pasta Alfredo $20. Dinners do come with choice of soup or salad (there is tableside Caesar salad for an additional sum). We chose the clam chowder, and it arrived hot and full of clams and chopped vegetables in a deliciously flavored soup. Dinners are also accompanied by a side pasta with Larco's signature Bolognese sauce, which is one of the best restaurant red sauces in the Detroit area.

You can't go wrong choosing any of the pasta dishes. The steaks are great, and the Italian specialties are hearty and tasty. There is an extensive wine list, featuring a wide selection of Italian wines, as well as others from California, Oregon and France. The dinners were so satisfying on our last visit that we didn't have room for dessert!

Larco's also provides catering and private dining options, and there is the sister location in West Bloomfield. To make a reservation, call 248.680.0066.

Larco's Italian Chophouse

645 E. Big Beaver Road

Troy, Michigan 48083

248.680.0066

Also taking reservations online at:

www.larcositalian.com