Italian Connection the

I was not impressed. I made reservations and found a place to park in the virtually non-existent parking area, only to have the waiter take an eternity to serve us and forget to bring our drinks. The food was good, but it was not good enough to justify terrible service. I probably won't go back.

I first dined at this establishment back around 1990. We were here twice, although I cannot remember the specifics, both times left me with the desire to return for the wonderful service, atmosphere, and food.

Well, 20 yrs later the atmosphere is still wonderful, service is average, and the food quite poor. The House salads were premade, only consisted of shredded iceberg, and the dressing atrocious (some sort of thousand island/italian blend I think). The wine list was slim. I ordered the clam linguine and while the pasta was cooked very nicely the sauce was unremarkable. Our party also had the chicken parm and it appeared to be breaded and fried chicken fingers served with a bowl of pasta. . . again purely unremarkable.

This place is a Ft. Wayne gem. A great family restaurant with a warm, homey atmosphere and ultra-friendly staff, there's no better place in town for a homemade Italian meal.
    The pasta is fresh, and there's a decent little wine list with a good variety of Italian wines. The desserts are variable, but the gelato is a consistent winner.
    The gem that sets this place apart from all the rest is the Frank Sinatra karaoke performance put on by Alex, the chef and owner, toward the end of the evening after he's finished in the kitchen.  After the show, Alex walks around to talk with the diners. Nary a more fun eating experience!