The Temer family enjoys pizza and dinner at Junior's. Pictured are Jeff and Astrid.

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by Lin Stone

Before my teenage daughter Scarlett and her friend Annie went to a dance on Saturday evening, I corralled them into joining me for dinner at Junior's Italian in Colchester. Mum's offer of pizza was not a tough sell. However, to accommodate the girls' plans we had to go early. We pulled into Junior's parking lot at about 5:30 p.m. and were surprised to see that it was slightly difficult to find a place to park. I speculated about a group gathering, such as a post-football game celebration or a birthday party. But I was wrong. It was simply filled with an array of hungry diners. When we walked over to the hostess she queried, "Do you have a reservation?" I was astonished: a reservation is required at 5:30 p.m. at a pizzeria? I was obviously in for quite a surprise. In addition to the bustling take-out counter there was a full bar and two busy dining rooms. And I could see why. As we were being led to one of the few open tables, temptation surrounded us: pale warm sienna walls, Adriatic blue tabletops, bottles of Chianti in the racks, the smell of rosemary and bread baking, and large prints of Tuscany adorning the walls.

It was already a great escape and we had not even seen the menu yet.

Then we discovered what many of you might have already known: Junior's is not just about the pizza. There were a dozen different Italian seafood dishes, including fresh mussels, calamari, and shrimp; some were served in white wine, lemon, and caper piccata sauce, some in hot and spicy pomadoro sauce, and others in a pink pesto sauce with basil and pine nuts and a dash of both marinara and cream. There were five separate veal dishes offered, from traditional veal parmigiana, to veal sautéed in a marsala demi glace with mushrooms. Chicken was served 11 different ways and included a chicken Riviera in a rich Dijon cream sauce with sundried tomato and basil, sorrentino with thin chicken cutlets baked in a red sauce layered with cheeses and eggplant. And of course, there was plenty of pasta. There were six different shapes of pasta offered with, I kid you not, a choice of 15 different sauces. Additionally, there were nine different baked pasta specialties. By now, we had forgotten to look at the pizza menu. House-made rosemary foccacia and Parmesan breadsticks arrived on the table warm, and I had a pleasant glass of a Super Tuscan. Annie ordered penne in a vodka cream sauce with prosciutto, onions, and mushrooms pan-tossed with marinara. The flavors were balanced just right: the cream muted the acidity of the tomatoes, and the marinara lightened and brightened the cream as the prosciutto added texture and spice. Scarlett's chicken piccata was succulent and light with zesty Mediterranean flavors: lemon, white wine, and capers. I ordered the house special for the evening, a flank steak stuffed with spinach and roasted red peppers and topped with a marsala mushroom sauce served with tendrils of carrots and slender green beans. The entire meal was a warm and hearty surprise on this cool November evening and the portions were so generous that we each had to take half of our dinners home. The same enormous generosity followed with the girls shared desserts: I swear there were a dozen zeppollis, little snowballs of sugared fried dough served with raspberry and chocolate dipping sauce, and a 3 x 4 toll house brownie bar with nearly half a pint of vanilla ice cream drizzled with warm fudge sauce. Annie and Scarlett each took three bites and had to surrender because they wanted to be able to dance all night.

Now as you can well understand Junior's is not all about the pizza; however, on the other hand, it is always about the pizza too. As we walked out of the restaurant I bumped into several acquaintances, some dining, and others getting pizza to go. I asked each one of them how often they come to Junior's and what is their favorite food on the menu. Hands down, they all said they usually stop by weekly to pick up Junior's Long Island style pizza, (thin crispy crust, lots of sauce and cheese), and then perhaps once a month or so they like to sit down and have a full Italian dinner. The restaurant was filled with couples on dates, friends having dinner, families with children, and teenagers getting pizzas to go. The next time I venture north for dinner at Junior's, I'll play it safe and make a reservation. Juniors Italian, 85 South Park Drive, Colchester (exit 16), reservations 655-0000; take out or delivery, 655-5555; or Frankie Junior's on 176 Main Street, Burlington, 862-1234.