Roma Cafe


Editor's Review
For made-from-scratch Italian food and atmosphere that seems right out of "The Godfather," try Roma Cafe. You'll be delighted by the cozy ambience and the courtly, Italian-accented waiters who don tuxedos to take your order. The business started as a boarding house in 1890, but quickly expanded to include a restaurant after the Marazza family matriarch's reputation for Italian cooking had the public clamoring for a taste. Today Roma Cafe is the oldest operating restaurant in Detroit. The menu is extensive, with more than a dozen pasta dishes as well as plenty of veal, chicken, seafood and vegetarian entrees. Naturally, you'll find the favorites here -- lasagna, tortellini with meat sauce, eggplant Parmagiana and chicken scaloppini Marsala -- but you can also sample frog legs, polenta and sauteed sweetbreads. Pricewise, there are no surprises. Pasta dishes are in the $14 to $15 range and seafood, chicken and veal entrees hover between $18 and $25. If you aren't in the mood for Italian, there are several steak and beef options.
