Wauk Wednesday: Matteo's Italian Ristorante

Although Matteo's is a little off the beaten path in Waukesha, off of Hwy 164 and Sunset Dr. by Minooka Park, it certainly has quite the following as it's been in business for over 17 years. I stumbled upon this restaurant about 6 years ago while going on a first date with a guy. It was both of our first times there and we were glad we picked the place. And although that relationship didn't pan out (we are still friends to this day), I have turned many others onto the place, including my parents and they have made it a go-to restaurant.

I met my parents and grandma there last week Friday. We were looking for a place that would have something we would all like as well as a place that my grandma could easily navigate with her walker, as well as carry on a conversation without yelling across the table. We were sat at a large corner booth, my grandma's favorite and then started the hard decision of choosing our entrees.

My dad is a sucker for the calzones and orders one almost every time he goes there. They are gigantic (look at hand to calzone ratio in the picture!) and made to order, and I think that is my dad's favorite part. He went for the Matteo's special this time and although claimed to have had a large lunch, he still managed to down the entire calzone. My dad orders a side of sauce to go with it to dip the "crust" of the calzone in and says that is one of the best parts - good dough Matteo's!

Matteo's Special Calzone

I, on the other hand, love all Italian cuisine and always have a hard time even slimming it down. I went for the stuffed shells this time and they did not disappoint. Although the ricotta and spinach filling wasn't as creamy as the way my mom makes it, the shells were still stuffed to the brim and full of flavor. I did get a cup of their delicious clam chowder (perfect veggie to clam to base ratio) to start and after that and two slices of warm, crusty bread, I could only manage to finish half my meal. Leftovers :)

Matteo's Stuffed Shells

My mom got the Sicilian Cod (as it was Friday and she loves her some fish fry) and it was two lovely pieces of baked cod with Matteo's signature sauce over the top and manicotti on the side. She cleaned her plate and said the fish was cooked perfectly.

Sicilian Cod - sorry for the poor lighting

My grandma ordered the lasagna and when half the pan arrived in front of her, we all knew we would be having leftovers for lunch. Even though my grandma eats like a bird, this portion would possibly topple even the largest of appetites. Her meal came with soup or salad and she chose the Italian-style chili, which she really enjoyed (mmmmm was all we heard from her) but filled up on, so lots of the lasagna came home.

Matteo's huge lasagna

Of course my grandma had a room for a dish of spumoni ice cream, that again she raved about and had no problem finishing. That woman could live on sweets if we let her!

One of Matteo's specialties is 'za! (Pizza for those that didn't get my slang) Order it for your table or carryout (already baked or take 'n bake) and it seems to be quite the business. While we were walking in, three pizzas were walking out the door to three separate guests. I can't say that I have personally had their pizzas, but my parents are big fans and lots of the tables order pizza each time I'm there.

They also have take and bake entrees on their menu - lasagna, manicotti, shells Florentine, spaghetti and mostaciolli that can serve anywhere from 4 - 10 people and come with bread and salad. This is a great option to think about for the holidays and all those upcoming parties. Just give them 24 - 48 hours notice please!

Matteo's decor is very warm and inviting. They have a small bar just off the host area with some high top tables and a few booths. This is divided from part of the dining room by a half wall. There is a large fire place in the middle of the dining room that also works as a divider to make the back room more private for large parties if needed.

The staff is always friendly and makes sure that you get everything you could want and more and leave smiling and wanting to come back soon. 

There are nightly specials every night and it looks like coupons are available on occasion on its website as well. I highly recommend Matteo's if you are in need of an Italian fix and want to try somewhere new. And if it's already a favorite of yours, then you know just what I'm talking about.

Happy Eating!