Anyone know name of restaurant that moved into the old White House?? (Hamilton: live)

[mike1003]

I know that an Italian restaurant moved in. Cant find name or number.

Also, anyone tried it? How is the food and price??

[rrtechno]

Casa Bianca - Hamilton, OH

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by mike1003

I know that an Italian restaurant moved in. Cant find name or number.

Also, anyone tried it? How is the food and price??

Haven't tried it, but the name is Casa Bianca. The owner also owns Symmes Tavern in Fairfield. Telephone 513-860-0829.

The old White House Inn was one of our favorite places, particularly as a destination on Thanksgiving when we would just take the entire family there for a meal. Sometimes it was just the fact we had more people than we could possibly seat in our home.

It will seem strange eating Italian there. They need to decide what their niche will be.

Last night my brother and I took our wives to a Carrabas in Deerfield Twp. Frankly we thought it sucked. Brother commented recently he and the DIL had gone to a Bravo, also in Deerfield Twp. He said it more than sucked, it stunk.

But then he turned around and said some friends of theirs had induced them to a Bravo off Union Centre Blvd. He said the food was very well prepared, good, and the service excellent. Obviously this is two locations of the same chain. The only difference can be the local franchise owner and how seriously he takes his reputation and repeat business. I mention this simply since the Bravo off Union Centre is not very far from Casa Bianca off Mulhauser.

I hope the new owners of White House Inn identify what they will do to separate themselves from the pack. It is a large property on a large plot of ground.

[mike1003]

Thanks, we will try out Casa Bianca tomorrow

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by mike1003

Thanks, we will try out Casa Bianca tomorrow

Give us a review.

[mike1003]

Very good experience.

Reasonable prices. Wide range of dishes. My Lasagna was superb! (I ordered veal parm, but waitress suggested an alternate because they were still not satisfied with the veal)

MrsM and one of our friends had ravoli...both loved it

Friends wife had a filet that looked like it was 10-12 oz

While not Prima Vista or other well known Italian restaurants, Casa Bianca was heads above chains like Maggianno, Carrabas and Bocca de Pepo. Value, food and pricing was excellent

We had ample time to talk over drinks because several large parties hit at the same time. The manager came over and apologized and gave us desserts

With the drinks and coffee, none of us had appetizers since soup or salad was included. our bill was 41.00 and friend's was 45.00. We all left full. Will be back soon.

[kjbrill]

mike1003...

Thanks for the feedback. I am curious as to whether you could detect any intent to subdivide the place into different eating zones? It is rather large.

The original downstairs bar and tavern should be a natural for a casual pizza and calzone type place, especally if they install some flat screen TVs. The front dining room will serve well as a more dinner experience with the type of food you experienced. I hope they get their veal problem worked out, as veal parm and veal scallopini to me are musts for anything claiming to be an Italian restaurant beyond pizza.

I am assuming the 2nd floor dining space is not currently being used? It would be rather ambitious to just open up without an established name and fill that.

Here's hoping the owners do what is necessary to gain a reputation and clientele. There are many chain type Italian around today, but none I have made the second visit to. The exception is Olive Garden. Everyone can knock Olive Garden, but the fact is a family can eat there reasonably. I reminds me of Frisch's 60 years ago.

This includes Pitrelli's here in Mason, which is not a chain. I had a friend, a **** named Mike DeRosa, now passed, who practically lived at Pitrelli's, he was in love with the place. So finally I told the wife we would go and have dinner there. It was a weeknight, since I dislike weekend crowds. We decided to play it safe and order spaghetti and meatballs. Now what place calling itself Italian cannot make spaghetti and meatballs?

After being served we realized they had been fresh out of the freezer and were still cold. We complained to the waitress who took them back and had someone in the kitchen nuke them again. This time they came out overcooked and horribly dry, they did not even have enough sense to add some more sauce. The problem is any restaurant is subject to this, but so many fail to take corrective action. The owner/manager should be on the ball and state any complaints from the dining room comes to them first. They usually have a special of the day which is hopefully not frozen. The owner/manager should come out, address the customer, and say we are sorry but what you ordered is not on today's menu, will you accept this as a substitute? This did not happen on our visit. When I complained the 2nd time and nobody came out to inquire, was when I decided OK I have been here once, not again. I am a bit stubborn in that regard.

Frankly, I would rather have a Pizza Hut Pasta Dish instead of the majority of the other so-called true Italian chains, and that is not saying much. Of course I am the type of guy who still has Chef Boyardee on occasion when I just want a quick lunch.

If you try and tell me you are serving upscale Italian, fresh ingredients and all that for your inflated price, then it had better Damn well taste like it.

[mike1003]

There was a page of pizzas listed. As well as a page of appetizers. We were interested in full dinner.

As to the layout.

Pretty much same as White House. As you come in the front door there is seating in the small room (25-30 people or so. The narrow room directly behind that room was also full,

Through the front door to the left the large bar was surrounded with TVs as was the room left of the bar. Kinda like Symmes Tavern Sports Bar atmosphere. (Symmes Tavern owners own Casa Bianca)

Up-stairs was open and full Saturday night.

One of the waitresses that we knew from the White House is still there as a hostess? waitress? said the place is full every weekend. Slower during the week. She loves new owners and new menu.

[Ohioan58]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

This includes Pitrelli's here in Mason, which is not a chain. I had a friend, a **** named Mike DeRosa, now passed, who practically lived at Pitrelli's, he was in love with the place. So finally I told the wife we would go and have dinner there. It was a weeknight, since I dislike weekend crowds. We decided to play it safe and order spaghetti and meatballs. Now what place calling itself Italian cannot make spaghetti and meatballs?

After being served we realized they had been fresh out of the freezer and were still cold.

Amen. Pitrelli's is very overpriced and mediocre and the service is very distant, sort of like a bad Bob Evans. They appear to be very stuck on their image and riding on a reputation that isn't justified. They seem to reserve the best treatment for the locals they know. Everyone else, "scru you" seems to be the attitude. But Pitrelli's has a cult following. It appears that they take care of some people and not others. Boo to the stuck up local joint that thinks it's all that.

Stefano's in Middletown is pretty damned good but we seem to get an idiot for a server who forgets something in our orders for no good reason, or rushes us, every time we go.