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In Barberton, Ohio, on Manchester Road, right outside of Akron, there’s a little unassuming building with no windows adjacent to a tobacco shop. Driving by, one might not even notice, but it could be an old juke-joint, night club like the ones that still exist in the more depressed parts of town, or it could be an old shady bar that’s changed hands over the years, while still pedaling to the same neighborhood rubber-worker families, but it’s neither. Inside is a fourth generation family owned and operated Italian restaurant called Casa Mimi, run by the Perfetto family and named after it’s founder “Mimi” Perfetto. I practically grew up in this charming little piece of Barbertonian-Italian history as it was one of my parent’s favorite places to eat. It was always the go-to place for first communions, bar mitzvahs, childhood birthdays, out of town guests, or just plain old Sunday suppers, when Mom didn’t feel like cooking and cleaning up the mess. It’s not one of the trendy Italian eateries that we’ve all grown accustomed to, and the interior AND the menu has basically stayed the same since I can remember from going there as a kid in the 70’s-dark maroon drapes, dimly lit, some walls are mirrors made to look like reflective marble, and the focal point of the main dining room is an audacious landscape painting of Mt. Vesuvius that spans the length of the room. In the corner is a faux-stone cherub fountain complete with plastic ivy leaves that seems to have been cycling water forever, but don’t let the gaudy, recent, red, white and green stripes on the exterior and outdated decor on the interior fool you-Love it or hate it, there’s some wonderful, timeless and filling, Italian food to enjoy at Casa Mimi’s.
The menu has basically stayed the same for the last 40 years, and there’s no need for it to change now. The food here reminds me of the 70’s family run, neighborhood American-Italian eateries that used to be around way before all the homogenized Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden types took over with the strip malls and ruined not only our childhood landscapes, but our perception of American Italian food. Walking into Casa Mimi is like walking back in time. It’s like walking into one of those old restaurants you see in a Mafia flick where some poor sap mafioso wanna-be has his last meal before getting whacked. The food here is unabashed, heavy and rich and the menu includes all of the classics you’d expect. But there are some things that they have on the menu that are unique to this establishment. One of them being their own marinated eggplant which is a secret recipe (I tried to get it a few times to no avail). Large chunks of squeaky, vinegary, garlicky eggplant, saturated in olive oil and dotted with red pepper flakes and dried oregano-pungent, spicy, savory and indulgent at the same time. A perfect accompaniment for their crusty, broiled garlic bread, dusted with paprika. But one of their signature dishes is a chicken dish called “Chicken Perfetto”. A dish very reminiscent of Chicken Francese (which they also have on the menu) but this dish is different with the addition of mushrooms and a thicker, more viscous lemon sauce. If Casa Mimi has one thing going for them it’s consistency, which to me is more of a key to success than a lot of things that seem to have infiltrated the ideals of the restaurant world these days. The Chicken Perfetto is the exact same gloriously rich flavor profile of 3 generations ago, with it’s velvety lemon sauce, but I still haven’t been able to capture the exact magic at home.
So, if you can’t get to Barberton, this recipe is as close to the real thing as I’ve been able to get.
For the Chicken:
2 boneless, chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise, and pounded out.
2 slices of white bread.
3 eggs
1/4 C milk
seasoned flour
# T grated romano cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and grated cheese together.
Dredge chicken in flour and dip into egg mixture.
Heat a sauté pan with Canola oil on medium high and sauté chicken on both sides until golden and just cooked through about 3 minutes per side.
drain on paper towels and set aside.
Do the same for the 2 slices of bread-basically making a savory French toast.
For the Sauce:
4 cloves garlic minced
1 C chicken stock
1/2 C white wine, plus another 1/2 C for deglazing
2T olive oil
3 T butter, plus 2T
3T flour
Mushrooms
Red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper
3 dashes of Worcestershire
Juice of 2 lemons
1 lemon’s worth of zest
Heat a sauté pan over high heat and add olive oil, sauté mushrooms until they give off their moisture and that reduces, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Add 1/2 C wine and continue to cook until wine is absorbed, then set aside.
Melt 2T butter in a sauce pan and add the garlic and pepper flakes. Sauté until the garlic becomes fragrant, then pour in the lemon juice and zest and reduce by half.
Once reduced, add the chicken stock, remaining 1/2 C of wine, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste and whisk.
Let this reduce slightly.
In a small pan, make a roux by melt the remaining 3T butter until foaming then add 3T flour and whisk until incorporated. cook for about 3 minutes and slowly add to the pan with the lemon sauce, whisking briskly.
Once all the roux has been incorporated turn heat down to medium and simmer for 3-5 minutes. The sauce should have a velvety consistency.
Add mushrooms and chicken to the lemon sauce pan and heat through.
Serve by placing a slice of the savory French toast on a plate, shingled by a chicken medallion and spoon sauce over both generously.