On the evening of June 17, 2005, the Ole Seagull, his wife Lois, and two friends, Joe and Jean from Cotter, AR, ate at TonyZ’s Italian Ristorante and Lounge located at
Some might consider the Ole Seagull and fine dining as an oxymoron but every now and then even an Ole Seagull has to try something new. It was only the second day they were open but there were only a couple of problems which were handled in a very professional, personable, efficient and seamless manner by our server Haley, who did an excellent job as did the entire wait staff.
Although the prices are competitive with other fine dining establishments, as is the case with a lot of those establishments, the menu is ala carte. From a price point this is not Olive Garden or Rocky’s – i.e., Spaghetti and meatballs with a salad was close to $20. On an individual basis the prices of the entrées, appetizers, salads, etc. are comparatively priced with what one would expect to pay for a comparable dining experience.
We ordered and sampled two appetizers, the Bruchetta with goat cheese and the Stuffed Mushrooms. There are evidently two types of Bruchetta on the menu. Those wanting the traditional Bruchetta with the tomatoes etc. do not want to order the one with the goat cheese. The toast points surround a creamy blend of goat cheese with cream cheese and other ingredients that you spread on the toast points. It was tasty and we enjoyed it.
The Stuffed Mushrooms were stuffed with a delightful crab dressing and topped with a tasty blend of cheeses and other great tasting things. There are four large mushrooms on the plate and our whole party just loved them. It was one of those deals when you hoped that someone did not want to eat theirs so that you had a shot at it. Not such luck with this group.
The House Salad was a combination of mixed greens, onions, and tomatoes etc. It was fresh and crisp served with the house dressing. It is a non creamy, non sweet, Italian dressing with great flavor. A Caesar Salad mixed tableside is also offered. Although we did not try it because it must be ordered for two, at about $7.95 per person, and the Ole Seagull was the only one ordering salad.
We all ordered different entrees with Joe ordering the Antipasto appetizer for his entrée and the rest of us ordering pasta dishes. Jean had the Cannelloni stuffed with a mixture of beef, veal, and chicken. She said the creamed tomato and cheese sauce it was covered with just enhanced the wonderful flavor the Cannelloni and its stuffing and just melted in her mouth. She would definitely have it again.
Lois said that the Lasagna was very good and filled to over flowing with cheeses and meat sauce. The sauce was so good that she asked for extra, which was quickly delivered to the table by our server.
The Ole Seagull had Spaghetti with meat balls. It was served with a rich meat filled tomato sauce and three meat balls. Now he knows it is hard to get excited about spaghetti and meat balls, especially at $12.95 per pop, but folks what a meat sauce. In fact, it was so good and meat filled, that the next time, and there will be a next time, he will just order the spaghetti and meat sauce without the meat balls.
The dessert selection is limited but what they have is excellent. In fact they might not need any more, after all, how many desserts can one person eat at one time. They have New York Cheese Cake, imported from
We all shared an order of the cheese cake which was served with a strawberry topping and the Tiramisu. Both were excellent but Joe, who is our resident Tiramisu person, thought it was exceptional and one of the best he has ever had. How good was the cheese cake? Good enough where the Ole Seagulls wife, who normally only takes a bite of his dessert because she is “too full, ate her share and went after part of his.
Branson has a lot of great places to eat but not a lot of fine dining establishments. Tony and Donna Zurzolo, the sole owners and operators of TonyZ’s, have endeavored to meet this need. In the opinion of an Ole Seagull, from an atmosphere, ambiance, food quality, quality of service, and total value perspective they have succeeded.
For reservations call 417.332.0610.
