Potted olive trees stand like sentinels at the entrance to Milano Cafe & Deli, welcoming lovers of Italian food and sundries to the recently opened Italian marketplace at the corner of Palm and Third Street in Downtown Burbank.
With a well-though out menu of Italian dishes, French and Italian pastries, deli staples and corner market necessities, Milano Cafe & Deli has generated a good amount of community buzz since opening in early September.
Everything we’ve ordered has been fresh and of high quality; we’ve ordered takeout twice in recent weeks.
The two sandwiches we tried were delicious and each came with a bag of chips. The Chicken Milanese was nicely done and a solid fried chicken sandwich done in a subtle style.
The Milano Special Sandwich of mortadella, capicola, salami and provolone was terrific; the deli meats were flavorful, and with the addition of lettuce, onion, tomato and sauteed peppers and onions, the sandwich turned into one heck of a lunch.
The Stuffed Shells are a welcome addition to the Italian food offerings in the the Burbank area, reminding us of homestyle Italian restaurants in New Jersey and New York. We added a meatball and a sausage with peppers and onions as sides. The perfectly prepared sausage with peppers and onions also reminds us of popular Italian plates back east.
The Spaghetti Aglio e Olio Peperoncino was very good as well, with some mild heat from the chili and garlic. We added some diced grilled chicken breast for a heartier meal.
Both the Shells and the Spaghetti came with a side of homemade focaccia bread, which was light and soft and delicious.
Since we didn’t plan ahead to order a whole Marguerite pizza, which requires ordering at least the day before, we got slices of pepperoni and veggie pizza. The pizza was excellent – the dough was airy and light and perfectly chewy and topped with a delicious simple red sauce and cheese. The pepperoni was tasty but our favorite was the veggie, diced pieces of zucchini, eggplant and tomato topped the square slice, cut in 4 triangles, to perfection.
Whole focaccias are available with a minimum two-hour advance order and can be topped with vegetables upon request.
In fact, many of Milano’s offerings are highly customizable and they also have a good number of vegan and gluten-free options for pastas and plates.
Ordering online is convenient through Milano’s website, utilizing the Toasttab app. A 12% service charge is added to online orders.
The restaurant boasts of a large area for seating outdoors, along with some indoor seating in more private nooks. The feel of the restaurant is open, clean, airy and bright.
We look forward to shopping the Italian specialties shelves and exploring more of the deli and bakery case offerings, along with the rest of the menu. Although we haven’t had a chance to try the pastries, they look absolutely mouth-watering. The menu includes a number of pastas, sandwiches, burgers, salads, entrees and more.
For fresh and delicious food, served promptly and very well made, Milano Cafe & Deli earns a Tops In Town for Italian food in Burbank.
Parking is available in nearby public structures, with the first two hours free.
Restaurant Info: Milano Cafe & Deli is located at 269 E. Palm Street, Burbank, CA 91501. (747) 477-1108. Milano Cafe & Deli is open Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Milano Cafe & Deli receives: Tops In Town
myBurbank Ratings:
Tops In Town (Outstanding)
On The Marquee (Really Good)
Could Use A Rewrite (Average or Slightly Below)
Don’t Quit Your Day Job (Poor)
