Moonlight Serenade at Johnny Cascone's Italian Restaurant
Johnny Cascone's is where jazz and Italian-American traditions come together in one place. As it turns out, the two go together like bread and wine. Many things come to mind when describing an evening at Cascone's: old-fashioned romance, casual supper clubs, family dinner parties, the reunion of old friends, and neighborhood hangouts.
Keyboardist Mike Ning and tenor saxophonist Jim Mair perform at Cascone's in Overland Park.
Photo by Guido Vescovi. |
Like a dinner party at your neighbor's place, the slightly dated decor and the family photos make the atmosphere casual and friendly. But, it's the live jazz that completes the picture. A serenade from the Jim Mair and Mike Ning duo adds lighthearted romance and old-fashioned Saturday night fun.
Don't get the idea that this is smooth jazz, or for couples only. The music is mostly up-tempo jazz standards, sprinkled with a few contemporary tunes uniquely revised for a jazz duo. Mair's saxophones are smooth, sometimes sultry, and always ambient. More than just background music, you're likely to forget they're a duo thanks to the numerous instruments Mair has mastered. Ning works magic on the keyboards; sometimes impersonating a xylophone, sometimes a guitar.
The two really work the crowd. They take requests and even sing “Happy Birthday.” That's when you remember you're in a suburban neighborhood hangout. At 6:30 p.m. the Overland Park restaurant already had a brief waiting list. If you can wait until 7:30, you can walk right in and hear the best of the Mair/Ning duo. The two perform on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
If it's just the music you're interested in, come for the wine list or traditional Italian desserts in the evening. If you're having a dinner party, you'll be pleasantly surprised that a majority of the entrees are under $15. I ordered the “Italian Flag,” which allowed me to try a salad and three of the specialties. I thoroughly enjoyed the toasted ravioli appetizer and the salad with house dressing, which had a savory sweet-and-sour flavor. While I can't recommend the Alfredo, the Lasagna and Chicken Parmigiana exceeded my expectations, topped with a sweet, smooth red sauce (sugo) that lived up the Cascone reputation. The service was also excellent. Our waiter wasn't the chatty type, just very attentive with impeccable timing. Some will appreciate the smoke-free environment in the restaurant, though smokers can still indulge in the bar.
The moon appeared to be a common theme at Cascone's, which has a dark, cozy feel even early in the evening. Numbers like “Blue Moon,” “Moonglow,” and “Moondance” bring back the ambiance we knew from decades past—and after all, bread and wine taste even better with a moonlight serenade.
Johnny Cascone's Italian Restaurant is located at 6863 West 91st St., just east of Metcalf in Overland Park, KS. They take reservations at 913-381-6837.
Julie Cirlincuina
