Food Review: Gianno's

Tonight I had the pleasure of dining with family at Gianno's, a local Italian restaurant in High Point. This is a review of their dinner special.

The Dish: Blackened chicken with roasted corn relish, served on black bean and corn ravioli, in a red pepper and gouda cheese cream sauce. Paired with an '08 Liberty School Chardonnay.

The View: The vibrant colors of the corn relish - corn, okra, red pepper - were prominent against the pink-orange sauce. Two butterflied chicken breasts atop five large ravioli.

The Taste: "Chicken on some pasta" could easily describe any number of Italian dishes. But Alberto Alvarado, Gianno's executive chef and kitchen manager, has hit upon a delicious southwestern twist to the Italian classic. The chicken being blackened sealed in the juices for a well-cut moist portion. The corn relish was decent, but did not add much, especially considering how well the chicken paired with the ravioli which already contained corn. While the ravioli might have needed an extra minute to really marry the corn and black bean flavors, it still proved to be a surprisingly smart combination of flavors. But it was the red pepper gouda cream sauce that unified the dish. The savory cheese was offset perfectly by the spice of the pepper - a genius combination that should earn itself a permanent placement on the menu. Chef Alvarado's culinary acumen gave the dish a moderate kick that was enough to bring robust flavors, but restrained enough to keep from overpowering the dish.

The Rating: 8/10

A job well done for Chef Alvarado and his crew at Gianno's.