Ambience enhances cuisine at John Anthony's

John Anthony's in Plum knocked the Lunch Bunch out.

We loved this lovely dining venue way out in Plum along Center-New Texas Road. From its classy facade to its charming dining rooms with red brick walls and big windows that let in lots of light, to its comfy white tables and chairs, we were impressed. Actually, we were worried. Sometimes, when something looks too good to be true, it is.

Not so here. John Anthony's offered food as good to eat as the ambience in separate smoking and nonsmoking dining areas. There also is a separate bar area, which makes it nice for family dining. Who wants to sit with their kids in a bar?

Service here also is impressive -- swift and professional.

And, the restaurant is tidy and clean.

Were we impressed• You betcha. We loved this place, and we would go back at the drop of an invitation.

For an appetizer, the Lunch Bunch chose to share the Italian Greens ($4.95). This dish consisted of zippy escarole sauteed with garlic and oil. We loved it. Yum.

We love homemade soup, so we tried the French Onion Soup ($2.75, cup; $3.50 bowl) and found it to be just fine. The savory beefy broth was replete with onions, a baguette slice and lots of gooey cheese. This steaming delight was a perfect starter on a cold afternoon.

Another one of the Bunch chose a cup of Pasta Fagioli Soup ($2.75) and found it to be delightful with a mild tomato base and plenty of ditalini pasta and beans.

One of the specials of the day was the Calamari Salad ($8.95). How could our squid lover resist• She couldn't, and she was glad she indulged. This generous salad came with an abundance of mixed greens -- no iceberg, hooray -- shredded red cabbage, shredded carrot, the absolute best breaded calamari rings and breaded eggplant slices, tomato and an abundance of ripe olives and pecan halves. We are talking lots of pecans. The salad came with four slices of the best Italian bread -- crunchy crust, soft, chewy crumb. We chose to have our salad with ranch dressing on the side. This entree was a winner. If you go and this is on the menu, don't miss it.

As the menu says, "dare to be different" and try the John D Special ($7.95) which comes highly recommended from one member of the Bunch. The submarine-style bun, one of the freshest she has had anywhere, had a slight crunch, as if it had been slightly toasted. The sandwich contained a layer of thinly sliced, breaded and fried eggplant. Next came a layer of fried chicken tenders covered in a delicious sauce and melted provolone cheese and topped with spicy hot peppers. The fried chicken tenders were done to a golden brown and were tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Surprisingly, the fried eggplant and chicken tenders remained crunchy amidst the sauce and cheese topping. The spicy hot peppers gave the sandwich a special zap of taste. All of this makes for an excellent sandwich. The Buncher's better half, who had the pleasure of sampling a portion of the sandwich that was taken home, claimed it to be excellent even when re-heated. The batter-fried onion rings chosen as a side were sweet and crunchy and not at all greasy.

Wow, what a flavor blast. The Fajita Wrap ($7.95) was filled with a spicy cajun scrod and grilled green peppers, onions, cheddar cheese and lettuce. We used the sour cream on the side to offset the heat. This wrap will clear your sinuses with its zip. What a terrific alternative to the usual steak or chicken fajita. The onion rings on the side were excellent, too. Breaded and fried to a crisp, these rings were a perfect complement to the wrap.

Too sated to even attempt dessert, the Bunch passed on the Pecan Ball ($4.95). Bummer.

Compiled by Barbara Daugherty, Sis Reola and Rebecca Killian.

Meals are paid for by the Valley News Dispatch and are unrelated to advertising. Additional Information:

John Anthony's

Address: Center-New Texas Road, Plum.

Phone: 412-795-8666.

Hours: Mondays through Thursdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 11 to 11; Sundays noon to 9 p.m.

Reservations: Required for parties larger than six.

Credit cards: All major accepted.

Dress: Casual.

Smoking: Separate dining areas.

Handicapped accessible: Yes.

Prices: Appetizers $1.75 to $8.95; salads $5.50 to $8.95; sandwiches $4.95 to $7.95; entrees $8.95 to $17.95; kids stuff $3.95 to $5.95.