Bertolini’s

160 North Gulph Rd

King of Prussia, PA

610-265-2965

Traveling around the King of Prussia and hunting for a tasty Italian eatery? Go no further than Bertolini’s located in the Plaza section at the King of Prussia Mall.

Bertolini’s menu specializes in Italian foods such as pizzas, pastas, salads and chicken-related dishes.

While the menu contains a lot of the basics of an Italian restaurant, they have several unique approaches to traditional dishes making a visit here worthwhile.

If I were to recommend a meal, it would have to be their lasagna simply because it is extremely hearty and tastefully prepared. My bill came to about $28 dollars for two appetizers and an entrée; appetizers run about $6-$10 and entrees range $11-$20.

Depending on where you enter (a doorway starting outside leading into a staircase from ground level or from the second floor of the Plaza), an apathetic host will meet and seat you accordingly to your needs.

Most of the waiters are relatively genial, and most have knowledge about the menu; yet, be wary of a lack of communication between waiters and the people serving your food. On more than on occasion, I found my waiter strolling by my table without the faintest idea to where he was journeying.

An extremely noisy ambience surrounds you no matter your location in this restaurant, so be prepared for a not-so-silent atmosphere when dining.

The restaurant is a well-lit one with a nice mixture of lights and hues to entertain the eye. Smoking did not appear as a problem, for the section was split from the non-smoking section adequately.

As I awaited my orders of fried calamari, bruschetta and my Chicken Limone, the waiter, who seemed to be attending to me at his convenience, dropped off the loaf of complimentary bread and crushed olive dipping sauce.

The olive dipping sauce is a very unique and acquired taste that screams for all people who prefer salty meals to indulge themselves with this delectable dish.

Continuing to gulp down my signature drink, my waters were not as ice cold as I would have hoped, but were getting filled rather efficiently.

Sometime after our appetizers arrived and our Bruschetta was presented quite nicely and tasted good. The toasted bread with samplings of tomatoes on top and hint of herbs and vinegar tasted delicious. The standout portion of this meal, however, was the calamari.

The unique method of presenting the calamari atop the never-before-tasted sauce was interesting. The liquid concoction beneath the squid tasted surprisingly good. It had a nice, meaty flavor to it which complimented the seafood quite nicely.

After wetting my pallet with these scrumptious appetizers, my Chicken Limone was presented in front of me in a not-so-timely fashion. It was a very filling dish with standard preparation. Nothing fancy here folks, just your typical Chicken Limone with little zing to it.

I dared not to attempt dessert here after the filling meal and was satisfied with what I had already digested. The bread/dipping sauce combination is a quick way to fill up cheap and happy, whereas I found the appetizers were a more sufficient tool to satisfy your taste buds.

So if you find yourself looking for a decent Italian meal and you are in the King of Prussia Mall, take a stop by Bertolini’s for a more unique approach to several Italian dishes.

“Saw” – Suspense/HorrorStarring: Cary Elwes, Danny GloverRated: R

Running Time: 1 hr. 40 min.

Wow, let’s talk about a stomach-churning movie experience. Sorry folks, this movie isn’t for the “faint at heart.”

“Saw” is one of those mentally disturbing films that make the viewers cringe in their seats while watching. Looking to get freaked out, jump in your seat and have a bad nightmare, take a venture to your nearby theatre and check out this horror movie with horrible acting.

Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell) find themselves waking in a decrepit room, chained to separate pipes. After both men come to notice the bloody dead body, exanimate in the center of the room, Adam and Dr. Gordon are to discover hints around the room in order to figure out what is going on.

After some time, Dr. Gordon realizes he heard a story of a “puzzle killer,” someone who didn’t actually kill people, but gave them difficult tasks to complete in order to survive. For example, they flashback to a scenario where the “puzzle killer” has concocted a situation where a man has two hours to escape a barb-wire maze if he wants to live (this is the less gruesome and squalid of the three).

For the remainder of this flick, the idea behind both men’s thinking is to try and somehow beat this twisted psycho and escape his death trap. The situation presented for Dr. Gordon to escape is by killing Adam, but why kill Adam? What justice is in such actions? Soon thereafter, Dr. Gordon discovers Adam to be a private photographer who has been taking pictures of Lawrence on his late-night trip for a rendezvous with his mistress. Dr. Gordon struggles from an internal conflict throughout the rest of the film and must make the right decision if he plans on making it out of the confined room alive.

The acting lives something to be desired, to say the least. Both men do a poor job in making the viewer feel for them or believe what they are going through. Also, there are one or two noticeable holes in the movie that upset me and were a total letdown for me after I “Saw” them.

Aside from the first-time directing flaws and mediocre (at best) acting, I’d recommend seeing “Saw” just for the sick and disturbing scenes and interesting plot twist near the end of the movie.