Restaurants in Lackawanna

From its charming Bryant Street storefront, Trattoria Aroma serves up authentic boot-country fare using local and organic products whenever possible. Launch a decadent dining experience with an order of peppercorn-seared pork belly, served with a cracked egg, sweet-pea pesto, and shaved parmesan ($9), or opt for the crispy fried artichoke hearts over parsley pesto ($7). Gourmet pizzas ($12+) and house-made pastas, such as the lobster ravioli with fried leeks and brandy cream ($21), offer sophisticated twists on familiar flavors, while Trattoria Aroma's meaty fare perks up frownful Florentines. Poultry loyalists exchange regal high-fives over juicy bites of chicken saltimbocca, a fragrant sage- and prosciutto-enhanced dish with asparagus, roasted potatoes, and a white-wine-lemon sauce ($22). Vela osso bucco Milanese, with saffron-parmesan risotto and gremolata ($29), offers a marrowful meal for opulent meat-lovers and makes an ideal accompaniment for any of the fermented favorites off of Trattoria's award-winning wine list.

Red Mill Inn’s rustic, two-story exterior engenders idyllic visions of a bygone era. Black clapboard shutters pop against the old farmhouse's bright red walls, which were built in 1858, and a giant wooden water mill nestles beside carefully trimmed hedges. Inside, dark wood floors and paneling surround wood tables, a roaring brick fireplace, and antique light fixtures. But this bucolic atmosphere belies a hectic kitchen staff who bustle to conjure flames beneath tender cuts of prime rib and filet mignon. Famous for their char-grilled steaks, fresh seafood, and Sunday brunch specials, Red Mill Inn also specializes in down-home country classics such as pan-fried calf's liver and Yankee pot roast. After dinner, house-made desserts arrive courtesy of an onsite pastry chef, whose creations shock sweet teeth more than a retainer lined with Pop Rocks.

The chefs at Tandoori's Royal Indian Cuisine pride themselves on crafting a menu of dishes enjoyed during the golden age of the Grand Moghuls in the 16th century, a time when fine Indian cuisine stepped onto the world’s culinary stage. With myriad authentic recipes at their fingertips, cooks craft porbo pola chicken with a medley of 21 sun-dried spices and coconut milk, as well as delicacies such as lobster tandoori and lamb entrees. At the full bar, mixologists match the heat of the tandoor by crafting spicy cocktails such as the Mumbai Manhattan and cool off palates with more than 30 beers hailing from all over the world. The friendly staff welcomes guests to enjoy the feast in the dining room where live music ignites the air on weekends, or out on the patio where the breeze reminds skydivers how difficult it is to eat curry while freefalling. For large events, the restaurant features a 50-seat conference room and hosts banquets for up to 275 guests.

The expansive menu of Kabab & Curry caters to a wide range of culinary preferences by presenting a variety of vegetarian dishes and allowing guests to customize the spiciness of their dishes by choosing mild, medium, spicy, or "I Promised Myself I Wouldn't Cry." The welcoming staff prides itself on cooking fine Indian and Pakistani dishes in addition to providing attentively affable customer care amid an environment that exudes a warmth to match the eatery’s cuisine. Since the crafting of curry incorporates myriad spices, the eatery boasts a curry unique to its establishment that can be prepared with meat or vegetarian ingredients. Traditional tandoori dishes as well as chicken, lamb, beef, and seafood entrees fill out the bulk of the menu, and a selection of lentil crêpes, naan, and savory soups longs for the chance to win Best Supporting Actor or Dish. The restaurant also performs catering services, a more responsible way to deliver its cuisine than putting the building on a flatbed truck every time it gets an order.