Paulie's has a rather inconspicuous exterior: I drove past it multiple times trying to figure out where the rather famed restaurant was located. Parking seemed to be full, so we parked next to a house on a street adjacent to the restaurant. By all conceivable signs, the exterior indicated to us that the restaurant was built  a few decades ago.

          The interior, however, was modern and chic - it seemed as if it was a modern brasserie meant for brunch rather than an Italian Dinner. The menu was engraved on the wall, ordering was done upfront, and you stood while you waited for food - which took roughly 30 minutes - all rather peculiar for an "Italian Ristorante". The employees at the restaurant were all rather polite and conversing, and gave different recommendations on what the "best meal" was at Paulie's.

          I settled on the "Canestri alla Funghi" with a cup of Cream of Mushroom soup. The meal, I was surprised, was not rather expensive: one can expect to spend under $20 in a sitting. The soup was quite literally served in a cup - a tall coffee mug, to be exact. The portions are enormous at Paulie's - the cup of soup (the larger option a bowl) would have been enough to leave me satiated for a few hours. The soup itself was incredibly creamy, the mushrooms cut into 1/8's or so. The Cream of Mushroom was a little lacking in regards to flavor, but texture and warmth were comforting. The pasta is available in two sizes - small (meant for the average sized human) and regular (which presumably are meant for Heavyweight Boxers or Linebackers in the NFL).  My table also ended up ordering the "Primavera Aglio e Olio" and the "Fettuccini Marinara with Grilled Shrimp" - all small versions of the dishes. My dish was incredibly creamy, but not so overwhelmed with butter and milk in the manner that make other cream-based pastas rather bland. The seasoning mix they used had very strong accents of garlic that perfectly complemented the earthy flavor of the mushrooms in the pasta. Often times, I find myself frustrated with how poorly the pasta from other Italian Restaurants "catches" the sauce; however, the house-made pasta from Paulie's seemed to be thoroughly striated, as it kept the sauce and its subsequent flavor extremely well. I preferred my dish over the "Primavera Aglio e Olio", as the oil-based sauce for the pasta was flavorful, but not as much so as the cream-based sauce in mine. However, the "Primavera Aglio e Olio" dish had a variety of fresh vegetables that added texture, flavor, and improved the dish's overall aesthetic quality.  The "Fettucini Marinara with Grilled Shrimp" had the best overall flavor of the three dishes tasted, as it was obvious their marinara recipe had been tinkered with until a perfect flavor had been settled upon - you can almost even imagine yourself in the Tuscan Tomato Field where they picked the most ripe fruit (Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of where they picked their tomatoes from). The marinara was not overwhelmed by the tomato, as you can taste all the spices and seasonings equally. The shrimp also paired very well with the sauce, adding a small kick of spice to complement the marinara. 

          In conclusion, Paulie's is a wonderful establishment. I have not yet been to an Italian Restaurant that is committed as Paulie's is to quality and diversity of flavor. From their house-made pastas to their veal chops to their cookies, Paulie's displays a masterclass on how to make Italian Cuisine.

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Must Tries: Fusilli Pasta with Pesto, Canestri alla Funghi, Any (All) of their desserts

Price Range: Expect to spend under $15

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​Overall Score: 9/10