Not that diners need an excuse to enjoy one of Toledo’s better restaurants, but Rosie’s Italian Grille marking its 35th anniversary this year is as valid as any. Other reasons include the delicious lobster bisque; the must-have appetizer hot mama bread with gooey cheese; the “house-made” pizzas; and separate but equally well-done lunch and dinner menus featuring pasta, seafood, chicken, and salad options.

On a recent weekend dinner visit to this family owned restaurant, 606 N. McCord Rd. in Springfield Township, our dining marathon began with the aforementioned mama's bread ($8.59), light and bubbly with melted mozzarella, as well as the butterflied, baked, and seasoned bungalow shrimp ($12.99). Delicious and fresh, the shrimp, along with all of Rosie’s seafood, is never frozen but placed on dry ice in shipments picked up twice a week in Detroit.