Milia’s Restaurant Review
A night out with the family can either be a lot of fun or very stressful. The menu of Milias in downtown Gilroy is very inviting for two adults – an assortment of seafood, pastas, steaks – especially when it’s at an affordable price. I was concerned with what they would offer on the children’s menu, but mac and cheese, pastas of butter or red sauce, and even pizza make a pretty easy sell to a 4-year old. With all of our palettes in mind and tempted, we were off to Milias.
On entering the downtown restaurant, I asked my husband if we were under dressed. In jeans and sweaters while our daughter donned messy pigtails with a tutu and light-up sneakers, I was concerned we didn’t fit into a place with live music and crystal chandeliers. However, we weren’t turned away. And, despite the seemingly dressed up folks at the bar, further inspection showed that diners at actual tables were just as casual as my own family.
Once seated, our nice table for casual diners had my daughter bouncing with excitement. The old restaurant made us feel special instead of out-of-place. They even provided an entire coloring book to our daughter while we waited for our orders.
For starters, we ordered the deep-fried portabello mushrooms. Crisp and nicely salted battered captured the meaty and juicy mushrooms. For a large plate, we still managed to finish them off with the help of our daughter, who also loved them (hence, no picture). My only complaint would be that the marinara sauce was very cold – though that didn’t stop us from finishing that off, too.
Our soup and salads arrived shortly after – there wasn’t too much of a wait for anything really. The Caesar salad was a more authentic recipe as the dressing definitely had the the flavor of anchovies come through without being fishy. Their soup of the day was a pea soup with ham. Though creamy and well-seasoned, it was very small. My daughter’s platter of mixed, raw veggies (celery, tomatoes, carrots, etc.) was simple enough for her to enjoy dipped in ranch.
On to the main course, where everything counts most. Crab cakes on creamy mushroom risotto with grilled asparagus for me; shrimp and crab ravioli in cream sauce for my hubby; and, a simple bowl of spaghetti for my baby girl.
Aside from sharing a few bites back and forth, saying, “You should try this,” and “Could I have another bite?” There wasn’t much talking while we enjoyed our dinner. Our mouths were too busy to be trifled with much chit chat.
With hefty plates, we gratefully took home leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, but unfortunately had no room for any of their tempting desserts: tiramisu cheesecake, carrot cake or a warm cookie with ice cream. Oh well. Something to try next time.
Yes, there will definitely be a next time.
Read more reviews by Amelia on her Yelp page.