Occupying the top floor of the old Bank of America building on 2nd and Broadway in downtown Chico, Crush Italian Cuisine & Lounge is a popular choice for special events or a romantic dinner. Inside is a chic, dimly-lit-yet-lively experience that seems more Bay Area than Chico. Crush also features an outdoor patio that is excellent for people-watching in good weather.
Both the décor and the menu may mentally transport you to a major city, but the restaurant is anything but stuffy. The chefs, bartenders and servers are quite friendly and accommodating. On girls’ night out, my friends and I often enjoy brick oven meatballs or sample their amazing pizza selection in the comfy bar area, which features a wall of low couch-style seating that is great for conversations.
The dining room is kid-friendly and features an $8 kids menu … what kid doesn’t like pizza or spaghetti? For large parties and special events, the restaurant has semi-private areas available to reserve. We celebrated my daughter’s 16th birthday at Crush and I’ve also planned a last-minute holiday work party with the help of their friendly staff.
You might say I have a “crush” on Crush! Their menu is varied enough to please most people, featuring not just pizza and pasta, but also meat, seafood and vegetarian selections. For large parties, you can order from Crush’s Family Style or Big Event menus that offer dishes to share in the style of an Italian feast.
What really makes Crush special is not just its exciting atmosphere, delicious food or valet parking, but how it supports the community. Some of the produce served comes from local sources, and Crush participates in fundraisers for local programs.
In 2012, Crush began partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Valley in an exciting teen mentoring and job training program: On Tuesday evenings, March 5 – May 21, 6-8 p.m., patrons can enjoy dining at Crush while helping local teens develop job skills. In this program, local high schoolers from the Boys & Girls Club teen centers shadow Crush employees from all areas of the restaurant, where they learn about work ethics, nutrition, and gain hands-on experience in the food service industry.
The program gives back in more ways than one. Teens make connections and gain experience to put on their resumes, and Crush raises funds for the organization.
Tuesday night customers may order from the regular menu, featuring entrees such as Crispy Organic Chicken Breast (with potato gnocchi, parmesan, English peas, carrots, caramelized onion jus; $22) or the Bolognese (6-hour ragu, fresh papperdelle pasta, gioia ricotta, basil pesto, reggiano; $19), or you can select from the evening’s special $30 menu, from which Crush donates $10 to the Boys & Girls Club.
Now more than ever, Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Valley needs partnerships with local businesses, and private donations to help fund its programs. So the next time you don’t feel like cooking dinner on a Tuesday, head on down to Crush and support a local business and the Boys & Girls Club!
Crush Italian Cuisine & Lounge
201 Broadway St., Chico
http://www.chicocrush.com
(530) 342-7000
Open daily starting 4:30 p.m.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the North State
http://www.bgcnv.org
(530) 899-0335
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Localicious is a new monthly column celebrating food in the North State. If you would like to suggest a food-related business or organization, email us at localicious@northstateparent.com
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