Picture-perfect chicken Parmesan

Every town seems to have at least one family-owned Italian restaurant. For Grand Ledge, it’s Cugino’s on Bridge Street. A beloved downtown destination since 2001, the restaurant’s name means “cousin’s” in Italian, a fitting choice since it’s owned by cousins Mark Naccarato and Patrick DeLuca. DeLuca is related to the former owners of DeLuca’s Restaurant, which unfortunately closed several years ago. Being a loyal customer of both restaurants, I can tell you that although nothing can replace DeLuca’s, Cugino’s is the next best thing.

The restaurant has a classic Italian ambiance — the dimly lit, romantic setting would be perfect for a date night. The service is excellent, even on the busiest of evenings. The menu offers a savory selection of salads, breadsticks, pasta, calzones and pizza, with several vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Many will tell you that the pizza is the thing to order, yet whenever I’ve visited Cugino’s, I’ve always been in the mood for pasta. The one I keep ordering is the chicken Parmesan, which, like all the restaurant’s pasta dishes, comes with salad and a breadstick. While you can order breadsticks as a separate appetizer, they’re so huge that one is plenty.

Surprisingly, the thick-cut chicken breast doesn’t have a lot of breading, though it’s hard to tell under all the mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce it’s topped with. If my description brings back memories of DeLuca’s — which was known for covering everything with mountains of cheese — you’ll be either relieved or disappointed to know that Cugino’s goes easy on the mozzarella without skimping on it.

The spaghetti on the side is also topped with sauce, but if you want cheese on it, you’ll have to use the shaker of Parmesan provided at your table. Together, the chicken and spaghetti make for a rich and filling dinner. I don’t use the term “filling” lightly: Every time I eat at Cugino’s, I spend the rest of the night feeling stuffed. If you’re craving a huge helping of top-notch Italian food, head to Grand Ledge. Odds are, you’re going to need a box to take home what you can’t finish.