Samantha N.
Yelp
4.5 stars
Likes:
- Good quality ingredients and delicious food
- Warm and attentive service
- Loved the live music and bustling atmosphere
- Reasonably priced wine at $8
Not a fan of:
- Service was a bit on the slower side, but we didn't mind waiting with live music.
- Complimentary bread could have been served warm, but I enjoyed the olive oil and balsamic vinegar
It was date night and I came with my husband on a Saturday evening. We thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience. We were greeted with warmth and great hospitality. There were probably quite a bit of regulars at the restaurant, so service was a bit slower at times when the owners were walking around and chatting with each table. We ordered the following dishes:
1. Arugula salad ($12.95) - The arugula salad was refreshing and adequately dressed in a delicious balsamic and olive oil mix. Ingredients were really fresh and the savoury shaved parmesan added a lovely sharp flavour, which paired extremely well with the nutty arugula leaves.
2. Gnocchi with alla vodka ($17) - The gnocchi dough is rolled out in house, but Anna Maria's version wasn't the soft, delicate and pillowy bites I expected, but rather, it was chewy and almost resembled al dente pasta, which I didn't mind at all. The alla vodka sauce was stupid delicious, with so much depth and complexity, yet it was perfectly balanced. This is the first time I have had gnocchi with ridges and it held the tasty sauce well.
3. Spaghetti with rose meat sauce ($17) - Although the waitress noted that the pasta is not made in house, the supplier does make the spaghetti and a few other pastas fresh. It was perfectly al dente and the meat sauce, similar to the alla vodka, was full of flavour and scrumptious. We pretty much licked our plates clean.
4. House made tiramisu ($7.5) - The coffee flavour in the ladyfingers was aromatic, bright and balanced. Although the filling on top was light and airy, I was left searching for more of the cheesiness from the mascarpone. It was still a decent ending to the meal.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The live Italian music added to the buzzing vibe. Paired with great food and good service, we are definitely planning to return.