Kenyatta B.
Yelp
I stopped in for a bachelorette trip. The ambiance was quaint, and it appeared to be a home turned into a restaurant. When we arrived, we were directed to the valet located on the left side of the building. The valet is $5, and it's the only option for parking. Previously when I called the restaurant, the owner appeared friendly. He changed my OpenTable reservation and added an extra seat for my friend's daughter.
Once we arrived, we were immediately sat at a table closest to the front dining. So I was able to look at both sides of the restaurant. Immediately once we were seated, our waitress, Makeda, greeted us. She asked us if we had dined with the restaurant before, and we replied no. So we took a few moments to review the menu while waiting for the remaining members of our party. After two more visits to the table, we were ready to order appetizers. We ordered two orders of Brushetta and the Octopus. The items were ordered, and only after we ordered did we receive the complimentary bread and breadsticks that came with our visit. Nonetheless, the bread was divine, and the breadsticks were decent.
*Bruschette con pomodori freschi e basilico $ 9
The Bruschetta was light. A great way to start our meal. The tomatoes and other toppings appeared fresh and seasoned well.
*Polpo alla griglia, insalata di rucola, cipolle e Pachini $ 17
According to the menu, their octopus is the world's best, and I must admit it was pretty good. However, I must admit that their octopus is nothing like any other seafood I've tasted. They have transformed this protein, and it is well worth the try.
After our appetizers, it was time to order our meals. After bouncing back and forth between a few items, I decided to stick with the seafood linguine.
*Seafood Linguine $39
This meal was less than subpar for me. I am not typically an Italian/Tuscan foodie. However, for the love of our group, I dove right in. The linguine was perfectly cooked, but that is the bulk of my positives about this dish. The lobster was tough, the scallops reminded me of tiny erasers, and the EVOO white wine sauce barely existed. This is shocking because their tagline is "We serve our pastas with plenty of sauce, so you can dig in like a naughty kid." In addition to this, I was told that this dish was one of the Spicer items on their menu, but I was shocked when I could only taste the salt that noodles were boiled in.
After a few bites trying to muster up the courage to enjoy my meal, I decided that it was too much. So I asked our waitress if I could order the red pasta sauce from the Farfalle dish. She nervously looked at me, and this is where the true problems began. A few moments later, the busboy approached our table and politely told me that the kitchen could provide me sauce for the dish, but it would cost $19. This was shocking because, at that price, I could have opted to order a whole new meal. After hearing this issue, I became upset and asked that he take the dish back or ask the kitchen to doctor up an affordable solution. The busboy left, and the waitress appeared again. She nervously asked what solution I would prefer, so I told her what I said to the busboy. If they couldn't figure out a solution, box the item, and I'll pay for it. She hesitated and asked again if I would like the meal fixed, and I agreed, but the plate never returned.
Moments later, the busboy arrived with two servings of the sauce, but my plate was gone and had been thrown away. It appeared that there was a miscommunication between the staffers (owner, kitchen, waitress, and busboy). The staffers were highly concerned at that point, but I told them it was ok. I would pay for our meals, and that will be that. Afterward, we were provided complimentary Limoncello and a bachelorette dessert.
Overall I rate this restaurant a D, but this has nothing to do with the busboy or waitress. Makeda was exceptional, attentive, and helpful. So was the busboy. I forgot to ask his name. I also enjoyed our appetizers. However, when it came to my main course, I thought my plate was disgusting, and the dining facility could use an update. As a patron that has taken my chances dining during the pandemic, I grew concerns touching the menus. The menus were old and appeared unsanitary. In addition to this, if the patrons were allowed to dine without their masks, I wish the waiting staff were asked to wear a mask to add some level of protection. In addition to Marco, the owner needs customer service support. He was rude enough to the staff that he made our waitress cry. I thought this was unprofessional because she was only an employee doing what the customer asked. If he has a problem with the request, he could have come to our table and provide alternative solutions, but that was not the case. I hope he takes the time to fix his personality because he is single handily ruining his restaurant.
Makeda, I wish you well in all of your endeavors!
