Austen Groff
Google
Me and my girlfriend went here for a date night a couple weeks ago, we haven't found a lot of great restaurants in Salem, but this is definitely one we'll be back to. As your seated to a dimly lit table (ambiance) you're greeted with a basket of bread with this anchovy and olive oil dipping sauce. I'm not an anchovies guy but I enjoyed it, the saltiness was a nice way to awaken the taste buds. We started the meal with the Carciofini In Carrozza and it was a nice light antipasti, the flavor was very well-balanced with the creaminess from the cheese, the saltiness from the meat and the texture and sweetness of the marinated artichoke hearts. Then for the meal we had the Scaloppine Di Maiale Al Pepe over the house made pappardelle and the Tagliatelle Alla Puttanesca with chicken. The scaloppine do maiale al pepe was very nice the pepper was just enough to cut through the cream sauce and give a nice delicate kick to the meal, the noodles were a perfect al dente, and the pork was nice and tender, though I felt as though it could have been cooked differently, it may have been overcooked because it could have been juicier, maybe grilling it like they do the chicken would have brought more life to the dish. My recommendation goes to the putanesca, the chicken was grilled perfectly, there was plenty of it, it was complimented so well by the saltiness of the olives, anchovies and capers, and the delicate sweetness of the sauce, the onions and anchovies were present but not over powering, and the tagliatelle was toothsome and an excellent vehicle for the contents of the putanesca, flavor was trapped in every bite. We capped off the meal with the tiramisu, absolutely tremendous. I couldn't stop myself from eating it. It was so creamy and the texture was so relaxed, and the coffee got us pretty wired for the ride home, there was a second of silence. The recommendation of the tiramisu was from our server who I must mention was so helpful throughout the whole experience, our water glasses never went empty, she helped us navigate the menu and told us what combinations were possible, great guidance for our first experience. Also the atmosphere of the place is exactly what you look for in an Italian restaurant, they had the old school Italian themed pictures, the checkerboard tablecloth, the decor you would expect, it really added to the experience. We spent about 120 with the tip for the meal, and if we didn't do so much customization it would have been cheaper, but for the whole experience I would say it was well worth it. We can't wait to revisit our favorite restaurant in Salem.