Ollie B.
Yelp
We had 5:15 reservations for 2 on a Saturday. We walked in, and the restaurant was empty. There was 1 couple ahead of us. We were greeted and walked to our table, which was in the center of the room. Considering the restaurant being empty, We asked to be seated against the wall at the table for 2 next to us, and the hostess told us no, this was our assigned seat. I told the hostess I wasn't aware there was assigned seating and that I didn't see a seating chart when I made the reservation. I asked if he could ask the manager if we could sit at the other table. He came back and said the manager said no, the restaurant was booked that night, and we had to sit where we were told.
Reluctantly, we sat down and were already regretting our decision. We asked the waiter if there was a seating chart that we could choose from when booking reservations in the future. He looked confused, so we explained what had just happened. He agreed with us and said it was strang, but he was new, so he didn't know what the seating rules were. The tables were covered with white tableclothes that weren't steamed, so the lines from being folded were very noticeable, ours clearly stained. The silverware wasn't placed properly, which isn't a big deal, just something I noticed. Instead of goblets for water, they opted for more of a tea glass. The table was decorated with one noticeably dusty battery-operated tealight candle and a single red rose in a small vase. Real candles would have been a nice little touch, making the table setting more polished. The waiter suggested the Cacio E Pepe, saying that it would have a slight hint of pepper but not to be alarmed we would hardly be ascot to notice. We ordered it with grilled chicken. I chose the Casoncelli Alla Bergamasca. As an appetizer, we decided on the Piccolo Fritto. We ordered white wine and an Italian lager. The waiter brought a basket of cold bread with olive oil. Butter wasn't offered, which is fine, but it would have been nice to have. The olive oil was mediocre at best. The waiter stood behind me as he placed the wine glass in front of me and leaned over my shoulder to pour the wine with one hand on the back of my chair, which was rather odd and honesly made me feel uncomfortable. The shrimp from the appetizer smelled extremely "fishy" beyond the fresh seafood smell, so after one bite, I decided not to venture further with the shrimp. However, the calamari made up for it. It was cooked to perfection, the batter was light and crisp, and by far, it was the best calamari I have ever eaten. We had to remind the waiter about the beer we ordered, and it arrived just before the main course, which arrived warm, not steaming hot but acceptable. The Cacio E Pepe was missing shaved parmesan, I'm not sure if that was delibereate, It was instead heavily garnished with ground black pepper. If it had been only slightly dusted, it may not have been so overpowering, taking away from the flavor of the dish. My meal arrived in a brass bowl, which was a nice touch. I was expecting the bowl to be hot, and I was surprised when it was cold to the touch. The sauce was light and complemented the beef and pork shoulder stuffed pasta perfectly. It was absolutely fantastic. Kudos to the chef for his creation. Despite only having a few tables, we found ourselves having to signal our waiter a few times to ask for a refill of water, and for silverware, he forgot to replace it from the appetizer. We overlooked his shortcomings because he did say he was new. The restaurant was almost at capacity when we left with only 2 tables remaing unoccupied; one being the table for 2 that we had requested and was told no. Despite the rudeness of the seating situation, we will be back to order that fabulous Casoncelli Alla Bergamasca. We more than likely won't be dining in and will opt to have it "take out."
If you can deal with assigned seating without the option of having a seating chart to choose from, Cibi's would be a good lunch option, and definitely order the Casoncelli Alla Bergamasca. If you're looking to have a fine dining experience with exceptional attention to detail, with the staff going over and beyond, your best bet is to keep driving east.