Alexi V.
Yelp
Had the pleasure of eating at D'Amico's this evening with some family. Admittedly, we nearly opted for another restaurant because at 3.5 stars on Yelp, there are several other more highly-rated options nearby. To say that I'm glad we gave it a chance is an understatement: we absolutely loved it. Now, I'm leaving a 5-star review, not because it's the paragon of Italian fine dining, but because it's a charming restaurant with great staff, good food, and deserves more than the .5 star advantage it holds over the nearby Olive Garden. Now for an honest evaluation of the food: having noticed the fresh pasta behind the display case near the entrance, I immediately focused on the fresh pasta options on the menu. While not explicitly listed as a menu item, I was able to order Pappardelle bolognese, and it didn't disappoint. As an avid home cook who believes in the strong correlation between the time spent making freshly-made food and how it tastes, I gravitate towards fresh pasta and bolognese; it didn't disappoint. Interestingly, a dollop of Ricotta adorned my pile of pasta, like a creamy pom-pom on a reddish-white beret. While delicious in its own right, the creamy sweetness of the ricotta seemed a little out of place on an otherwise mostly-savory dish. The Chicken Romano, deservedly in the House Favorites section of the menu, was also delicious; the accompanying spaghetti (curiously served in place of the advertised linguini) was cooked perfectly--as were all of the pastas represented at our table. The pizza, which I am compulsively-driven to try every time I see a wood-fired oven, was really just OK. It has a thin, almost-crackery crust, good sauce, and salty, sharp cheese. Definitely not mozzarella di bufala. More like shredded low-moisture mozz, provolone, and a lot of pecorino, if I had to guess. Note: I'm an unabashed pizzaphile and have been known to make over 60 pizzas in an evening. I appreciate everything from 90-second Neapolitan pies to Totino's "pizza" rolls. Some members of our party really liked the pizza; I thought it didn't live up to its wood-fired potential. The Farfalle Puttanesca was the least notable of our entrees, but this is likely because by the time I'd gotten around to sampling it, I was already well past the limits of the elastic waistband on my shorts. The side salads that accompanied our meals were unremarkable.
I'd be remiss were I to not mention the freshly-baked rolls. They're soft, doughy, delicious, and really set the tone for what ended up being a great dining experience.
Final thoughts: ignore the Yelp haters; this place has good food and could easily pass for the best Italian restaurant in 99% of the towns in America.
Shout out to Yvonne (I think that was her name?) for great service and a solid recommendation on the pappardelle.