MichiganMan M.
Yelp
TLDR: Disappointed. Food is delicious, but poor service will keep us from returning.
We had long awaited getting a reservation at this much-heralded spot in Hoboken, and were excited when the Resy notification came in. Throughout the meal, however, that excitement dimmed.
Food: Five stars. Make no mistake, the food here is excellent. A variety of pasta dishes for any palate. We shared both the Cavatelli (lamb ragu with Moroccan spices a mild sheep's cheese) and the Mafaldine (Meyer lemon, black pepper, pecorino...basically cacio e pepe with a citrus twist). Both were cooked al dente and seasoned perfectly. Two very different pastas, but both delicious in their own way.
Ambiance: Three stars. This is a very pretty, romantic space; lots of exposed brick and very nicely decorated for the holiday season. The noise level, however, is much too high for the space and attempted vibe.
Service: One star. Terrible. This is what separates this restaurant from being in the top tier of dining experiences in the area. The service personnel are casual to the point of being flippant and dismissive; they consistently demonstrate an "IDGAF" attitude. While we had read about the quirky (some would say obnoxiously pretentious) policy of not serving tap water, but rather offering high priced bottled water only), we were not prepared for the server sneering, "we don't serve tap water HERE, you have to buy a bottle. You want sparkling or flat, your call." When presented with menus, no descriptions of food were offered. The server offered us an "orientation to the menu," which consisted of telling us that we must order everything at once and dishes would be delivered as they were ready. This meant that while we were enjoying the delicious Caesar salad, our hot pasta dishes arrived...before we were ready for them. So, it was either let them get cold or push the salad aside. We opted for setting the salad aside for a moment, which prompted another server to grab for the salad, asking, "you done with that?" Plates are delivered by someone other than your primary server without a word. No one checked back on us to see if we either needed anything else or were enjoying our dishes. While we very finishing our wine (BYOB), the server brought our check, again without asking if we wanted anything else or saying a word. I didn't attend to it immediately, as we were in conversation, and the server promptly returned, opening the check holder to see if I had put my credit card in it. We took the hint, paid, and left...without another word from the staff.
The sad part is that these service issues could be easily remedied with conscientious hiring, proper training, and enforcement of simple standards of customer service and courtesy. This is a failure on management's part.
Value: Two stars. While the food is excellent, and the portions a decent size (not small, as some here have complained), there are several factors bringing down the value of a dining experience here:
- Horrible Service
- Zero bread service, even at an additional cost. Seriously...in a pasta restaurant?
- Silly "no tap water" policy
- BYOB policy is a saving grace. I'd encourage people to bring their own bottled water, as well
Bottom line: We will not return. For similar quality food offerings, but MUCH better service, at an equivalent price point, I would take my business to Corto in Jersey City, or even Otto Strada in Hoboken (a bit less expensive, as well).