Anon B.
Yelp
Our second visit -- took our pasta-loving teens back this time.
The good:
Tried the penne vodka for the first time -- absolutely delicious.
The not-so-good:
Meatball appetizer was tender and flavorful but served lukewarm.
Arancini leaned heavily toward cheese over rice -- very gooey.
Cacio e pepe was tasty but dry and clumped quickly. It was much saucier on our first visit.
Gnocchi were dense this time, and the herb-forward sauce didn't land for us.
Drinks:
Disappointed the caprese cocktail was off the menu. I went with the Vita Divina, recommended by our server Ja'Ryan (?) after mentioning I enjoy gin. Unfortunately, it was overly sweet, lacked gin flavor, and had a noticeable raw egg white smell (the menu only said "foam"). I finished it quickly and switched to prosecco. If egg whites are used, that should be clearly stated on the menu.
Sodas are served in glass bottles -- charming, but no refills, and sizes vary (Sprite bottle is notably smaller than Coke). Even soda water on the side of a straight bourbon came bottled, which felt impractical. A proper bar should offer refills and use a soda gun.
Desserts - panna cotta - too gelatinous - and paled in comparison to the dish served at Palo, Disney Cruise Line's signature Italian restaurant. Cannoli - the orange peel flavor was too intense. Did not enjoy.
Service:
This was our biggest issue. I don't think our server introduced himself (we found his name on the receipt later). We announced our son had just graduated an hour prior and it was a celebration, but the response was flat. Overall, he felt disengaged throughout. He somewhat obsessively wiped the table with a wet rag between courses (gross) and awkwardly cleared dirty plates and utensils. At one point, he placed dirty dishes on top of a stack of menus he was holding.
We asked for advice on how many servings of cacio e pepe to share and ordered two. (The server oddly seemed offended that we declined his offer of "protein" add-on for this dish. I always cringe when servers use this word. It feels so chef-speak and not warm and inviting.) Only one serving was prepared table side. When questioned, he confirmed it was just one serving but didn't follow up to see if we still wanted another. Instead, the prep cart was just sent back out, but we declined a second serving. One plate of clumpy pasta was enough.
Water refills were very slow. I asked twice for a prosecco to go with my pasta -- it arrived after I'd nearly finished eating. My husband's second bourbon came watered down and too late to enjoy with dessert.
Hostess interaction was also odd -- a lady with blonde hair looked at me and smiled but left it to the other person to greet us. No manager checked on our table during the meal, which was surprising given the restaurant's upscale vibe.
Also, this observation is neither here nor there, but there may be a bit of an identity crisis at this place. Server / runner uniforms are dark jeans with seafoam green, small print gingham shirts. This seems more appropriate at a country style establishment. I would expect a crisp white shirt and tie to fit the upscale image they're trying to project with the atmosphere, menu, and marketing.
Final thoughts:
Some standout dishes, but service and consistency fell short this time. We may return, but not in a hurry.