Michael M
Google
I am writing this review as an Italian who lives in the area and moved here after spending the first part of my life in southern Italy. Massimo, whom I assume is the owner, was very nice during the brief time he interacted with us; he had a very welcoming, pleasant presence. Now, the rest of the experience.
Our server was not very knowledgeable about the dishes. I asked what the dishes named “carciofi” (artichokes in Italian) and “melanzane” (eggplant in Italian) were. The server, while seemingly frustrated by the questions, was unable to describe them other than by the English translation of the word and the color of the sauce. The “melanzane” was actually rolled eggplant with ricotta, covered with tomato sauce, basil and, for some reason, parsley. While subpar, it turned out to be the better part of the meal.
We also got the gnocchi alla bolognese and the linguine cacio e pepe. I’m not sure there was actually cacio in the cacio e pepe, as the flavor of the cheese was almost absent. The sauce, aside from the pepper, was mostly oil, garlic, a single tomato and, for some reason, parsley, all unexpected for this dish. The gnocchi, although advertised as potato-based, tasted and felt more like flour-based dumplings. The “bolognese”, a dish close to my roots, lacked the meat and character to be called that; it was almost a glorified tomato sauce, similar to one from a supermarket. To top it off, on the gnocchi alla bolognese there was, for some reason, a big chunk of parsley, impossible to mix into the dish.
The dessert tray did not look appealing, which matched the look of the individual desserts, so we passed. We were essentially forced to order two entrées to avoid a $6 “sharing fee,” a first for me. The meal totaled around $75 for two people, an ironically great price considering the amount of parsley throughout the dinner. I was quite disappointed tonight; a friend recommended this place not long ago, and I hope this was just an off night.
P.S. A truly Italian restaurant should pay more attention to the spelling on the menu and any signage around the establishment.