Karen D.
Yelp
We don't go out to eat often, because I know how to cook and do it well.
Both my husband and daughter LOVE parmesan and pasta, so I saw that Marcello's offered the tableside cheese wheel pasta, and made reservations (for a Thursday night at 5:30pm) as a special surprise and treat.
We arrived early, and were seated within about 10 minutes of arriving.
My daughter ordered the cheese wheel entre ($36), guy who took the order said that it is usually served with linguine, but offered her other types of pasta. She chose penne. My husband ordered the cheese wheel appetizer with linguine (was supposed to be $18 - as told on the phone), and I ordered the braised short rib & mushroom risotto entre.
Preface this - we were the only ones in the restaurant the ENTIRE time.
After about 15 minutes, the chef heads out to do the tableside service. No welcoming greeting, no conversation - he basically looked pissed to be there. My husband tried asking a few questions about the cheese wheel, but the chef really didn't want to be bothered, so husband stopped talking.
I noticed that the portions were very small, and that my husband's portion looked about the same as my daughter's - I assumed that it was because they were different types of pasta. He prepared the penne first, and it came out extremely cheesy. He then did my husband's, and it appeared more fluid and hardly any cheese.
My entre arrived just as chef was finishing the pasta.
First, the good news - the short rib and risotto dinner was wonderful.
The bad news: My daughter's pasta had a really "off" taste and was really strong, my husband's pasta was a little watery and a lot less cheese, but still okay. For $36, we expected a nice portion of pasta. I mean, it's pasta and cheese.
When a waitress came over to ask how everything came out, my daughter explained the difference in the two pasta dishes, and that she couldn't really even eat hers - it was too "off". Waitress went into kitchen and returned after a good 5 minutes.
Waitress said that the problem with the meal is that the alcohol gets caught in the pasta and doesn't fully burn off, thus the "off" taste. Well, we would have appreciated a heads up on that one - she would have just gotten the linguine. If this is a known problem, why do they offer other pastas with the cheese wheel?
Waitress said that my daughter could order something else, but she didn't think she could take the pasta off the bill. Wait, WHAT? My daughter explained that she was excited about the pasta and asked if chef can make her another one - she wasn't looking to get something else. She came for the cheese wheel experience. Mind you - she only had about 3 bites, her plate was still full. My daughter said never mind, if she's going to be charged the $36, she'll just bring it home for me to try to "fix" it. Also reminder - there is absolutely NO ONE else in the restaurant. The chef never came out, even though kitchen was 10 feet from our table.
We shared the rest of my meal and my husband's "appetizer". When waitress came back over,she offered us free dessert for the issue. We basically just wanted to pay and leave, but my daughter said that she at least wanted dessert to eat on the way home because she was hungry.
When we got the bill, we saw that even the order wasn't placed right. We were charged for 2 cheese wheel entres at $36 each, not one entre and an appetizer as ordered.
I've never heard of an experience where there is an issue with the meal, and you are charged, even though you can't eat it. And, if you do order something else, you are still charged for the "bad" one.
Poor service, poor attitude by chef. When I pay $100 for pasta, I expect a decent portion and for it to be edible.
Never going back.