K Van Petten
Google
Radicato has quite a reputation, with a James Beard nomination and an award-winning sister restaurant, so we chose it for a birthday dinner. We didn’t have a reservation but were seated right away. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to the hype.
The dining room was incredibly loud—multiple large, rowdy groups (including bachelorette parties), which made it almost impossible to hear each other across the table. On top of that, we were seated next to the server station and could overhear staff venting. Understandably, they seemed overwhelmed, but the energy in the room was chaotic and stressful.
We came for the pasta—we were excited to try it and asked our server which one was a must. They confidently recommended the rigatoni, so we went with that. When it arrived, the sauce was thin and watery, and the flavor just didn’t land. It was underwhelming, especially considering it was the dish they highlighted.
We kept our meal light—just a salad, a side, and the pasta to share and another side—along with two glasses of red wine. The pacing of the meal was awkward, with a long gap between the courses. By the time the main arrived, the wine was long gone, and the moment had passed.
The food overall was fine but forgettable. Service was polite but clearly under pressure, and the vibe was disjointed. For a place calling itself “Mountain Italian,” the atmosphere lacked identity—odd background music, mismatched art, and no real connection to the local setting.
It wasn’t a bad meal, but it definitely wasn’t the thoughtful, memorable experience we’d hoped