Vivian C.
Yelp
Over the years, the price of Tavolo's Pasta Tour has crept up from $18 in 2009, to its current $30 for 3 courses in 2014.
On this visit, the tour took us to the Lombardy region of Italy, with the following on the menu:
House Cured Bresaola ~ farm boiled egg, arugula, fried capers
Braised Veal Brisket ~ saffron risotto, watercress, preserved lemon sauce
Almond Cake ~ mascarpone, pistachio brittle
A few changes had occurred over the years. No longer did everyone have to strive to make it for the same 6:30pm seating to enjoy this special prix-fixe. No longer did we have to sit awkwardly with strangers at long tables. But no longer was there a formal description of our evening's repast by the chef. Though the cool lamps still hung from their ceiling, the space was no longer bright and casual, but was now a bit more formal, yet still warm and welcoming.
Rather than ordering the Pasta Tour times 2 for me and my DC, we opted to share one of those along with an appetizer and a pizza. And I'm so glad we did, as the veal - though tender - tasted weird to me. Perhaps it was the seasoning? It was not distasteful to my DC, however, so while I turned my attention to the risotto and the Pear & Gorgozola pizza $13 (ricotta, sage, local honey) after my single piece of veal, my DC single handedly finished off the rest of the young cow chunks. The pizza, though a bit burnt here and there on the underside, was a a nice mix of sweet and savory.
Prior to this entree course, however, were the Polenta alla Icarus: Madeira-braised shitake, oyster mushrooms, parmesan $10 and the smaller plate of bresaola, which was portioned for one. The polenta was quite warming and rich an appetizer - perfect for a chilly winter evening. The cured meat was nice but simple.
But the star of our meal was the sweet ending. The almond cake itself was a tad dry, but the generous sprinkling of shattered brittle - though initially curious and misleading - was both pretty and tasty, and added a nice crunch.
Service was pleasant though a bit leisurely as our visit lasted nearly 2 hours. It probably didn't help that we were first presented with the wrong add-on appetizer.