Rose E.
Yelp
For once, I have to start with this pesky issue of seating here.
As always, I made an RSVP for early dinner (5:15 pm!) via Open Table, with a request for a nice patio table. Well, there were only 2 tables full when we arrived (practically empty!)...and I asked if we could sit by the fountain. The hostess said that those tables (2 by the fountain) were for parties of 4...so we were seated in one of the tables for 2. Not a problem at this point. Flash-forward to around the time we nearly finished our meal, we noticed that the 2 fountain-side tables were still left open! Then this couple strolled in around 6:30 pm while we were nearly done with our dessert, and they got seated in one of those tables for 4. ?!? Frankly, we were quite peeved. This is at least the second time I requested a table by the fountain, and was basically dissed.
That said, if you check my previous reviews, I've given this restaurant nothing less than 5 stars...repeatedly. I have been going to this restaurant for over 35 years, in fact...well before I got married. Not a "regular" in the sense that I'd visit super-frequently...but I have been a fan of this restaurant for years, and have dined here over 2 dozen times. Even their featured picture on Yelp was by me from our previous visit!! Guess none of this qualifies me for their better patio tables.
Both my husband and I absolutely love the foods here. For me, it's the patio ambiance that I love even more than the foods. Their wait service has always been on point. By now, it's not only my favorite, but my husband's favorite Italian restaurant as well. For this latest dining, we still managed to enjoy the experience...despite the seating. We loved the foods, as usual (though not going into details this time!), and the service was polished and on point, as usual.
Still, the pesky seating issue remains. I just feel that they reserve the best patio tables for their favorite guests (the frequent regulars maybe?). While I know some restaurants do this, I'm just not a fan of this biased policy. For this issue alone, I'm deducting a star. I mean, why keep dropping raving 5-star reviews when we're not getting our seating of choice??
So this time I'm going to review things differently. For their foods, ambiance and wait service, I feel that they deserve 5 stars. For their biased seating, however, I feel that they deserve 3 at best. Overall dining experience? I feel that 4 Stars is fair.