Kyle P.
Yelp
It's really a special thing when the staff at a restaurant go out of their way to make you feel at home. I hate to paraphrase a chain restaurant, but when you're at Tutto Fresco, you really are family.
My wife and I have been coming here since we discovered it more than five years ago. It's been our date night, our new job celebration spot, our we're too tired to cook so let's go out spot, etc. We've had tons of things on the menu, sampled many of their vast Italian wines, and have asked for many a "specialty" dish (if you've never tried Chicken Parmigiana in pesto sauce, you should - the chef even came out of the kitchen to tell me how much he enjoyed making that one).
I wouldn't say that we are regulars like some of the folks we see enjoying the restaurant, especially because we make so much of our own Italian food at home. But, we are there enough for much of the staff to recognize us and make us feel special every time we walk in.
Last night, for example, we walked in around 5:30 and were greeted with handshakes from Efrain Jr and Samuel, two lovely and knowledgeable staff members who truly have a passion for the service industry. This was only the second time we'd visited in the past four months, but they greeted us like we were home with our families for the holidays. Just a wonderful feeling and great start to the night.
Tutto Fresco is never completely full, there's always a table available, but it is never empty. Which makes it a great spot to enjoy a meal, a bottle of wine, and some conversation over the course of an evening. Last night, we spent three hours at our table, conscious to make sure our table wasn't needed.
We enjoyed the buffalo caprese special to start, the freshest of fresh beefsteak tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, truly delicious. Later, we each had a play on fusilli primavera, this time in vodka sauce and chicken. The vodka sauce, as is the case with all of their sauces, is really well executed, not too heavy or too much on the plate, but enough to coat the pasta and elevate the dish. The vegetables were super fresh and slightly al dente, providing a brightness and textural juxtaposition that worked perfectly.
As we continued to enjoy our bottle of chianti, and chatted with Samuel (who really is just about the best server you will ever have in your life), the staff brought out some of their complimentary, homemade limoncello. It is excellent, and was the perfect cap to a delightful evening.
My wife always sings "a bottle of red, a bottle of white" whenever we go here because it really has become our little Italian restaurant. We've been lucky to become "regulars" at a couple of places in the city these past six years, but nowhere do we feel more at home, more appreciated, and more comfortable than at Tutto Fresco.
We'll see you again soon!
