rev:text
| - very disappointed
friends who live in the area...recommended this restaurant a year ago, for a date i was going to go on -- the date didn't happen, but, last night, i was going to see the opera 'aida,' at the nearby movie theater, and decided to start off a great evening, with a suitably fine meal
very little...was good -- the bread was warm -- soft -- fine tasting -- the cannoli was very good -- delicate,...sweet cream -- soft, flaky pastry
the music was very good -- sinatra, great american songbook, that sort of thing -- beautiful old wedding pictures...on the walls -- large, nicely framed -- well preserved -- i saw at least one...from 1925
now the bad news
i ordered the eggplant parmigiana -- came with a side of pasta -- penne -- the pasta was flooded with sauce, which wasn't...very tasty -- the eggplant...was just okay -- sizable portion, though
i asked the waitress about the appetizers -- i didn't get an enthusiastic response for the interesting-sounding spinach appetizer, but i did get some enthusiasm...for the fried zucchini -- over the past year, i've had fried zucchini in two restaurants in pittsburgh (which, granted, is the capital of friend zucchini) -- so i was keen to try...this -- but, what i got...was no better...than what you get...at a fast-food restaurant, with fried mozzarella -- actually, worse (the breading...dominated the zucchini) -- and the dips...came in plastic cups
even the lambrusco...wasn't...so good -- how can you miss with that
i thought i might end the meal...on a high note...with a good cup of coffee -- cappuccino, latte, whatever -- i asked the waitress how the coffee was -- she didn't encourage me (thank goodness...for honesty -- then, again, who knows -- i struck out with the zucchini and the eggplant) -- so i settled on the cannoli, which was good
the bill -- 28-something -- before the tip
well, the meal...made me wonder
when a person has a bad experience at a restaurant, he's not coming back -- don't they have people in the kitchen,...somewhere in the restaurant,...who test the food -- taste the food -- the sauce -- before they serve it -- somebody...who'll give...'the thumbs-up,' 'thumbs-down'...for a particular dish -- that this...is of...good-enough quality...to serve -- or not serve
makes me wonder...how such a restaurant could survive
well, the opera...was great -- and i enjoyed a couple rows of a cadbury candy bar
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