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| - Molto Bene just opened in Lakewood not long ago, right next to India Garden. My girlfriend and I came here for dinner with a group of 16 Yelpers for supper club. It's a pretty small place in a house-like building. The place is really nicely decorated and clean.
They had our table ready with a nice hand written welcome sign, which we all thought was a nice touch! The complimentary flat bread with EVOO/balsamic for dipping was ok, but a few of the pieces were a bit charred for my liking. Appetizers came out quickly and the servers filled our water glasses without having to ask. They don't have a liquor license, but you can BYOB. I wish I would've known that beforehand though. With the building being very small, the kitchen is tiny with only 2 chefs, so it really took forever for our entrees to come out...I mean a long time. The kitchen was clearly overwhelmed, but having grown up in the restaurant business, I know how that can be.
The servers were fantastic though and they apologized for the long wait a number of times. I ordered the Eggplant Parm with a side salad and it was pretty good..I was starving, so I inhaled it pretty quickly. My girlfriend ordered the Penne alla Carbonara and it was good, but I think I could easily make that at home. The head chef is from Italy and he came out to chat with the table afterwards. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he had a cool accent.
In addition to serving Italian fare, Molto Bene has a nice walkup gelato counter with some amazing flavors! I had the Espresso and it was magnifico! When I'm in the Lakewood/Rocky River area, I'll be sure to stop in just for the gelato! I'd come back to dine in with a smaller group and when it's less busy though. I'll say, 3 stars for the dining experience and 1 extra for the amazing gelato!
Overall, I enjoyed my dinner there and hope the restaurant does well!
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