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| - A good friend suggested Matteo's so, we headed there on a recent weekend. As usual, hubs and I were a few minutes behind so our dinning companions went ahead and ordered an appetizer while they waited. When I arrived, I was very surprised by the decor- trendy yet classy. Modern and open. I loved it. There were very few tables and a decent sized bar in the very back. Seemed a bit odd to have to walk past all of the diners to get a drink at the bar. This type/size of restaurant seems more suited for BYOB, in my opinion. Now onto the food.
The greens and beans app arrived just as we joined the table. We gave it a try and were immediately impressed. As I enjoyed the complimentary flavors of the sausage, beans and spinach, I looked over the menu as well as the specials written on the chalk board at the back of the room. They had me at vodka sauce. Penne, vodka and prosciutto. I sipped on a glass of wine while anxiously waiting.
If vodka sauce is on the menu, there's about 100% chance I will be trying it. That said, I've tried a number of vodka sauces all over the city. In all of my vodka experiences, I can confidently say this was one of my favorites. In addition to a bright, tangy and well balanced sauce, there were large chunks of prosciutto. It wasn't topped with small slices (or as I say, flakes) of prosciutto. No, no. There were thick, chunks mixed throughout. However, I still craved more meaty goodness so, I asked for a side of sausage. A few minutes later I was presented with sliced sausage on a bed of greens. The sausage seemed a bit spicier than what was in the greens and beans app but, ultimately very delicious.
Overall, my experience at Matteo's was phenomenal . . . so far. Then it came time for the check. We asked for separate checks by couple (2 couples). There were a couple issues with the checks and it ended up taking us over half an hour to pay! Services had been a little slow all night but this was ridiculous. However, the food will definitely bring me back for round two. Hopefully the service improves before then.
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