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| - I had dinner at Aiello's with eleven others last Saturday. Upon entering, I was hit with the wonderful aroma of Italian food and quickly took note of the cozy ambiance (always important to me). This seemed to be a good date spot as there were several tables with couples. Also, the restaurant was full of patrons but did not seem crowded, which was nice.
They did not have my white of choice, Riesling, so I opted for a glass of the Salvalai Pinot Grigio ($8). We skipped appetizers and instead noshed on the fresh bread and dipping sides (loved the spicy peppers).
I wanted to try the pesto gnocchi but when I saw spaghetti alla puttanesca ($15) on the menu, I had to order it. Puttanesca is one of my specialties, so I was interested in finding out how their version would compare to mine. When the waitress set the plate in front of me, I was excited; the smell and look of the dish was right. However, when I took the first bite, I noticed right away it was too salty. The olives were served whole (there were quite a few of them) and the chef was a little too heavy-handed with the olive oil and anchovies. Since the puttanesca sauce require ingredients that are already salty (capers, olives, anchovy fillets), it's especially important to balance the salty items with the rest of the ingredients. When I make the sauce, I slice the Kalamata olives, which helps to temper the briny saltiness. I also add a bit of dry, red wine for added flavor.
For dessert we ordered the tiramisu and cannoli. I took a bite of each and thought the tiramisu was too light (barely any coffee flavor), but the cannoli was delicious!
I was too distracted by the conversations at our table and only managed to get a few pictures of the dishes from that night. The others gave the food two thumbs up, so this gives me hope for my next visit.
Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Kudos to her for being willing to split the check multiple ways.
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