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| - We live very close to Gusto and loved it after its long awaited opening. We went multiple times a week to sit on the patio with our dogs or do takeout. Over the past couple months Gusto has really taken a nose dive. Paninis got dry and way over done, minimal sauce when it was supposed to be added to them. Chips were put in the same container as a hot panini and became soggy and basically inedible. Extra sauce, when requested, was provided in a very small fast food burger joint size condiment container and rarely was enough to add to both halves of the panini.The absolute best dish on the menu was the chicken manettone, half a breast winglet drum stick on, skin on, cubed potatoes and asparagus all very nicely done in a delicious lemon citrus sauce. You could ask for extra sauce and they would cook it right in with the dish. No Problem. Could not find anything like it anywhere else in town and it was worth the visit by itself. Well, after getting a few overdone, not sauced paninis we decided to give Gusto a rest. Earlier this week, after a month or so of not going, we thought we'd give them a second chance. So we ordered one of our favorite paninis for takeout and I specifically ordered extra aioli sauce on the side and asked the hostess to PLEASE make sure the chips were in a separate container. She assured me that that was the only way the kitchen was doing chips now. While the panini itself was actually done quite nicely, the owner had put the chips in the same container as the panini (you guessed it - soggy, soggy, soggy from the heat of the panini) and the side of aioli sauce we got was in a container the exact size of the aforementioned fast food condiment containers. Hardly enough to cover both halves of the panini. Luckily, I looked inside the bag after only going a few yards and saw no separate container of chips so I went back in and asked the lovely hostess - "Where are the chips??" So the she very nicely went and got a separate container of chips and put them in the bag. By the way, we are quite well known customers so I was not surprised the hostess went to get the chips with a big genuine smile. We have always been very respectful and nice to the staff. So the beautiful Tuesday night we had this week led us to take our dog and sit on the patio for a wine and beer and order to go. We ordered our favorite chicken manettone and the meatball tapas. When we got home and opened the chicken, I first noticed that there were now two chicken breast cutlets (not the previous delicious half breast with skin on.) The potatoes, which used to be cooked in with the chicken and asparagus in the sauce, were in a separate plastic container and were dry as a bone - ZERO SAUCE on the potatoes. There was also hardly enough sauce in with the chicken to even dampen it. We had asked for our usual extra sauce. Although it used to be cooked right in with the chicken, potatoes and asparagus, it was on the side, again in a the fast food condiment size container and in no way was enough to flavor.the dish. The chicken cutlets were mealy and very thin - NOT EVEN close to what was stated on the menu. On a positive note, the meatball tapas were as good as before. We called the owner the next night she informed us that she had changed the chicken as it was "too labor intensive and expensive" to prepare. She also said that it was she who had put the chips in with the panini without the separate container. I note that we paid the same as for the previous chicken manettone. She also told us she has removed the center cut sirloin steak from the menu in favor of a butcher steak!! WHAT?? Is there any comparison between center cut sirloin and shoe leather tough butcher steak?? M'thinks not!! By the way, I just brought the latest issue of Ballantyne Magazine in from the mail. What propitious timing!! Right there on page 49 in the article praising Gusto is a picture of the chicken manettone that we so dearly loved to cross our palates. Note the very nice portion of delicious citrus sauce in which the dish is swimming. Oh no!! It is the original dish, not the second rate chicken cutlet version that you can get almost anywhere in town under such intriguing names as chicken francaise, breaded chicken cutlets, Burger King or McD's crispy fried sandwiches (except the Gusto version is not crispy),, etc. Need I go on? SORRY to all the great staff, but we are done with Gusto. Too many other truly good places in Ballantyne. Save yourself the time, money and disappointment - go somewhere else.
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