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| - (closer to 3.5 stars)
PROS
+ Customizable pasta dishes
+ Patio seating available
+ Servers seem to be knowledgeable about the wine list
+ Takes credit cards
CONS
- Patio tables are spaced too closely together
- Slooowwww service (understaffed)
- Antipasti plate was just okay
Came around 7pm as a group of 3. Initially we wanted to sit outside at the patio but we couldn't find space to accommodate the 3 of us (only 2-tops were available). We ended up sitting outside. With the wide-open doors and windows we were still able to catch the warmth and summer breeze from outside.
We shared a bottle of the ALBARINO. As a chilled white it was plenty refreshing enough for a hot June evening but I found it to be a bit uninteresting and too light in taste to be memorable. It was said to be similar to the pinot grigio, which they had run out of. Our waitress seemed to be fairly knowledgeable about the wine list, which I appreciate.
We also shared the ANTIPASTI plate. Came with 2 kinds of charcuterie, sliced fresh mozzarella, 1 piece each of grilled eggplant & grilled zucchini, slices of provolone-like cheese, and wedges of sundried tomato. Everything was in portions of 4 except for the grilled veggies. I guess the plate was meant to be shared between 4 people. It was strange to have to cut up the veggies to divvy up. The meats were good, the mozz was good, and the star of the plate was the sundried tomatoes. The provolone-like cheese was unmemorable.
I had the DAILY PASTA #2, which on that day was penne rigate w/ hot italian sausage, sweet onions, & peas in a Parmesan cream sauce. I switched out the penne for spaghettini. I appreciated that the chef was able to accommodate my pasta request. The sausage was delicious - had a nice spicy kick and well-flavored with fennel. Al dente pasta, just the way it should be. A solid pasta dish here.
My friends had the other daily pasta, an olive-oil based spaghettini with various vegetables and shrimp; and the risotto with chicken and mushrooms. I found the pasta dish to be a bit dry. The risotto had a nice rich broth.
Service was extremely slow due to being understaffed. It took a long time to flag down our server each time, but she was pleasant and took good care of us in between running around.
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