Am beginning to warm to Gusto, located in the Ballantyne Shopping Center at the intersection of Ballantyne Commons and Hwy 521. Have had a couple of not so good visits, but lately the visits are A-OK.
Menu is simple but different. A blend of Italian and Spanish offering lots of tapas and pastas. Lunch menu is different than dinner as dinner offers tapas which are not for lunch. A very good bar that has an active happy hour and lots of drink specials most every day.
There is another room off to the side where we have had dinner with our son's family of 5 so with us the 7 of us had a larger table and excellent service. So if you have a large party, ask for this separate room.
They make a Bolognese sauce that really makes the lasagna and other pasta dishes sing. Rich and meaty it is a treat. Wife loves Bolognese and with their beet and goat cheese salad she sings. I love the braised short ribs that are so tender and rich that you are challenged to get it all down. Not that you don't want to, but the decadence of the dish overwhelmed me.
They do a good job here, so give it a shot.