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| - We were looking for a place to go for our anniversary and I stumbled across Aiello's in my internet search. Being from the east coast, it caught my eye. I reviewed the menu and other Yelp reviews and it sounded right up our alley, so I made a reservation (probably not really needed on a Tuesday night).
The place is small, probably less than 20 tables inside. (They do have outside seating, but a little warm to sit outside in June.) Service was great. Not rushed, and not too slow either.
We started with the calamari fritti. We are big calamari fans, so we tend to order this whenever we get the chance. It came with a fra diavolo sauce which definitely added some kick. The calamari was nicely fried and the batter was perfect - not too heavy so he had a good flavor.
For dinner, I had the spaghetti vongola (aka clams) with red sauce. Clams were cooked perfectly. I'll admit - I was a bit nervous about clams in the desert, but these were delicious. (I took my leftovers home and I'm actually eating them for lunch now as I type this.) My husband ordered the linguine fra diavolo. He loved it. He said the spice level wasn't overwhelming so he was able to taste everything without feeling like his mouth was on fire. And the clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari were all cooked perfectly too.
We ordered dessert to go - chocolate mousse torta for me and NY cheesecake for him - and enjoyed them at home later last night. Again, delicious.
Before we left, my husband grabbed a takeout menu because we definitely want to try Isa's pizza (which is located right next door - through a connecting door), maybe even as soon as this weekend. And we'll also be looking to try out Char in the near future too.
Aiello's is tiny, yet upscale. And prices are about what you'd expect to pay for good Italian food from back east. Oh, and maybe you'll get lucky and get your meal pretty much for free. They ask you for a number between 1 and 90 and if your number comes up, you win. Alas, we chose 14 since it was our 14th anniversary, and we didn't win. We should have just gone with my husband's lucky number...because that is what came out. Oh well...better luck next time - and yes, there will be a next time.
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