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| - It was only a matter of time until we tried La Tavola. I felt like every time I turned around, someone was having a birthday celebration, wedding rehearsal dinner or big meet up at the Italian joint up on the hill. I can completely see why!
After being unable to get reservations a few days prior a few times, the wife and I secured a table and embarked on a double date with some close friends. Walking though the front door (and to be honest, not exactly knowing where to go to find a hostess), we immediately realized this place is a family affair. Massive dinning rooms we filled with more large (8+) parties than I think I've ever seen in a establishment.
After being sat, our server immediately greeted us and opened our bottles of wine (BYOB!), explaining the restaurant concept and current fresh offerings as he went. While the place was definitely buzzing, it wasn't too loud that a conversation couldn't be held. As we were figuring out what we wanted to eat, one thing that resounded to me well was the sheer amount of contact the cooks, servers and owners had with their patrons (which completely explains my inclination that this is definitely a "regulars" place).
After placing our orders, we were greeted with fresh garlic bread (generic, but tasty) and our appetizers (calamari and banana peppers) came out quickly. Both were well executed, albeit a bit standard as well. This trend continued with our entrees... crab tortellini, porchetta, etc. all well executed, tasty, but ultimately just missing something (we'll call it that "finishing touch"). I'm not a big cannoli eater, but our was one of the more delicious items we had, and the cannoli aficionado of the group definitely approved.
Overall, we left stuffed, happy and glad our wallets hadn't been crushed. While I don't think I'll go back all the time, La Tavola will definitely be a staple recommendation for people looking for a good group dinner spot.
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