| rev:text
| - I was feeling like pasta, and I did not feel like cooking. So, I did a search for the "top italian takeout in North York" and was gratified to find that the #1 rated place, Cucina di Paisano, happens to be a 5 minute drive away. I had never heard of or seen this restaurant, so I was excited to try it. Needless to say, had I stayed home and made myself some KD, I would have been much better off!
Let's start with the service. When I called, the person who answered inexplicably went radio silent in the middle of the conversation, not once, but twice! This was followed by no explanation or apology when she returned. Moreover, when I asked for my order - Penne alle vodka, with added meatballs - which was taken directly from the takeout menu on their website, for some reason it seemed to confuse her and her tone was rude and brusque. I could hear lots of noise and bustle in the background (a full volume conversation in the background during my call in fact), so it occurred to me that she simply had lost her composure because the place was busy.
I realize that a restaurant experience is not solely defined by the phone call, and I was starving, so I headed in still looking forward to a great meal. I had been told that it would be ready in 10-15 minutes. When I arrived, I asked the host where to go for my order. He directed me to the cash to pay. I walked over and stood for a full 5 minutes, while employees constantly walked by and around me (it is beside the kitchen), and every one of them completely ignored me. This included a person who appeared to be the manager - he actually used the computer right in front of me and did not even acknowledge my presence; to be fair to him, he wasn't the only person to do this to me, as one of his colleagues had already done the same thing.
I am respectful that there are many people to serve in a busy food place, and do not feel entitled to jump the queue, however trust me when I say that I am not shy and was making eye contact with anyone whom I could. FINALLY, someone got the message and asked, "is anyone helping you?" With relief, I told him what I was waiting for, but unbelievably, he then disappeared, and walked by me several times on his way to other tasks without ever assisting me!
After another 5-10 minutes, I finally lost my patience and corralled someone and explained what I was there for and how long I had been waiting. She did not apologize (a recurring theme here apparently). My order seemed to confuse her, but she processed my payment and then went to speak to a cook, who also seemed visibly perplexed. Following that - you guessed it! - she did not engage me again, despite passing me several times on her way back and forth to the kitchen.
After another 5 minutes had passed, I flagged another person. To give her credit, she was the only genuinely pleasant and helpful person whom I encountered during the whole ordeal. It took her a few minutes because no one seemed to know where my order was, but she found it and sent me on my way.
Okay, so at this point, I was not in a good mood, but I was famished and a great plate of pasta would have been a saving grace. But alas, that was not to be, as apparently Cucina delivers a completely consistent end-to-end experience. The pasta was horridly overcooked - not just slightly, but very soft and limp - almost gooey. I should mention that my two room mates eagerly tested the pasta, had the same reaction and would not take a second bite.
To top it off, I had paid $2 extra to add meatballs to this very subpar container of pasta (for a total of $16+tx), and this resulted in the addition of a single meatball plunked on the top of the pasta. It looked good, but the texture was oddly squishy, like soggy bread; the meatball itself was fairly tasty though.
BOTTOM LINE: Very poor value for the money. Avoid this place and SAVE YOUR MONEY. I hear that PizzaPizza has some pasta dishes and they would be hard-pressed not to exceed the quality of this place.
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