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| - This review is for Winterlicious 2018 -
First thing to note is that usually Ufficio is not open on Mondays or Tuesdays, but for -licious days it is open. Our table of 4 came for dinner with a reservation made weeks in advance and I would recommend a reservation because the restaurant is quite small and it does fill up.
3.5/5 atmosphere - Very romantic, very... hip? The lighting is kept dim and the kitchen is open concept such that if you sat at tables near the kitchen end you can see everything. However, as the place is quite small, it gets pretty loud with everyone's conversations. The background music is not that overwhelmingly loud though, which is important because isn't it sooo annoying to have to yell at one another over loud music when trying to enjoy a lovely meal? My main criticism is that the tables are situated way too close together. Ufficio, you gotta get rid of some of those tables to make breathing space for existing customers.
4/5 food - Impeccable flavors and quality, but lost 1 star for serving such teeny, tiny portions! I ordered the vegan ribollita soup, which came with the best salty artisan bread ever, to start, followed by the lentils and cod as the main and polenta cake as dessert. The cod is to die for, so tender, so flavorful - especially the skin! Do yourself a huge favor and eat the fish skin. It's crispy and oozes with flavor. The pasta dishes were a bit disappointing however. AVOID ordering the vegetarian porcini pasta! It comes with like, 7 pieces.
For dessert, the polenta cake was more moist than I would have liked and tasted kind of generic, like a cupcake. But the roasted pistachios scattered around the cake and fig compote were nice embellishments. I might opt for the hazelnut affogato next time.
Wonderful service. Dunno why so many previous reviews called out the service - we had a wonderful server who was both fast and respectful of our need for family time.
In conclusion, I won't be back again for -licious because the portions are too damn small, but I might be back to treat myself/date nights with the a la carte menu.
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