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| - Based on rave reviews from other Yelpers, I went to Caffe Boa with high expectations. Alas, my experience there was a bit of a disappointment due to said high expectations.
My sister and I had a reservation for an early dinner (5pm) yesterday and after lucking out on a parking spot right in front (coin-operated meter); we were seated pretty quickly by the (unsmiling) hostess. At this time, we were probably the third occupied table in the restaurant.
The décor and vibe featured a modern and elegant main dining room on the inside and an intimate patio area decorated with intertwining vines and bursts of colors from flowers. The restaurant began to fill up by 6pm and consisted mostly of casual to business-casual middle-aged folks.
I started off with a glass of their Pinot Grigio ($7) and found it to be very smooth and strong. The Brushetta ($10) consisted of huge slices of Ciabatta bread, topped with slices olives, capers, chunks of tomatoes, and slices of basil. This was my fave dish of the night as it was so full of flavor (albeit a bit chunky in texture). We tried eating this as daintily as we could but ended up making a big mess.
I was wavering between trying the Agnolotti (grilled forest mushroom ravioli) or the Autumn Maccaroncello (butternut squash with wild honey sauce and goat cheese pasta) and opted for the Maccaroncello ($17) since I was intrigued by the combination of ingredients. When the waiter brought the dish over, my belly did a happy flip since it looked and smelled delicious. I took the first bite and although the initial taste was packed full of butternut squash and cheese flavor, I was a bit taken aback by the saltiness of the sauce and the "too al dente" texture of the pasta. I drank a sip of water to cleanse my palate and tried another bite...with the same result! Being an optimist (when it comes to food), I drank a sip of the wine and tried another bite...same darn result! Sigh, sigh, sigh! At this point I felt full and so settled back to watch my sister pick at her dish...read below.
My sister initially chose the Toasted Herb Gnocchi (milk braised Dutch Valley veal sweetbreads in gravy) but after being told by the waiter that the sweetbreads won't be ready for consumption for who knows how long, she opted for the Mezzaluna Ravioli ($16 / pork stuffed ravioli in broth). When the waiter brought her plate over, I almost choked on my glass of wine. The darned dish looked just like a bowl of steamed wontons in broth that one can find at a Chinese restaurant! My sister said it tasted just like wontons too and offered me a bite...which I declined.
Although we wanted to try the tiramisu, we opted out of that due to our disappointment in our dishes.
Our waiter provided very good service and seemed eager to please. Caffe Boa's website boasts that their menu consists of Mediterranean, Slavic, Asian, and Cajun preparation and states that they focus on using seasonally inspired, all natural, organic ingredients. I agree that their ingredients seemed fresh and I did taste the Asian influence in the dishes; however, the effort fell short of my expectations. I admire the chef for his innovation though, and will have to give this restaurant another try before I completely give up on them.
Overall, for one glass of wine, an appetizer, and two entrees, our bill came to approximately $50 (before tip).
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