Four stars based on Lidia's stellar reputation but not the meal my wife and I received.
First, parking around the block was impossible. We found a spot in a paid parking lot across the street. For $6 we were able to park about a quarter mile away. I need the exercise anyway.
Our waitress was very helpful and attentive. I was interested in trying Lidia's bolognese sauce. Even though it was not on the menu, they served a small plate of spaghetti with bolognese sauce. Big points for accommodating my request. But the sauce was watery without much flavor. I was impressed with the knife skills of whoever fine diced the carrots. Just surprised/disappointed with the results. There are probably as many different bolognese recipes as Italian cooks. This may have been perfectly prepared but I was expecting more depth of flavor in a carefully built, slow simmered sauce.
As others have mentioned, the bread service is great. The scoops of basil and olive flavored spread were a little bland. When combined with the fresh bread with salt crystals on the crust, the result was really good.
I had the white bean soup of the day. It was a bit bland needing a little more salt. Same opinion of the gnocchi with braised duck ragu. The ragu sauce had much more flavor than the soup and was enjoyable but could have been better with a touch more salt.
As a classically trained newbe cook, I try to eat the best of the best foods when I can. It is easy to follow a recipe. It is very hard to prepare a dish perfectly. I was hoping for perfection. Don't think that is what I got - but really enjoyed the bread and great service.