| rev:text
| - Been here a couple times and enjoyed it immensely. Can't remember the exact pizza that the Mr. & I had the first time on a lunch date, but it was vegetarian and delicioso! There is some magic in their crust, I'll tell you that much. We also love it when we see a Montepulciano on a wine menu. It's not as common as it ought to be.
Saturday night around 7:30 we decided last minute to go out. We tried 3 super swanky restaurants and they all had 1-2 hour wait times. We inquired at Cafe Porta Alba and were told 10 minutes. Que buona fortuna?
There was live music and it was cheery without being too loud. How many restaurants have the owner working in the kitchen, who then stops cooking long enough to jam with the band? Cafe Porta Alba does! Other than an Italian film playing on a flat screen, there wasn't much wall decor, but that shouldn't matter because the art is on the plate.
My hubby enjoyed the Barbera and I was happy to see two Chiantis on the wine list...though I wish I would have had a glass of each instead of two of the same. Guess I'll have to go back. See how sad I am about that? We both had the Seafood Linguine and the noodles tasted like they were freshly made. Bonus! The sauce was light and fresh, and the seafood was rich; a perfect balance. The mussels were a little salty but very tender and I gobbled them up. The shrimp was cooked to perfection, and the scallops seemed carmelized and had a smokey flavor that made me want to keep eating even after I was getting full. The portion sizes were very sensible. My hungry hubby finished his dish, but I set aside some of mine to leave room for dessert...AND to have a fantastic lunch the next day (the leftovers were so good I ate them cold!).
Speaking of cold, we ordered the Chocolate Truffle for dessert, and I don't know what zabaione cream is, but it was surrounded with chocolate gelato, sprinkled with carmelized hazelnuts, and then the whole thing was dusted with cocoa powder. I took the smallest bites I could just to make it last longer. Our server Clay (I think!?) knew how to perfectly pace the entire meal, and on this busy Saturday night he was courteous, collected, and efficient. He also paused while taking our order to give applause to the live musicians, and since I'm married to one, I was tickled that he took the few seconds to show his appreciation. A++ for him!
One of the questions Yelp asks: Is this good for kids? Errrr...I'd say maybe the 6+ crowd, IF they're the well-behaved ones who can QUIETLY sit still through a meal. If they're expecting Chuck E Cheese cardboard & grease pies, don't ruin everyone else's night when they're subjected to REAL food and throw a tantrum. Not a lot of room for baby carriers either, so if that's what your packin', come by in the off hours and you'll have plenty of room.
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