A for effort, B- for execution.
The interior was nicely redone from the last occupant. Warm and welcoming.
Service was slightly slow at the bar, but very good in the dining room.
Wine list was decent. I had a Vernaccia (hard to find around here) and a Volapachello (sp?) that was particularly good.
Seems like they have been experimenting with bread, based on what I read on prior reviews. Gone are both the breadsticks and the white bread, in is a dry wheat loaf. The two flavored butters were great, though.
Hubby had the Italian beef sandwich. The beef was great, but the focaccia bread was the wrong bread for this sandwich. The side of sweet potato tots was disappointingly bland.
I had the butternut squash and spinach ravioli. The ravioli themselves were perfect. The sauce was a little thick, but tasty. There appeared to be some diced apples that were cooked down on top. Those should be removed from the recipe.
All in all, an ok experience. I'd eat there over Olive Garden and it would be a toss up with Paisans if they worked out a few kinks. For more upscale Italian, I'll stick with Lombardinos or Portabella.
I waivered between two and three stars, but it was a decent experience other than three or four "kinks" and I'd like to keep the local joint around as a west side Italian option.