First of all, you have to admire the ambiance of this place. It's such an odd mish-mash that somehow manages to work together. Think: gothic mansion meets Ikea modern (lights) meets 1950's black and white movie photos. Who thought to put these things together? Yet it oddly feels cohesive in this warm italian cave-like restaurant. And did I mention the grey and black paisley suspenders that the waitstaff wear? Awesome.
Service was incredibly fast and very attentive. Our waiter did the "sparkling or still?" water upsell but was gracious when we just asked for tap. He recited the specials of the day with aplomb. He also checked in on us throughout the meal unobtrusively to make sure we were happy. Great service.
The food itself was better than I expected. Spinach, mushroom and goat cheese salad was nothing special, but a perfectly decent start to the meal. Since it was obvious that my husband and I were sharing it, the waitstaff split it for us onto two generous plates without being asked. Love those little extra attentive touches. The Linguine Frutti Di Mare was terrific. A rich, tomatoey, slightly acidic sauce that didn't overpower the generous shellfish. Calamari, clams, muscles and scallops were all perfectly cooked - not a chewy bite in the entire dish. The Penne Arrabbiata was spicy and full of dense black olives. Rigatoni Romani was, according to my friend, "Rich, but not heavy. Not too cheesy, not too smoky - but nicely cheesy and smoky" Hmm. I'll take him at his word that he enjoyed it - he happily ate the whole thing. Gamberi Del Conte was "light and lemony," according to my other friend. The pasta was not fresh, but it was cooked perfectly.
On the whole, a very good restaurant experience. Food and service were both highly generous.
Vegetarian score = 8/10. Lots of choices between the apps, pastas and pizzas and very good variety.