This was the first time my fiancee and I dined at Rico's (Friday, 3 November 2017). The offering of only valet parking is a drawback for me and something which I do not like. The patron gets off to a great start with the welcome that is received from the distinguished gentleman host. The restaurant is enormous, attractive, comfortable, and elegant. The standout of the entire staff is host Lisa Rose, who immediately caused us to feel that we were with a friend. She is a dynamo: charming, gracious, friendly, smiling, and ingratiating, one of the finest people I have encountered in the hospitality industry. The restaurant is elegant and comfortable. The policy of not taking reservations was not a problem, given the large seating capacity. We were seated immediately. Unfortunately, we were placed between two loud parties, including one with about eight guests whose members had no idea that their talking over each other could be heard throughout the restaurant. Our server, Francis, has an accent, rendering him not easy to understand, but he is a consummate professional: gracious, pleasant, attentive, and knowledgeable. Our food was delicious. We were taken aback by the high prices and the fact that dinners do not include side dishes or salad. The gentleman who prepares salads tableside was loud and was overheard talking about menopause and diapers as he prepared a salad for the loud couple next to us. Our fried zucchini, veal parmigiana, and pasta rotolo were delicious and portions standard size. Our glasses of wine were enjoyable, but tiny for the $8 price. We were not bowled over by the bread and roll selection and these should be served warm in a restaurant of this stature: they were not. Soft whipped butter would be more appealing than hard pats of it. We were taken aback by the high prices, significantly greater than two of our favorites for this type of cuisine: Scoglio and Franco's Trattoria. I dine at a wide variety of fine restaurants. I have never before encountered one which charges $4.50 for blue cheese or gorogonzola dressing, more than twice the price of the salad when ordered with a dinner. I realize how fortunate I am to have Franco's in my community, where I can make a reservation and for $17 receive a huge portion of delicious chicken parmigiana, large bowl of chicken pastina soup, large side dish of daily changing chef-inspired mashed potatoes or pasta, and an assortment of Breadworks products served with whipped butter. Additionally, Franco's offers many opportunities throughout the year for 10% off or more when one purchases gift cards: unbeatable. As we departed, I stopped at the host stand to tell Lisa Rose to tell her how enjoyable she made the evening for us and how wonderful she is: she was deeply touched. She walked out to the foyer with us and told us how we had made her day. She asked my fiancee her name and hugged her. She left us glowing.