Alessia's is the biggest disappointment I have found on Yelp. After seeing all the great reviews, I had been wanting to try this place for some time. With so many 5 star reviews and a number of people on here raving about the freshness and quality of the food, I had high hopes. Unfortunately Alessia's didn't live up to the hype. The service was very slow, which I won't hold against them. Most people were sipping wine, so maybe it's their intention to slow it down a bit. The bread is garbage. Probably the worst part of my night there. It tasted like they went across the street to Basha's and bought some rolls that they heated up in the microwave. A good Italian restaurant has to have good bread. The rest of our meal didn't get much better. The pasta we ordered was disappointing. Small portions, small taste, big cost. Definitely not worth the price we paid or the time we waited. The reviews I read did not describe the food I ate. I understand if you love Alessia's for the atmosphere, the wine or maybe because it's hard to find a place like this in Mesa, but the food I ate did not deserve 4.5 stars. It was bad enough that I have no intention of giving Alessia's a second chance. Not the worst I've ever had, just the most disappointing. One last gripe I have is the service. The bad jokes and cheesy Italian don't fit with everything else this place is trying to do. The guy did know his stuff, but he was slow and made me feel awkward more than I'd expect.