Tuesday 12/10/2024 I…read moreoriginally visited this spot back in 2021 for a sit down visit with the family. I remember getting the chicken fettuccine Alfredo but I couldn't remember too much of what I thought of the spot while my fam thought it was pretty good. It's been a minute so I've finally decided to come back to review this spot. I ordered online through DoorDash for pick up and once I got there the door was locked for some reason but luckily after I called them they unlocked the door. The inside looked a bit different from the first time I was there (last time looked more spacious) but it still looked decent. For my order I got the pappardelle bolognese $22, fettuccine Alfredo $20, and classic chicken parmigiano $21. - the pappardelle bolognese was my favorite of the 3. It had a creamy tomato flavor sauce that was paired nicely with beef to make a very good tasting dish. - The fettuccine Alfredo was okay but it's not something that I would get again. - The classic chicken parmigiano was solid but nothing crazy. I did like the chicken portion but the spaghetti pasta had to be the smallest I've ever had. - the Complimentary fresh bread and oil came with the meal and it was okay. All in all, this is a solid spot for pasta and my main recommendation would be the pappardelle bolognese which was done very well.

Came here on a Friday night with memories of Cristina restaurant from years ago…read more... Sadly, it seems that the restaurant has gone downhill. My lasagna came out cold in the middle, my partner's pasta was bland, service was OK, not great.

Terra Mare has been around for a while and has a big menu offering. I stopped by to grab a…read morepepperoni pizza to go. The pizza came out piping hot and I ate it immediately, very solid pizza! They are thin crust and tastes more like authentic Italian pizza. The pepperoni were buried in a good amount of cheese, but you can definitely taste them. Good amount of toppings and crisp on the crust. Mine was slightly burnt in the edges, but I didn't mind. Service was good and staff were friendly. I would definitely recommend the pizzas here and price was good too for Italian-styled pizza!

First time trying this place and went simple with a cheese pizza. It was so salty, I choked down…read moreone piece and threw the rest out. Was hoping for a better experience!

Really surprised by La Speranza,…read more When the waitress said the pizzas were "personal pizza" size; I assumed it's the usual, small Neapolitan style pizzas for a high price, but the pizza came out bigger than I expected. You can taste the quality of the dough and it was nice and firm, but chewy at the same time--very good! The cheese did not slide off upon picking up (had the most mid pie at Modo Mio in Arlington) and the toppings were also pretty solid. Service was not the most enthusiastic, but not the worse; I cared more for the pizza. Thought about whether this place is a 4 or 5 star and what decides that is if I'd come back and I definitely will. We'll give them a 5 star!!

Don't be fooled by this non-descript appearance. My family…read morehad a gathering at the historic cemetery near by and chose to have lunch here after. The food was OUTSTANDING. I was a skeptic. Having traveled and dined across the globe, I did not expect homemade pasta, fresh espresso, and Neapolitan style pizza to be in Rockville MD. If you live within an hour drive, just take the trip and have lunch or dinner here. Try the espresso martini! I shared a cheese pizza with my daughter, my mother had the chicken piccata, my cousin the gnocchi, my father the chicken parm, my cousin had a caprese salad and the further seats I couldn't see. We all shared a few orders of the calamari. EVERYONE raved about how delicious their food was. I agree. Probably the best piccata I've tasted. The pizza was excellent. The tiramisu great. The pistachio gelato was perfect. I sure wish they were closer to Florida!! So good.

Had lunch at Caruso Grocery and overall had a good experience. The food was tasty, and I ordered…read morethe Gnocchi alla Genovese, which was really good and flavorful. I have a shellfish allergy and also don't eat pork, so unfortunately there weren't a lot of options for me to choose from.... We also tried the Oreo cheesecake. It was good and had a nice flavor, but it was a little too sweet for my taste.

I had no idea they had a location in Bethesda, which is perfect because this spot has been on my…read morelist to try! This time, I didn't dine in--I placed a to-go order, and the young lady at the front was super nice and welcoming. I ordered the Caruso Alfredo, which is made with truffle butter. I tried it in the car and was immediately disappointed that I didn't dine in because WOW--the pasta was fresh, and the truffle butter was a hit! It's such a simple dish, but it has so many amazing flavors packed into it. Easily a 10/10 and definitely going to be my go-to order, especially as someone who is semi-picky. The restaurant has plenty of seating, along with an outdoor bar and seating area. Everything was clean, and I loved the old-school, unique pasta-house feel of the restaurant. I definitely can't wait to go back--and next time, I'll be dining in!

Updating my review after a visit this evening where we enjoyed two different entrees. I had the…read moreGrilled Salmon and Shrimp over Spinach with Asparagus and my partner got the Chicken Marsala. Both entrees came with a cold, fresh side salad with a tangy Italian dressing. The entrees were very good. The salmon had a nice char, but was moist and flavorful. If you like salmon with a sauce, you'll be disappointed. I like mine simple, and this is a well-prepared salmon. The shrimp (3 large) were good. The spinach had a nice garlic flavor and the asparagus was well prepared - not mushy. The chicken Marsala also was good. The Marsala was light (not thick) and somewhat sweet. Very good. Honestly, the bread service was pretty disappointing. Our last visit the bread was fine, but this basket was pretty dried out and almost seemed stale. The oil accompanying the bread had almost no cheese in it. Essentially, you dipped tasteless bread into oil. Really disappointing. I'm not going to reduce my overall restaurant score for this one thing (because the entrees were very good), but the bread service was not good. The service was good.

( The first paragraph of this review is based on delivery via a third-service provider .... )…read more Great! Loved everything. The Wild Mushrooms with artichoke were just awesome and oh-so-plentiful, I do believe this one dish could've been a meal all in itself -- but not knowing that, I also got the Grilled Romaine because I'd never had such a thing before, and was interested in trying it. It was great! The Bowl Soup was delicious and comforting as soup is desired to be. Note on the soup: it doesn't have any pasta it in (or at least mine didn't), so if you're watching carbs or avoiding wheat, this is an excellent choice! It all came with some bread, too (that I ended up making a sandwich out of with some of the grilled romaine dish later). This was way more than one meal for me! All of it was delicious! ** Today, I fi-na-ly made it to Fontina Grille in person! It was a beautiful day to eat outside as long as there was some shade -- and so, the awning was put out just for us to lunch outdoors. There is a great selection on this menu and at lunch you can order either lunch or dinner portions. The lunch portions were certainly plentiful! The service was great, and everything was absolutely delicious! I especially enjoyed my side of zoodles. I was surprised and amazed at how well they were done -- they were so luxuriously long, it was really fun! They were also a beautiful bright green, cooked perfectly (not too hard, not too soft -- just right!), nice to twirl on a fork, and came with a really great, garlicky sauce. Mmm .... The salad greens were spectacular, the cheeses were mouth-melty, the bread at the beginning was superbly crisp on the outside and sturdy but soft enough, and chewy on the inside, the dipping olive oil with some grated cheese was excellent and helped tide me over 'til the antipasti of Wild Mushrooms came. I heard the Chilean Sea Bass in the Sea Bass Spring Salad was 'like butta,' it was so soft and easy to cut through and apparently very good. It came with salad greens, cutely-cut, skin-removed orange wedges, strawberry slices all neatly arranged around the edges, and a bit of delectably soft cheese. What can I say? Nothing was amiss! Parking was easy and couldn't be closer, with two designated accessible parking spots available right across the small street, and one not far around the corner. The ambiance outside (where we ate) was very nice. Everything was made easy. The (women's) bathroom is capacious, with a big, accessible stall and two others. The indoor dining area is very big with lots of tables. The best part of walking through the indoor area is catching a glimpse of the real fire, ready to bake! Overall, everything was totally enjoyable!

First rate in every way!…read more The restaurant has a pleasant, stylish decor. It's not great on the acoustics but was not overly loud despite being completely full. Our server was perfect. Friendly, attentive, got every part of our order correct. The food was delicious too. We ordered the burrata salad as an appetizer and loved it. We got a Margherita pizza and thought that it was tasty (a little chintzy with the toppings). We will definitely be back in the future!

Closer to 3.5, I got the burrata appetizer to go and it was solid. Just a lil pricey so probably…read morewould not order again. Feel like the tomatoes and other stuff could've been roasted/caramelized more. The cheese was fantastic and so was the bread. I ordered for pick up and it was ready within 30 mins. The inside looked very nice and Italian as it should. Will need to come back and try their pizza.

6.24.26 It had been…read morewell over a decade, possibly two, since I last dined here. The restaurant had been on my list to revisit, and I finally made it back. It was long overdue! The food was scrumptious, and the service was top-notch. I loved the chocolate mousse, the paccheri pancetta, and the complimentary bread. The attention to detail was impressive. Our server checked on us throughout the meal, another staff member repeatedly refilled my friend's water, and another stopped by to brush the bread crumbs from our table. Parking in the lot directly in front of the restaurant is limited, but there is additional parking available behind the building. I highly recommend this restaurant and would love to return to try more of the menu.

I came here approximately a decade ago (ew, I'm old, I know), and had the most flavorful short ribs…read moreI've ever had. I spent the last decade trying to recreate and/or dine at places that could potentially recreate said short ribs. Anyway, they all fell short of this magnificent meal that I had probably enhanced in my mind. BUT WAIT, I went back tonight: my mind hadn't played games with me - it was just as delicious this evening as it was 10 years ago. We were welcomed immediately after crossing the threshold and grabbed seats at the bar where Brad was working. He gave great recommendations, was able to accommodate special requests for dishes, and was sociable, engaging, and everything you would want out of a bartender. My husband is not a foodie, but I think he's even looking forward to coming back and seeing his new buddy. One of the servers, Jeff, who was working the floor, was also top notch - he was floating around ensuring every table was taken care of, and was still able to hold conversations with guests while going above and beyond to ensure every patron was satisfied. Chatting with Jeff was a real highlight of the evening because he and my husband actually have a few hobbies in common, so it was great to get his insight and perspective. Only reason this is a 4 star review instead of 5 is because of Milton. We were having a lovely evening (honestly couldn't have been better until this point), and then suddenly couldn't hear anything but Milton cursing at employees - "f*** this, you don't get to f****ing say f*** to me," etc. I am a huge proponent of the f-bomb, but I think Milton has abused his cursing privileges. Honestly, I would testify in a court of law on behalf of the employees who have been subjected to his verbal abuse. I worked in the service industry for more than a decade and have never before seen a manager berate employees so belligerently, and in such a public manner, than I did tonight. 14/10 recommend Il Pizzico as a restaurant; 0/10 recommend Milton as a person.

I found this restaurant at the last minute and boy am I glad we did!…read more We arrived at around 7:45 and the place was packed. The hostess told us we likely wouldn't sit until 9:45 so I inquired about the bar and the manager quickly stepped in to put us on a waitlist. Since the restaurant is connected to a food hall of sorts, she recommended we grab a drink there while we wait. Shortly after we got our drink, we received notification of an opening and were seated by 8:15. We had the burrata appetizer, Ragú x 2, and the seafood fra diavolo. The burrata was one of the best I've had since they serve it with pesto, pine nuts, and garlic bread. It was truly divine! The Ragú was not far behind. Incredible flavor and a generous portion. The seafood dish had a nice kick and had plenty of seafood, which is not common as of late. All dishes were also priced reasonably for the quality you received. As we sat at the bar, we had pleasant conversation with the bartender and finished our meal with a small cannoli that really sealed the deal. If you're looking for excellent Italian food in DC without breaking the bank, look no further than Caruso's grocery! However, I'd recommend reserving ahead of time because it's certainly not a secret. LOL

I picked this place as my birthday dinner with some girlfriends. I was unsure of the vibe, food etc…read morebefore arriving. The place gives cozy speakeasy vibes. We we sat down the waitress was very friendly and welcoming. She knew alot about the menu items and such. As soon as she handed me the wine menu and saw Chianti as one of the wines, I didnt hesitate to get a bottle for the table (I love Chianti with a story behind it). We ordered the Creamy Burrata, with Grilled Bread and four cheese sauce and the calamari for the appitizers. All of the appetizers were amazing and Im a sucker for grilled crushy bread. For the main course i ordered the Trout Piccata. The fish was cooked to perfection and the veggies were well seasoned. My friends ordered the chicken piccata, Caruso Alfredo and baked Cavatelli. Everything was good. Next up we ordered the butterfinger sundae, Nutella cannoli and tiramisu. The sundae base is chocolate ice cream. If you are fan of chocolate ice cream you will love the sundae. Overall great experience and I will definitely return!

Just a great place! It's a small business run by a husband and wife team. They have a thin and…read morethick crust pizza. There is a bar area as well. The only tip I have is that you can call for takeout, but it's a lively atmosphere. Great for families or a general hang.

After driving by this establishment a few times, my family and I finally decided to give it a try…read more There is street parking as well as garage parking, which is convenient. Their hours are 4 PM during the week and 12 PM on the weekends. They have plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. Our waiter, Alex, was great! He was very helpful with the menu and answered all of our questions. The food was delicious! They make marinara sauce and pasta noodles...we all enjoyed what we ordered. Everything was so flavorful. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, focaccia bread was close to perfect, and the pizza was really good. I would have liked the undercarriage of the pizza be cooked just a little more, but overall, it was still very good. The gelato was yummy as well. The prices are moderate, and overall, we had a great experience.

Came here for daughter's bday dinner. She sat with her friends (table of six). My husband and I sat…read moretogether across the restaurant by the bar. We haven't been here in a while and we're glad to see the place was busy still. The ambiance is homey so I love that too. My daughter said the service was very good, they even gave them mini cannolis while they sang Happy Birthday to her. Our service was also pretty good, even at the bar/window area. We had a Medium Four Cheese pizza and added grilled chicken ... yeah for an app but we knew we would take some home especially since it was pretty big. Pizza was delicious, very thin and crispy just like we like it. Of course I had the chicken francese again, which was fabulous again and an entire portion to take home. Husband had a pasta dish with meatballs and chicken, which he said was great and he also had a full portion leftover to take home. Love their garlic knots and delicious garlicky marinara sauce that comes with it.

I did a to go order the food was amazing! Really good pasta, nice and fresh taste even better the…read morenext day. Prices are a little higher for the flavor, It's definitely worth it.