It was my first time eating at Geppetto's and I was extremely impressed, not only with the layers…read moreof flavor in the food, but the technique and execution of these dishes. While the entire meal started off with a salad, of course, the next appetizer was the tagliatelle Bolognese and the pasta was definitely the main star of the dish. I could tell that the pasta was homemade as it was very light and flavorful. The Bolognese itself was well balanced and not acidic. I chose the lamb for dinner and I was very happy with the port wine reduction, and impressed with the light compliment of the sunchoke puree. The herb crust executed on the lamb was extremely flavorful and not too earthy. While I was really going back-and-forth between the Seabass and the lamb I am happy. I chose the lamb for the main course. Panna cotta for dessert and I'm happy I chose a lighter option to fishing the evening. I feel like after all of the courses I had the Panna cotta really completed the meal. It was perfectly silky. I could tell the cream was delicately infused with lemon and the blackberry couli was a nice touch to add a level of flavor to the dessert which didn't overpower the panna cotta itself. Overall, I'm really impressed. Especially since I was in attendance with a large party. All of our dishes came out in a timely manner and were well spaced to really appreciate each dish. The cocktail menu and the wine selection was also very impressive and I feel like the amount of options were well balanced, many of which would complement each dish. Our service was great! The servers were friendly, personable, and very prompt with bringing out each dish. I especially appreciated how authentic each server was. The girls we had were especially helpful in assisting us in our selections in which options to choose off the menu based on their favorites. Overall, I would highly recommend coming to this restaurant if you want, authentic, flavorful, and delicious homemade Italian dishes. I can tell the chef puts time and effort into each plate not only in building these flavors but also presentation. Coming here, would be great for dates, special events, anniversaries, and to have a nice night out with the family, friends, and someone special.

My family and I have lived in the area for more than a decade, and last night was our first visit…read moreto Geppetto's. After one dinner, I can confidently say: waiting that long was a major strategic error on our part. Walking in, the ambience immediately hit us. It felt transporting -- like one of those small, incredible places you stumble into somewhere in Italy. And I don't mean the "strip mall, giant portions of red sauce, Sinatra on repeat" Italian spots (no disrespect... I'm from New Jersey, I was raised on those). I mean real deal, authentic, thoughtful Italian cooking in a space that feels intimate and special. The menu is focused, authentic, and clearly executed with confidence. Honestly, I have no food allergies and at one point I realized I could probably close my eyes, spin around, point at the menu like I was playing darts, and be thrilled with whatever showed up. We committed fully to the experience: multiple appetizers, entrées all around, dessert, coffee -- basically the kind of ordering strategy that makes a server look at you and think, "These people came to eat." And somehow each dish was better than the last, which is both impressive and slightly unfair to the dish that came before it. Service was warm and attentive, though a little mysterious in structure. Several different people helped us throughout the night and none identified their roles. At some point I stopped trying to figure out who our official server was and just assumed Geppetto's operates on some kind of Italian hospitality relay team system. Whoever it was, they were all great and made the night feel personal and welcoming. Now for my two pieces of feedback, offered with genuine affection. First: our charming rustic wicker farmhouse chairs had just a touch of sag. Three members of our party are over 6'2" and about 240lbs, and there was a brief silent moment where we all wondered if the chairs were about to become part of the evening's entertainment. Thankfully they held strong. If those chairs could talk, they'd deserve a glass of wine. Second: the bread was fresh and delicious but leaned toward a very crusty baguette situation. Great bread, but it made some appetizers a little bit of a jaw workout. I'd love the option of butter or olive oil alongside it. But honestly... if those are the only things I can come up with, that should tell you everything. If you haven't been to Geppetto's, go. If you have been, go again. It's one of those rare places that feels elevated without feeling pretentious -- the kind of restaurant that makes you slow down, order dessert even when you're full, and immediately start planning when you can come back. After waiting ten years to try it, I can promise you one thing: We will not be waiting ten more.

The service is awesome I was on a date it was wonderful the waiter was awesome!…read moreThe food don't get me started it was THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER ATE!! 5 stars instantly!! I will be coming back for sure!! The waiter was awesome!! Compliments to the chef!!

I reviewed La Cucina on another thread and my rating hasn't changed. Three stars, and here's why…read more The crust is the star of the show. As a matter of fact, the crust is so good that the toppings aren't needed. Moreover, the tomato sauce is outrageously good and it hits all the right notes on my palate. The sausage was really tasty too. Overall, this pie was outstanding. Now the flip, this pizza is missing that authentic cheese pull. The motz has zero pull, and that's disappointing. I'm willing to bet that La Cucina uses frozen motz on their pies, which may be contributing to the lack or should I say "nonexistent elasticity aka cheese pull." With that said, To be fair... the lack of cheese pull was the deal breaker for me. 3 stars, that's a review.

I want in for lunch today, knowing there was a new owner, and I hadn't had a chance to get in there…read moresince then. I held my breath walking in the door, hoping to see the same beautiful nostalgic decor from decades past. To my delight, it looked beautifully the same, but soneobw better! There was beautiful music playing at just the right volume... Frank Sinatra, The Ronettes, and other sweet tunes. Heidi, my server, was excellent. She seems like she has worked there for awhile, and she handled MANY customers/tables with ease and grace. The food was EXCELLENT! I had spaghetti and meatballs. The spaghetti was piping hot, and there was no excess water under the pasta as sometimes happens in other establishments. Also, the price for my abundant, delicious meal, plus a glass of wine, was very reasonable. What a treasure in downtown Torrington, CT... a restaurant that has been open for 100 years! I spoke with a gentleman who, like me, had moved away but then came back to the area... and, like me, was so glad the decor, etc. was still the same! I hope they don't change a thing! ("If it ain't broke, don't fix it!") I will be back, and will be bringing my friends and family. Whay a delight!

The staff was excellent. They were very efficient and pleasant. The food was outstanding. I felt…read morelike I was in Italy

We love the staff here and normally love all the food. The bread with sauce is great which they…read moreprovide all tables. Shrimp Scampi was great, the burger was tasty and filling but the chicken parm was too thin and dry, which last time we had that it was great.. the desserts wetter good too! We will go back for sure but was a little bummed out!

Dined at Vera Roma recently with the wife, we were both 1st Timers. We started off with the…read morezucchini appetizer. The dish came with some kind of red dipping sauce, it was quite spicy, borderline overwhelming. I think a ranch type dressing for dipping would have went better with this appetizer, just my opinion. For our meals, I had the veal parmesan and my wife had the chicken parmesan. Food was decent, my biggest complaint was the portion size though, it was lacking a bit. We also had a cannoli for dessert, it was tasty, we both liked it. Service was excellent, our server was very friendly and attentive. My wife also enjoyed her chocolate martini from the bar. Since Vera Roma is not too far from us, we'd give them a 2nd go, I'm thinking the lunch menu. Will write an update if that happens.

First time here hour drive made reservations. The menu online didn't match in house menu according…read moreto staff they just up dated that was a little frustrating husband had seen online what he wanted then got there and they didn't have it. Nice place parking could be better.ordered crab and shrimp risotto a pizza with ricotta mozzarella garlic and oregano and NY strip Medium well pizza was to die for the steak came out medium rare not a fan but I ate it I also had to ask twice for A1 the risotto husband said was great we will come back Wait staff ok we didn't get dessert I wasn't in the mood.

We had a wonderful dinner experience here for a birthday! Our server was great and so knowledgeable…read moreand friendly! They started us off with fresh warm rolls which we loved. We ordered many different appetizers and all were fantastic. We also all loved our entrees! The desserts were also amazing. The space itself is nice and cozy with plenty of seating. They also have a lovely outdoor garden seating area for the warmer months which we are looking forward to. 10/10 definitely recommend coming here for amazing service and delicious food!

Still the most excellent pizza for miles, with the crispy thin crust! The garden salad is big…read moreenough for two (bottle dressing). The decor hasn't changed for decades, kind of a home away from home. It was nice to return after a long break.

My family and I are new to this area. Since we moved here, we've been trying to find a pizza place…read morethat is hopefully close to those in New Haven. The pizza wasn't fully cooked. The taste was off and I don't know why. Later one after eating the pizza, my husband got really sick from it and all the pizza came up. I wouldn't say not to give them a try, but I don't think I'll be ordering from them again.

Incredible pizzas all around. Being from europe and having been in Naples, these felt just like we…read morewere back in italy. The new yorker is phenomenal and so is the 4 cheeses. The staff is very nice, greeting guests kindly as they walked in. We had to wait about 20 min, which is expected on a Friday evening. That said - being a restaurant, we'd have preferred to have a real service experience vs ordering at the counter & getting a number, which felt more like a food court. All up- The place is nice, pizzas are delicious, and the staff very friendly. All up a good experience - highly recommend!

I am not typically a fan of Neopolitan pizza but Pizzeria Marzano make an excellent pie. My friend…read morelives nearby and this was our plan b for dinner, and it was excellent. The buffalo chicken pizza wasn't too spicy, and the white pie had some delish cheese on it. The cannoli are also super tasty and fully filled. I joined their rewards program and I'm definitely going to be back for some rewards points. Everyone working was super nice, and I love how cute the decor is for Christmas. Such an adorable spot to find while it was snowing.

Very good food, very good service, and quick! This bit of a "Hole In the Wall," sort of venue was…read morereally quite remarkable. The portions generous and wait staff friendly and not bothersomely attentive. I had the Shrimp and broccoli fettuccini Alfredo sans Fettuccine- my choice of Ziti, Angel hair or linguini was a surprise, as I'm accustomed to a nice thick Fettuccine in the Fettuccine Alfredo; that aside, the linguine was perfection on a plate, or rather a Bowl. It was a bit thin, but the addition of some Parmesan made it so! It was very, very good! My dining partner favored a dinner of grilled chicken and assorted veggies, which she enjoyed thouroughly. Servings were ample for the heartiest of appetites‼We each carried with us plenty for a meal to follow this fine one. The ambiance was just right, as well. Tables close enough to commiserate with neighboring diners-who each highly recommended their chosen entrée quite mightily. Yet quiet enough to enjoy our own private conversations. We did have to request refills twice on our ice waters. That and the missing Fettuccine kept away that 5th star on their rating- wish I could just assign a 5 minus on this report card. Don't miss out, This place IS really good‼

We went on Memorial Day 6pm. There was no one in there except for us. The waitress said the soup…read morewas cream of mushroom.....nope, when it came, it was cream of broccoli. It wasn't hot. And looked more like pudding than soup. My husband's tortellini soup wasn't very good either. Then a family with 4 small kids came in and were running around like maniacs. Not once did anyone say anything to them. The little one kept running right by us and even ran into the kitchen twice. At one point both parents were outside and left two kids inside. The only thing that saved a 1 star was the entrees were very good. My chicken Marsala was loaded with mushrooms, the gravy was delicious, and it was nice and hot. My husband's dish was to his liking as well. The waitress was incredibly slow and considering there were literally two tables, that's unacceptable. We had had it with the unruly kids. Probably won't return as we typically just pass through Torrington.

"And so please help (To teach your children) Them with your…read moreyouth (What you believe in) They seek the truth Teach your children well" (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) When was the last time you ate a meal in a high school? Maybe it was at an award dinner for a high school sports team, or at a Boy or Cub Scout dinner? Or maybe it was way back in the day between your history and algebra classes? Well, we had a unique lunch at Oliver's Restaurant. Why unique? It was unique because the restaurant is located within the Oliver Wolcott Technical High School in Torrington, and it is staffed by students. You see, the school's Culinary Arts program trains their students for experience in the food service industry. It's an ambitious program that uses a public restaurant to provide 1,775 hours of learning and training in all phases of restaurant business - from the public facing front of the house to the back-of-house. If the students decide to enter the food service workforce, they leave Oliver's with a fantastic skill set. The teacher is Chef Michael McDowell, and he had a crew of 25 High School Juniors operating in two rooms preparing the salads and sandwiches, grilling the chicken and salmon and steaks, baking the meatballs, preparing the soups, slicing the complimentary bread, waiting the tables, and every possible activity they will see when the food service workforce. Chef Michael was fantastic as he oversaw the operation, offering nonstop commentary and tips to his young staff - "did you offer ketchup with those fries?", "too much oil in that pan", "check on your customers and get off your phones", "where's the dressing on the side?", "put the dressing in a takeout container for the takeout orders, and a ramekin for the diners", etc., etc. Oliver's has a real dining room with an open kitchen, so you can see and hear the entire class. There was a steady stream of takeout orders, and three parents popped in to say hi to their kids. The freshman and sophs in the Culinary Arts program start with the basics -how to sauté things, make salads, and the like. Today's class was all juniors, and that's when they actually start to operate the restaurant under the Chef's guidance. We chatted with Chef Michael, and he said that when they become Seniors, they really run Olivers by themselves. Our lunch was a $3 cup of clam chowder, a $9 turkey BLT, a $14 Salmon Caesar Salad, and a $4 Apple Crostata. The food was very good, check out the generous portion of turkey on the BLT and the half pound slab of perfectly cooked salmon on my salad. And we were amazed when Chef Michael called us at home to get our feedback on the meal and service. What a wonderful experience! We really enjoyed watching the Chef train his staff and watching them execute his instructions. I hope whoever is reading this, goes to the school and supports these young restaurant workers of the future. I know you'll enjoy this unique experience as much as we did. PRO TIP Olivers is open to the public Wednesday to Friday from 10:45 to 12:05, and they ask you to call 860-496-5369 to make a reservation.

The Calzone was good with even ratio of Ricotta and Mozzerrela, the philly cheese steak didnt come…read moreas ordered, I wanted oil and vinegar, it came with none nor mayonnaise not even any grease so it was dry, Very small amount of steak meat Wouldnt order again.. The service was fast and friendly.. we ordered takeout so really cant comment on Ambience..

I stopped at Stella's for a slice and they topped it off with a thick helping of sliced sausage,…read moreand I have to say "it was great!" The crust was crispy and light, the perfect New York slice. This,,, definitely is the best pizza in Torrington. I've stopped in here a number of times before, but today was the most enjoyable. That's a review.