Totally agree with some other reviews...Most restaurants in the area that claim to be top notch…read moreItalian end up being a disappointment. I like dishes that are new and unique, carry the same passion I have for cooking and include the ingredients that I enjoy. I have seen quite a few reviews for Vivacino in No. Andover, all were good. The prices are a little elevated from your norm but the food preparation, quality, service and all-around food experience explain that. I would rather go out less often and enjoy a great experience, than go out more often and eat subpar food. Firstly, of all nights we picked New Years Eve to go with no reservation! But we thought we'd give it a shot. We were greeted by I'm assuming Richard the Owner General Manager and a lovely young lady who let us know what we already knew, they were packed with reservations. Richard did inform us that the bar had two available seats at the end and my husband said we'll take it. I was shocked because he never sits at the bar. But it was an end seat for him and he must have really wanted to try this restaurant. We sat down and were greeting by bar waitress Toast B who gave us menus. She was super friendly and pleasant. She let us know the specials of the evening. After looking at the menu, I asked her if I was crazy, I thought I saw Chicken Piccata and Veal Parmesan on their online menu. She said they did have it, those were on their other menu of items carried over from Buono. My husbands not too adventurous, he just wants his Veal Parm or Chicken Parm and is very critical of it, since that's all he gets. We ordered drinks and a basket of freshly baked bread and oil was brought over. Delicious. We didn't order appetizers, just went ahead ordering our entrees. I figured it would be quite a while, with the restaurant being so full. But shockingly, our meals came out really quick. My husband couldn't believe how huge his veal was! And he said it was super tender. I tasted his sauce and it was over the top delicious, and I never order red sauce. He got Penne with his entrée. I had asked for Chicken Piccata, which comes with roasted veg, but asked that the veg come on a separate plate. Good thing I did as I got a HUGE plate of roasted veg, which hubby would have never helped me eat if the Piccata sauce was all over it. The veggies were perfectly roasted, and the potatoes in it were perfectly charred and cooked. Carrots, zucchini, summer squash and potatoes in a slight bit of seasoned olive oil. The service was here was perfect. No screw ups here as with some other restaurants, the dishes came exactly as we asked. The chicken was very tender, and the sauce was exactly what a Piccata sauce should be. Deliciously lemony and buttery. Disappointingly, we were too full for dessert, but will def try the dessert next time there. The pistachio cake looks delicious! I am already planning my next adventure. I was thinking of asking if they could do the Saltimbocca with Chicken. The grapes in it, reminded me of the sausage dish I make from Anna Rossi with fennel and grapes. The sirloin looks phenomenal, as does the Chicken Broccoli and Penne, and the Caramelle. Next time for sure. The grilled Shrimp in Amaretto sauce (I'm assuming was a special?) looks out of this world also, as does the grilled sausage appetizer. I have to say the entire experience was enjoyable. Food, service, ambiance, all of it. Especially on a busy holiday night. If you haven't tried Vivacino and enjoy really unique and good food, TRY IT. And when I say unique, I don't mean strange ingredients you will never eat. They take everyday ingredients to a whole new level, one that is worth every penny you pay.

Ironically, I have been very hesitant about visiting Italian places since moving to Boston. Despite…read morehaving quite a vibrant Italian food scene, especially towards the North End, most of my visits to Italian establishments have proven to be a disappointment. One would feel like Nona's tired or Nona doesn't want to feed you or Nona doesn't want to have anything to do with you. Obviously, that's not what ANY good Nonas ever do since they want you to have the very best. So one may ask what's truly going on? Is it the same issue with other cuisines where the food quality is not properly preserved or because there is no standard to uphold anymore? It reminds me of someone who once said to me that those who care deeply about any cuisine have moved on to NYC and other food-centric areas. All that's left are those who send out food to customers who either don't know or don't care. Perhaps, there is some thinly veiled truth to this statement. I've been acquainted with Chef Nimesh for a few years and know his deep passion for Italian food. In prior locations where he was based, there were always limitations to how much he was allowed to express his art and understanding of the cuisine. So while he was throttled over there, here in Andover after taking over a dying business, I'm able to witness just how good his expression of Italian food is. Every dish I ordered tonight were things I knew he was particularly passionate about. Yes, the whole menu is well designed...but I'm talking about things I knew he would choose to serve in particular until the world ends. Signature dishes on his take of Italian cuisine. I loved every bite. I truly savored and enjoyed it. So much so that I'm willing to just make the drive up to Andover just for a meal any given day. Mind you, the place is well designed, clean, and upscale. You can thank his business partner, FOH extraordinaire for bringing that side to life. The staff working here are great and the wine selection is immaculate. You will definitely enjoy your visit here. Absolutely recommend this spot for anyone wanting a great and non-pretentious Italian food experience!

For double date night we tried Dicor Italian and Argentinian Restaurant. The food, drinks, and…read moreservice were all wonderful! We can't wait to go again! I love supporting small family owned restaurants. We had 2 orders of the Parillada grilled meat platter: Short Ribs, Black Sausage, Sausage, & Flank Steak. Served with French fries and a mixed salad. My boyfriend had the Fussili Alla Matriciana - Homemade Fussili sautéed with Pancetta in a light tomato Sauce and said it was delicious. We also had some tasty strawberry mojitos, spicy margaritas, and wine as well.

We went for dinner on a Saturday night. It is a small family business that had about 10 tables. The…read moredad was cooking, mom snd daughter serving. Very friendly. There were 2 other couples when we got there. I ordered the Red Sangria that was 1/2 wine 1/2 orange juice. Not to my liking. Exchanged for a glass of moscato. He had the spicy margarita served in a short glass. which he said was ok. The wine was a little flat. Drinks were $15 each. Dinner i got the seafood special that said shrimp, scallops, lobster tail, and mussels over linguine with a pink sauce. He got the cannelloni one beef and one spinach. My entree had no price listed on the specials menu. I have never let price deter me snd I Was shocked to see it was $60. We eat out a lot but that was in no way a $60 dish. The portions were small. Seafood quality was mediocre. And the lobster tails were rock lobster. Which is a coarser meat and not as flavorful as Maine lobster. Which was misleading on the description. Overall one and done for us. In my opinion its too expensive for what they are serving.

We went here for the first time for our anniversary. Our server was the nicest guy and we highly…read moreappreciated him. The restaurant looked very nice on the inside as well. The food was great and while we were there we met the owner. He seemed like the nicest guy and made sure we had a wonderful experience. We will be back!

Today I went to Orzo for the 2nd time with my dad and sister. I want to thank the waitress Nina for…read morereally doing her best - she gave us 100% effort and I think she was the only waitress so I felt bad. However, today's lunch was really mediocre. The food was honestly gross, it took them a while for anyone to come to our table after being seated, and it was clear the staff were struggling with the number of tables they had. I ordered raviolis, and I was disappointed by how watery the sauce was, and that I only got 5 raviolis on my plate! My sister got the bolognese and it just tasted off and very chewy. Luckily they were willing to take her dish off the bill, which we appreciated. I don't think I'll be returning unfortunately.

Reservations - super easy to call and make a reservation. I was worried they weren't going to be…read moreable to accommodate our large group of 12 but it was no problem the week of but it all worked out. I was even able to move up the reservation when our plans changed the day of. The restaurant is in a random shopping complex in Salem, NH. We were driving North for a race so the stop here was a nice break in the drive. Not going lie, when we were walking towards the restaurant, it looked a tiny bit sketch - wrapping across all the windows. Slightly deserted shopping complex. But when we walked in, wow it was so beautiful inside, very spacious, huge bar to the left and then large dining area to the right. There were cozy booths lined up against the perimeter of the room. The staff was so incredibly warm and welcoming. We were a very loud group (sorry!); 12 adults, mostly dudes, laughing uncontrollably at all the dumb jokes. None of the staff was upset by this though; our server was so much fun and even joined in. Food is fantastic. HUGE portions. I love chicken parm, I also love eggplant parm. They have a menu item of both of them together. It doesn't get much better than that.

Summary: good but not exceptional Italian food in a nice setting with excellent service…read more We were a party of 6 and sat at a round table in the middle of the room. It got pretty noisy. The cozy booths would be a good option for 2-4 people; much quieter and still affording good views of the room, decorated in a typical Italian theme. If you've read my reviews before you know I despise TVs in restaurants and they had several but I'm happy to report they were all in a separate bar space, not visible or audible from the dining room. We shared four appetizers and each got our own entrees. The apps we ordered were: Clams Casino: 5 good sized clams. Fortunately one member of our group of 6 doesn't like clams. The rest of us liked them. Mussels In Scampi Sauce: A big portion of very fresh medium-sized mussels. Lots of sauce which could have used more garlic and parsley, and bread should be served with it but was not. Antipasto d'Amalfi: Good for what it was but very expensive for the portion at $22. For our party of 6 we could have used two even with our other apps and entrees. (In general, the appetizers here seemed overpriced while the entrees were all quite reasonable.) Also, I think they left out the tuna which was listed as an ingredient - unless one of my companions grabbed it first! Stuffed Artichoke: Good flavor from the buttery, seasoned breadcrumbs, but not an attractive presentation. The leaves were mostly removed from the core and carelessly arrayed on the plate, making it hard to find the good ends and taking away most of the fun of eating this peculiar vegetable. My entree was Shrimp & Scallop Puttanesca with linguini. I'd rate it average. The sauce could definitely have been spicier and should have had more capers and olives. The shrimp wasn't the greatest though it was fresh. They left the tails on; one of my peeves. Scallops were fine. Pasta was correctly cooked but like all the pastas served here it was dried, not fresh. I'd hope an Italian restaurant of this level would have at least some fresh pastas but I don't think they did. The menu did say that all the pastas were imported from Italy though. The wife's Veal Carrozzella though was outstanding. I could tell this from the one bite I tried. It's listed on the menu as "Scaloppine of Provimi veal sautéed with egg-battered mozzarella in a sage wine sauce". Interesting how it was the mozzarella, not the veal, that was battered. Entree portions were large. I got 2 1/2 servings from mine, but I did eat a lot of appetizers first. The veal entree was also at least 2 servings. I had some interesting cocktails. One was a Honey Sazerac which hit all the marks for a good Sazerac. With its name I'd expect honey flavor but I didn't detect any. Unfortunately I don't remember the other cocktail except that it was on the rocks, fruity, and had some flowery flavor overtones. They had a large selection of "craft cocktails", and not all the same ones we see everywhere these days. One of my companions ordered a bottle of wine for the table which was excellent but I don't remember the name. There was a good selection, many of which were "affordable". Entree selection was very large, with many chicken, veal, pasta, and seafood items to choose from, most of the standard Italian dishes you'd expect and more. Only one beef item: a ribeye with Pizzaiola sauce. Now for the service. It was excellent. I found it slow but I realize now our waitress read the group perfectly who as a whole wanted a leisurely evening so she paced perfectly for that, giving us time to enjoy our first drinks before taking appetizer orders, not bringing the entrees too soon after the apps, and so on. We were there 2 1/2 hours. Her habit of reaching across the table to deliver and pick up dishes was a bit awkward and unusual but didn't really bother me. Our request to split the check 3 ways was handled cheerfully and accurately even though two couples were sitting side-by side and the other were across from one another. With all that food I had no room for dessert. Two or three of my party did get dessert and they looked interesting enough. I did have coffee but it wasn't good at all. Overall, definitely worth returning to.

We ate at the North Andover location last night with another couple. Reservations were easy and our…read moretable was available when we arrived. As with the Andover location, the service was excellent, the menu compelling, the cocktails generous, and the food beautifully and competently prepared. We would love to continue patronizing both locations, but they both suffer from the same issue - an overly loud environment ... so much ambient noise , that conversation was more than difficult. The server said that week nights weren't so loud, but that limits options. As much as we'd love to go back, the noise factor will likely prevent us from doing so. Others have complained about this issue - maybe management can do something to ameliorate the din.

Very modern, we went there on a Saturday night no reservations needed. We ordered a charcuterie…read moreboard & fried calamari for appetizers and my main course was chicken parmesan. The charcuterie boars was very good, a good variety of meats, cheese, olives and other foods. The fried calamari was cooked perfect. When you over fry calamari, it's chewy, this wasnt. Portions were plentiful. My chicken parm was plentiful as well served with rigatoni. Sauce or gravy was good.

We were looking for an eatery close by that serves lunch and came across "Andiamo" in Andover and…read moreit was just 10 minutes away on I93 south right off the highway! We were greeted by Emily a pleasant Hostess/Waitress! Andiamo had a nice Pub atmosphere and we were seated in a corner booth! We started with 2 Martinis that were filled to the brim which Emily very carefully brought to the table so not to spill a drop! We had checked the menu online and were both interested in their Chicken Piccata which had gotten rave reviews from fellow Yelper's and that dish didn't disappoint, we both loved it, the chicken was tender and the pasta cooked perfectly El Dente, and it was a huge portion, enough to satisfy the healthiest appetite! For dessert we opted for the Tiramisu that we took to go! After we got home we were looking forward to our tasty treat later in the day! Since our Chicken Piccata entrees were so delicious we thought that the Tiramisu would be as well, it wasn't! We both agreed that it was the worst Tiramisu that we've ever had! Instead of it consisting of the traditional ingredients of coffee soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese and whipped egg yolks, it was like eating a three by two inch high square of cool whip that was topped with a sliced Strawberry, which BTW, was the only plus of this dessert! Don't know if they have their own pastry chef or they get it from a local Italian bakery but whoever makes this needs to be spoken to and at $12 a slice it was, to put it mildly, a complete ripoff! Emily, The Martinis and the Chicken Piccata were all five Stars but please skip the Tiramisu!

Andiamo is awesome! Jim has totally impressed us over the years, and we absolutely love supporting…read morethem. We've catered their dishes for family parties multiple times, and everyone always freaks out over how delicious everything is. The food is consistently amazing and such a crowd-pleaser. It's also a GREAT dine-in experience - beautiful, welcoming, and just as delicious when you eat there. Highly recommend!

We went to Brix Grill about a week ago, and this place never disappoints! We sat at the bar for…read moredrinks, apps, and dinner, and Evelyn was our bartender. She was incredibly attentive, friendly, and perfectly paced without ever rushing us. The drinks were well-crafted and delicious. We loved the crab cakes and wings as appetizers -- the crab cakes were so generous they could easily be a full meal. For dinner, we both had the Brix Burger, cooked perfectly with a great char and tons of flavor. I love the cozy vibe while still being able to watch the game. Even when it gets busy, the service stays excellent. The whole staff is friendly and attentive. We can't recommend Brix Grill enough -- and if you go, ask for Evelyn!

Reasonably okay lunch spot but dinner wasn't great. I will give them credit, they are trying... but…read morethe cocktails with a burnt piece of rosemary for a "smoked" flavor were absolutely terrible (first time in my life I didnt finish a cocktail). It was like drinking liquid used to extinguish a burning christmas tree. (also this was paired with a fruity pink drink....not really a great combo) Dinner was overall fine but nothing really to right home about, crab cakes were great but the fried calamari had zero salt on it and was a bit chewy. The chicken florentine wasn't bad but it was not a thinly pounded or sliced piece of chicken that was pan fried....it was a whole breaded chicken breast that was deep fried. The service was good but it didnt make up for the food being just okay.

We contacted Salvatore's regarding a bereavement meal. I spoke with Marci about our needs. She…read morereserved the 'Caesar' room based on the number of guests we expected and emailed several meal options they offer for private events. Once we had chosen a meal package, we spoke again on the phone where she asked for some additional information (such as how many 'littles' would be part of the event) and forwarded a contract to me via email to sign. On the day of the event, there seemed to be a bit of a misunderstanding with staff on duty about the timing of our event. Our contract stated 4:30 but when people began to arrive the doors were still locked, the bar was not yet set and the coffee service not yet out. By the time we arrived from the funeral home about 5pm they had most of these things addressed. In the meantime, guests were able to purchase drinks at the restaurant bar. The room was set with seven tables of eight seats. Each table had a white cloth, silk floral center piece, flatware, cloth napkin and water glass. The room itself has high ceilings and large windows overlooking the river. A buffet station was set up at one end of the room near the bar. The staff did a wonderful job serving the buffet. Bread, butter and salad were self serve while entrée options were served by staff. Once everyone had received their food a staff member came around to each table to be sure everyone was happy with their meal. He very much wanted to be sure everyone was satisfied. The hot food remained available throughout the event and take away containers were left nearby for those who wished to take home any left overs once an appropriate amount of time had passed. Cannoli, cookies and brownies were laid out near the coffee urns (regular and decaf, along with hot water and tea bags) for dessert. About thirty minutes before departure, take away containers were left on this table too. We paid the bartender the agreed upon amount for our event before departing. All of the staff were very helpful, considerate and kind. All of our guests were very happy with both the accommodations and the meal, as were we. Salvatore's is located in a renovated mill building with shared parking. A ramp leads up to their door for wheelchair access. Gendered restrooms are located off a hallway between the entrance and the event room. The temperature inside was quite pleasant, neither cold nor hot.

Very happy with Salvatore's. I had a chicken Caesar salad…read morewrap that was excellent. The fries were also so delicious! I believe they were homemade. The waitress was also great. She was very patient and attentive. The atmosphere is very pleasant along the river. A great experience!

Loved our meal last night! We made a reservation same day and were seated right away! Our waitress…read morewas extremely friendly and made sure we had everything we needed! Cocktails were great and the meatballs were great with the sweet ricotta! The chicken LaRosa was honestly a show stopper. The sauce was on the lighter side and creamy and the chicken was still tender and crispy. The vongole was great as well! I love a thicker noodle with clams so I really enjoyed it! I did opt out of the chili flakes on it just cause I'm a bit or miss with spice! Overall, it was a great dinner and we are definitely looking forward to going back very soon!

LaRosa's is a cute little restaurant. I was torn between ordering the bolognese and the vongole…read more(both my favorite dishes at any Italian restaurant). I went with the vongole. It was good, but I wasn't particularly a fan of the noodles. It was hard and maybe a little too al dente for me. I had to use my knife to cut it. More of a personal preference, I don't do well with spice and felt there were was a lot of chili flakes in the sauce. The Nutella tiramisu was delicious though! I'd come back again to try the bolognese.

I hit them on 3/14-- not because it was Pi Day, but because I love their pizza and happened to be…read morenearby after my real lunch. So I had a second lunch (two slices from a whole pie that I'll finish another day). -- Pepperoni Pizza: I've come to expect high-quality and that's what I got. Lightly charred crust with a fairly firm base, neither done to an extreme. Unexpected was a bit of sourness to the cheese, which was actually a plus, adding complexity. Robust tomato sauce is there in greater supply than most, and I like that. Pepperoni isn't as thick as Tree House, but it's noticeably thicker than most, and much more flavorful. If there's a weakness to this pizza, it's that the crust is more of a vessel (though a well-cooked one) than flavor provider, but it delivers structure. There's more than enough flavor everywhere else. -- Chocolate Chip Cookie: I always covet them but today I took the plunge. I expected good, but not necessarily great beyond pizza cookie standards. It's fairly thin, very bendy, and very moist, with so much chocolate that I feared it would detract from the dough. Not the case: despite a slight resemblance to supermarket bakery cookies, this dough emphasized butter, not sugar. And a fabulous butter at that (probably brown butter), bringing a darker flavor with nutty hints of caramel. Salt crystals on top are cliché nowadays, but restraint ensured they'd enhance, not distract. The flavor got better with every bite. Excellent cookie that would put many full fledged bakeries to shame. Back to the pizza: If you're not into the tomato, the char, or the lack of seating (2 booths), this place might not be for you. But I'm all for the first two and don't mind gambling on seating, because tailgating is always a worthy last resort for pizza this good.

Garlic Breath is fine. I think this style for pizza just isn't for me since I like a thicker crust…read morethat isn't charred. I've gotten pizza from here twice and both times the crust was overdone, even burnt in some spots. I ordered via the Toast app and there is the option to ask for a lighter bake which I wish I had done. Both times I ordered a pizza with pepperoni and mushroom with garlic bread crust which was about $30 after tax and tip. The pizza is large but still on the pricey side. The garlic bread crust seemed like it was just garlic powder seasoning so it doesn't add much flavor. However I appreciate that they are generous with the toppings and aside from the crust, everything else was good. The location is a pain to get in and out of because the parking lot is small and it's located on a busy spot on 114 next to Stop and Shop.