Had been there when it was called Culinary Arts, and loved it. Great, creative food, nice atmosphere, and NOISY. Have been here a couple times for drinks and apps at the bar since the change to Aqua Pazzo. Time to try dinner. We will be back!!
I knew they had interesting cocktails so I ordered a strawberry basil martini, and was blown away. It wasn't too long before i ordered another, which is rare for me. The husband had 2 different red wines and enjoyed both. The bread was crusty holey Italian bread from the Bread Chef, with oil that included fresh herbs. Very tasty.
I started with the citrus shrimp appetizer and he had the Cleveland salad. The shrimp was fried in a very light coating or batter, not heavy at all. The surprise on the plate was bits of Calabrian chilis - hot but with great depth. The salad was fresh and delicious, and you could taste the lemon in the dressing but not too bitter.
I had a special entree, the lobster ravioli surrounded with jumbo lump crab and asparagus, with a creamy, slightly sweet sauce that paired great with the seafood. Out of this world. It should be on the regular menu. I would get it every time. Husband had spaghetti with clams, shrimp and mussels, which he gets at a lot of places. I'm not a fan of shellfish, but he said all the fish was prepared perfectly. I tasted the pasta and sauce and it was delicious.
For dessert, we went with many reviewers and had the Italian butter cake. It was like the chef baked a fabulous pound cake, soaked it in melted butter and simple syrup, and grilled slices of it. Topped with vanilla ice cream and garnished with sliced strawberries and balsamic glaze.
And since they make their own cellos, we split a limoncello. It was amazing. The portion was way too much for 2, especially after we had already had 2 drinks each.
Our server (very long straight brown hair, sorry I forgot her name) was very friendly and helpful, with thorough knowledge of the wine list, cocktails, and menu item preparation. She was a real pro.
I have read reviews where people weren't too happy with the prices and "no included salad". I do not have a problem paying a fair price for a high quality meal. There are many pasta dishes and pizzas under $20, so there are options. And really, name me one place where the free salad is all that good. They are mostly iceberg lettuce. There were some complaints about the service being slow. In my opinion, if I wanted fast food, I'd go to a fast food place. For fine dining, I like to take my time and savor the food and company.
My only complaint was several men (can't call them gentlemen) wearing baseball caps. Really.
Regardless, it won't be long before we return. You do need reservations. We were there on a Saturday night in January, thinking it wouldn't be busy, but it was full the whole time we were there. read more