From start to finish 10/10 The hostess was pleasant followed…read moreus to the bar w menus. The bartenders greeted us promptly, the manager came by welcomed us back. Nice when they remember you have been there before. Drinks at the bar were tasty and made nicely. The atmosphere is a dream. Super elegant and sexy place. The food... 10/10

5 stars is NOT enough recognition to give to Moderna. There's so many wonderful things to say about…read morethis establishment, I'm not sure where to start! We (a party of 5) came on a Saturday evening to celebrate my brother's birthday. From the moment we walked in to the very last step outside those doors, everything and everyone was an unforgettable experience. Despite it almost being a full house, it was not loud and chaotic. The dim lighting and subtle romance songs playing in the background brings the upscale, cozy vibe altogether. Our server, Hamlet (yes that's actually his name), was an exceptional server. He's knowledgeable of the drink & main menu and was able to answer any and all questions we had. Not to mention he is very personable and funny so communicating with him was a breeze! I appreciate his openness and honesty to our questions about the different dishes on the menu. So whether you ask him for his personal favorites or his customer's favorites, he will give you an honest answer. Both Hamlet and the owner, Joe Daniel (I think that's his name), visited our table frequently (without becoming overbearing) to ensure everything was up to their standards. There wasn't a single moment where we were left wondering where our server ran off to or when our water canisters were going to be refilled. -- Together, we ordered: * MEATBALLS DELLA NONNA - 3 generous-sized meatballs are paired with a marinara sauce and flame-toasted bread. this was so delicious and is a great shareable for the table! * TAGLIATELLE ALLA RUOTA - great tableside experience that you often see on social media, and it tastes great as well! Pro tip: add any of their delicious protein options from chicken, salmon, and more (we paired it with the chicken) * RIGATONI ALLA VODKA - true story: I asked Hamlet to choose between their Risotto special (steak and mushroom) or the rigatoni alla vodka (+ grilled chicken $10) and he chose the rigatoni for me... and I am SO glad he did omg. I love vodka sauce and this was absolutely incredible. The Calabrian chili flakes enhances the flavor of the sauce so well without it being too spicy. The chicken breast was soo tender and juicy. This was an easy 10/10 in my book! Highly recommend. It would've been part of the clean plate club if I didn't stuff myself with those meatballs. * WILD BOAR RAGU + POLENTA - the birthday boy ordered this dish and it became part of the clean plate club. He said the wild boar was not gamey at all to which he was pleasantly surprised! * SALMONE E SPINACI - a generous portion of salmon atop sautéed spinach and a creamy cauliflower purée. Honestly you wouldn't have known it was cauliflower - it was prepared so well that it truly resembles a delicious creamy mashed potato. For me personally, I didn't care for this dish. I much rather my vodka pasta. Althoughhhh if you're wanting a lighter dish, we'd recommend this one. It became part of the clean plate club. -- If I lived in Austin, I would frequent this restaurant for sure. You wouldn't be able to tell that this was a new establishment ( in business for only 7 months!) The service was incredible. Please ask for Hamlet! The cozy vibes, the warm and welcoming personalities, the exceptional service, and those delicious meatballs and alla vodka pasta have earned their spot in my heart (and tummy). Thank you, Hamlet and JD! We will be back.

Keep in mind, I'm not a pasta lover!…read more My bestie was in town and we decided we wanted Italian food. We found Fig on tik tok and decided to give it a try. There is a parking garage nearby , so parking is not an issue. When I walked in, I loved the wall and bar area. The hostess was very friendly. There is also an outside patio. The place was pretty packed but the service made me feel like the only person in the room. The waiter was super knowledgeable about the menu. I loved how all of the people on staff were friendly, gave compliments, and had conversations with us. They really brought the experience together. The menu was the right size and not overwhelming. Appetizer Brioche - cooked so well and my friend is bread lover. She wanted more and the truffle butter was a lovely touch. Mushroom arancini- warm, crispy, flavoful, and just devine Main Agnoliti- The pasta was cooked so well. I can tell it was made in house. The sauce was flavorful. The bison was so tender and yummy. This was a hearty dish that was made with love . To Fig Italian Kitchen and Bar, Thanks for everything !!

I came here to happy hour on a whim, treated myself to a little solo dinner. The food was tasty but…read morelike a few other reviewers found it to be a bit underwhelming and nothing stood out as a true OMG moment. The service was great and attentive without feeling like anyone was checking in too much. I was sat at the chef's table and treated to a free appetizer so I appreciated that part. The wine and sangria stood out to me as thoughtfully curated, and the pretty warm and dim lighting kept the mood cool and calm on an otherwise hot summer day. Im always looking for new places to try around happy hour and felt sated but not blown away. All in all a positive experience though!

I was looking forward to meeting a friend here for dinner. Since I had already been to the Round…read moreRock location, I had confidence the food would be good here as well. With this place coming up on almost 500 Yelp reviews and sitting at four+ stars, that says something. It's located at a convenient location on 51st just a few blocks from I 35 and sits at the corner of Lancaster beneath three stories of apartments. There's only about six parking spaces available in front of the restaurant, otherwise you'll have to park in some other retail spaces further away. Inside it's quite small and intimate with about a dozen tables on the floor and 8 chairs at the bar. They do post some daily specials on the board when you walk in or you can stick to the menu. They do have a wine menu, but it's only limited to 22 choices at 2-3 times retail. We started off with some fried cheese ravioli and calamari. I loved the light breading on the calamari rings and no tentacles were included. My main course of chicken Parmesan was some of the best I've ever had. My guest enjoyed his entrée of shrimp and muscles. We washed it all down with a glass of their organic primativo. We then finished it all off with a dense chocolate fudge cake. You can easily spend $200 a couple for apps, entrées, wine, dessert, and tip. We showed up on a Friday evening without a reservation and there was just a few people in the restaurant, but it's best to make reservations for Valentines. If you're looking for pizza, you won't find it on the menu here. It's a place I'd come back to. Check out the informative photos.

I was less enthusiastic about this establishment than was my dining partner, Steve W…read more On a Friday night, Gino's was less than 1/5 full ... So other people might share my point of view. However, there was really only one objective thing wrong with Gino's on 51st street. Everything else was a matter of personal taste. Personal tastes can vary in what one wants to see in an American Italian restaurant. * * * The only objective fail was a fried calamari appetizer. The fry job was not good and the calamari were tough and not too tasty. People don't go to Italian restaurants just to get fried calamari, even though it is a common enough appetizer. * * * The one objective WOW WOW WOW was their chocolate cake. Steve W and I split one of these babies. It is kept in the refrigerator and served ice cold. The stuff is totally addictive. No matter how the rest of your meal goes, The chocolate cake will atone for all sins. * * * Now for the matters in dispute. The big question is do you like your American Italian tomato forward or tomato restrained? I grew up in Boston in the 1950s and 1960s where all the Italian food was tomato restrained. This included the famous Italian houses in the North End and our family's favorite, Simeone's in Cambridge. The recipes at Gino's could have come out of any those establishments. This explains Steve W's vigorous thumbs up. * * * American Italian in Philadelphia is tomato forward. Boston has evolved into a tomato forward town although exceptions do exist in particular houses. After I graduated high school and went out in the world, I discovered tomato forward. (Including, in Manhattan, a Legendary Spaghetti Caruso which was tomato forward with chicken livers. Sarah Vaughan was singing gospel to the diners. Now THAT was one meal I will never forget!) Once I discovered tomato forward, there was no going back. Whenever I cook Italian, I cook tomato forward. Whenever I encounter tomato restrained, I go "That's Nice, Dear." * * * Steve W.'s chicken parmigiana and my cioppino were both tomato restrained. I make a killer cioppino myself (although I have been bested by more than one West Coast seafood establishment.) Cioppino needs to be tomato forward all the way - and when you get down right to it, totally heavy-handed with the tomato. Needing tomato was especially important at Gino's where the seafood was on again off again. (Scallops and clams were legitimately superb. The shrimp like the calamari, not so much.) So I enjoyed part of my meal. * * * Fortunately, Steve W. is a dazzling conversationalist with a wealth of knowledge about a wide range of topics. So the dinner was marvelous, when I thought less about my food and more about the ideas he was putting forward. And there was that cake. So as a total experience, the night was five stars. * * * However, if you are going without Steve W., Then watch yourself on the menu. Something like an Alfredo or a Piccata might be a better main dish call. That - and be sure to order dessert. (Heh heh)

This place is absolutely underrated and absolutely delicious!!…read more Although a small and cozy space, my group of 5 were able to be seated within 10 minutes, and the hostesses / servers were very kind and helpful! I also just loved their overall vibe and how they made the experience feel so welcoming. We ordered a few appetizers: fried mozzarella, bruschetta, and meatballs. The fried mozzarella was so delicious! Crispy on the outside, cheese pull on the inside, and a nice marinara around it. The bruschetta was so refreshing! I loved how creamy the ricotta was and it was an overall amazing antipasti. My only complaint for that was that the toast was a bit too hard / crispy. The meatballs were like regular meatballs although on the larger side! I liked the sauce that it came with. We also had 3 pasta plates however I only remember the name of one of them. They were all delicious, though! Just by chewing all of the pastas, you can tell that they are all made in house. Perfectly chewy and the sauce is amazing! The rigatoni was so good with a hint of spice. You can't go wrong with rigatoni. We honestly walked into this restaurant thinking we wouldn't be full since the plates looked smaller but the plates were actually pretty deep! We all walked out spending $25 each and filled to the brim. All items were very good and they gave us a complimentary post card before we left. Neat place, I'll be back!

Walked in and it smelt like a dirty diaper- even my friend said the same thing…read more I always look forward to ordering burrata, but I don't get it much because it's really expensive, but I ordered it and it was disgusting... It had pickled onions on top of the figs which were cold and pickled and that was not described on the menu and I felt like I was eating herring out of a jar. Took one bite and told the waitress I didn't like it. Ordered the fried mozzarella and even that was just meh. Got billed for both too. The entrees were okay- nothing to rave home about. And all the glasses of wine started around $18 a glass. Very pricy. Not much parking either so you have to park on a side street. Would not recommend.

Very good food and friendly service. The pay what you will Tuesday's made this kind of high quality…read morefood available to me which I really appreciate. I never get to go to places like this so it felt good and I felt included and not made to feel bad for not being able to pay the full amount. Also allowed me to try and recommend their food which was very good and healthy!

Tried L'Oca d'Oro on one of their pay-what-you-will nights (they do this on Tuesdays) and had mixed…read morefeelings. The tomato salad was my favorite -- really fresh, simple, and well done. I also tried the mozzarella, which was good but fairly straightforward. Honestly, I probably would've been happier just sticking with those two dishes. Unfortunately, the pasta didn't work for me. It felt a bit dry and heavy, and just wasn't something I enjoyed or wanted to finish. I also found the payment process a bit confusing. They do provide menu pricing, but you're given a sheet to fill out what you want to pay, and I wasn't totally sure what was expected. It made the overall value feel unclear--and that's even considering I paid quite a bit less than what the meal would normally cost. That said, the atmosphere and the people were enjoyable, and I do like the idea behind offering this kind of night. It just didn't fully come together for me from a food and value standpoint.

this review is for cedar tavern! austin is home to happy hour heaven, and cedar tavern is…read moredefinitely one of the reasons why. basically all day $7 martinis, $10 burgers, and $5 apps all of which are delicious the mexican martini tasted like a marg with a bitter aftertaste probably due to the olive juice. the espresso martini was more impressive, balancing the vodka with espresso perfectly! definitely would get the espresso martini again the best appetizer hands down was the pommes dauphine, crispy little mashed potato balls essentially with crème fraiche. the perfect poppable bite to share the spinach artichoke dip was blended and less chunky than i'm used to - still delightfully cheesy. loved the crackers it came with fries were exactly how i like them! nice thin and a slight chew chovies - honestly the anchovies were wayyy too salty for me, but i see the vision with the radish. it helps cut through the salt. i wasn't able to finish it personally, but just my preference valet parking is definitely a plus bc otherwise this place would be a nightmare to park at

Went in on a Friday afternoon! We were able to get a table pretty quickly. There was a time limit…read moreon the table. The overall experience was good, we ordered different dishes and the food was good, the customer service was great. Parking: Valet Parking is Free

Came here for dinner with a friend and we had a great time! We came on a Wednesday night and it was…read morepretty empty for awhile which felt a little awkward but our server was super nice and the food was great! Very cute spot and decent happy hour prices.

Date night here was delish! I loved the drinks and the pizza was so good that we were silent for a…read moregood amount of time just focused on devouring vodka pizza. Service was good; I must say that the music is a bit loud lol but still had a great time

Went there just for their dessert after our sushi night at Tenten and it did not disappoint. We…read moreorder the vanilla dessert they had vanilla bean mirange. With raspberry sorbet, topped with candied lemon peel. It was very fresh, bright and light. Very unique and interesting. The service also was pretty decent and we were in and out in under 20 minutes. The restaurant also is gorgeous.

This spot is such a hidden gem! We stopped here for the 5-7 pm happy hour. The interior is…read morebeautiful, and also completely empty...I was wondering why it was so empty. The price points are high - but hey it is a classy spot. The HH ceviche and duck bao ($9.50) were great bites to start. For my entree I ordered the mussels ($22.50) - the mussels could have been larger... but that broth tastes like pepperoni pizza, in the best way possible. The crusty focaccia dipped in the broth was heaven. The HH steak and frites ($45.5) - partner said these were the best steak and frites he had ever had. The staff are super super nice :)