Just wanted to say I am still thinking about how great my lunch was here the other day! I am already naming my next visit for one of there amazing Panini's :) read more

This place is terrible.The Manager, Steve, I think his name is, is the equivalent of a used car salesman with no couth or manners. Ask him one question and he goes on, and on, and on, and on about stuff that doesn't even relate. Then, he acted like HE is the one who was inconvenienced when something went wrong. That's what you get when you spend all this time blowing smoke up our asses while we waited for our table. The flatware and dishware at our table looked like it was covered in a layer of slime. I asked for a new bread dish. Our meat was overcooked. The pasta was overcooked and gooey and it's total BS that their product is homemade. The gnocchi was too consistent in size and shape and tasted frozen. The seafood was all overcooked on our seafood dish. Our server was miserable. Acted like "hey, I just serve the food." While she was exceptional at the steps of service, she took no ownership of her customer's experience. Unfortunately, when yo are the face and primary connection between the customer and the restaurant, that's kinda your job! She'd probably do really well somewhere she actually liked. It's clear she didn't. hahah..homemade deserts. Anyone who has a dessert case in their restaurant and calls it fine-dining should probably go to Denny's. The desserts look like they came out of one of those BJ's Wholesale frozen section. Sure, they're great for home. but don't flat out lie and call stuff homemade. My lemon whatever cake was stale and dry and just totally unappealing. And don't bother with a Groupon. Total rip off. You don't even save that much and the language is totally misleading. This place is way over priced. The decor is standard restaurant garbage. . Don't pretend to be a fine dining restaurant..and have yellow table cloths. I can't see the color of my wine...which BTW, was also a little suspect. I ordered a cab...and it tasted like a water blend. Last time I skip out on Mulberry for another place. Back to Mulberry for us. read more

Very disappointing. Ordered Italian wedding soup, it was very similar to canned chicken noodle soup with a large hunk of ground meat shaped into a meatball in it. Everything we ordered was disappointing and it was all tossed in the garbage. read more

Went for dinner last. night after trying it for the 1st time 2 weeks ago. It was as if the 2 dining experiences were at 2 different restaurants. Last night the service was quite spars, receiving a Caesar salad after 45 minutes of ordering it. We actually had to chase the waitress down to tell her how we wanted the filet cooked. The 4 entrees were served at least 90 minutes after ordering. The rigatoni dish was undercooked, no sausage in sight and the red sauce tasted sour/old. The salmon dish was so salty it was sent back. It was replaced by a dish of pasta that resembled and tasted like a can of Chef Boyardee macaroni. The filet mignon was not a filet at all but a small, thin steak burned on one end and raw on the other. The dinner we had 2 weeks prior was good, not exceptional, but edible and on time. The server told us the cook was not the usual one and that he was a bad mood all day. Frankly I felt she was apprehensive about talking to the cook regarding the problems with our meals. Will never go again. read more

Great Italian food!! Friendly atmosphere... Would definitely recommend.. Great service..

I went to the restaurant with my family when I purchased a groupon for it. We only had a groupon for dinner for 2 so it was not a cheap meal by all means. The waiter informed us of additional expenses that we would have to pay like buying a glass of wine and also having to purchase an appetizer. My husband ordered the Italian Wedding Soup and it was literally chicken broth with carrots and celery. The dinners were very good I have to say that as was the salad. The service was excellent but it was definitely not worth the price. read more

Frogman Went to Francesca's on 5/3/14 for dinner with another couple. Having read all the bad press about this restaurant I was a little concerned. DON'T BE! Our evening there and dinner was great. Started with drinks at the bar. Great barmaid. Chef brought an appetizer out from the kitchen for us to try at the bar along with a strawberry version of a mint julep (Derby day). Our dinners included the braised short ribs, eggplant (stuffed banana peppers sandwiched between two generous pieces of eggplant) and a lasagna that looked like a small birthday cake. Everything was delicious. We all took boxes home. Sometimes it pays to judge for yourself. It sure did last night! Bona Petite! read more

Recently I got a groupon for this restaurant and couldn't wait to try it, knowing that normally it is very pricey. We walked in to the bar, and stood awkwardly waiting for a hostess or anyone to show us to some seats, seeing as there was a "please wait to be seated" sign. Eventually we were able to sit down. It is worth mentioning the interior back dining room is gorgeous, but that is the only positive thing I have to say. A manager, I think, greeted us to give us the menu after we sat. There were only 2 other full tables, strange for a Saturday night. The manager recommend the Francesca Experience: app to share, soup or salad for each, intermezzo, entrees, dessert, and aperitifs. All for $79. What a deal we thought. As we placed our order, the manager did not write it down, nor did he know what the soup of the day was. He had to come back twice to ask our order. After the second time, we finally laid eyes on our waitress who we ordered from for the third time! We started with dry, crappy bread. Dipping oil was ok, didn't make up for the bread though. Next was lobster gnocchi, which I've had other places and loved. This tasted like bland goo. No flavor whatsoever, and kind of overcooked. My date had pasta fagoile soup which was like eating straight olive oil. I had goat cheese and radish salad, which was actually decent. Next was intermezzo, the best thing we ate all night. Cold and full of flavor, this strawberry and lemon concoction was nearly orgasmic, but not worth the rest of the night. Dinner for me was lasagna, the grossest lasagna I have ever tasted. Burned on all edges, full of undercooked filling, and covered in tomato sauce that tasted like it came out of a can, thrown over a bush of rosemary, and burned over the stove. My dinner partner had seafood trio, with over cooked and tasteless risotto, and sparse amount of seafood. Dessert for me was a cannoli, which tasted sour and gritty, supposed to be served with berries but was merely thrown on a plate with a dot of strawberry sauce, the worst tasting item of the night other than the lasagna. Partner had key lime pie, average and tasting like refrigerator. As for after dinner drinks, the waitress had no idea what the alcohol selection was, and everything I asked for they were out of. She offered "why don't you just come to the bar so you know". Wine list was very limited as well. In addition, the "sunglass wearing waiter" mentioned in other reviews waited on the two other tables, and conversed with the one loudly across the room for the whole meal. Overall, for a place claiming to offer an upscale Italian dining experience, this place falls terribly flat on its face. For a manager to not even know a soup of the day, and a waitress suggest a patron to go the bar and get their own drink, seriously lowers the class of a joint. Not to mention, easy Italian favorites that seem impossible to screw up, are screwed up. Highly disappointed. Had I not had the groupon, I would not have paid for this meal willingly. Would give this place negative stars if I could. False advertising for sure. read more

Waitress was excellent, food was great, I had the rigatoni, had a good amount of sauce would have liked fresh mushrooms, price was good too. Outside patio needed the cigarettes picked up. It was a nice night for sitting outside. As soon as they serve wine I'm there.... read more

Had dinner at Casa Di Francesca's for my birthday. The food was delicious and the service was great. The owner Steve came out and greeted us. I would definitely recommend Casa Di Francesca's read more

Do yourself a favor and avoid this restaurant at all costs. Buffalo deserves better food than the atrocities going on here. One star for soupy pastas, warm salads, strange sauces, and a generally incapable chef and kitchen. The bread is good, but other than that I'd be hard pressed to find something good on the menu. Although it states on the menu that those are authentic Italian menu items, they are certainly not. Have ordered alcohol at the bar and am fairly sure that the owner is filling bottles with different liquors and selling labatt blue on the Peroni beer draft line. The staff is friendly, however, food is often late to table, tasteless, cooked improperly, with confused flavor combinations and profiles. Problems at this restaurant began long ago with the owner and have long since been carried on by an incapable chef or kitchen. Owners on their way down often skimp on food quality and employ staff who don't care about serving good or decent food in an attempt to save money. Given the dismal situation at this restaurant it was a wonder that the staff was so friendly. They've probably grown accustomed to apologizing for the poor food quality. read more

My boyfriend and I went to Francesca's expecting a nice Italian fine dining experience, unfortunately we got everything but... To start, an older gentleman waiter wearing dark sunglasses came to our table to tell us the specials. He did not introduce himself and he was casually leaning on our table, which was wobbly. He rattled off some specials and I was having trouble keeping track of what he was saying. Shortly after he left, a different waiter came to our table. Turns out the second guy was really our waiter, and he told us the real specials. The first guy had just apparently "made some up" and our waiter "hates when he does this." This was very bizarre. Though our waiter (2nd one) was very friendly, he was not very knowledgeable. He was unable to recommend a wine, which I think should be a given at a fine dining italian restaurant. It took a long time for our bread to come out, even though the dipping oil came out first, which was also strange. It seemed like our waiter was waiting on most of the tables, while the older man was only waiting on two, and it seemed like he knew the customers at those tables. Our food came out and was it was good. The food is probably the only decent thing about the evening. However, I would say our entrees were really worth $15, not $25. I'm glad I had a groupon for the evening, so we didn't pay full price. To top off the evening, the older sunglasses man was talking, loudly, to the table next to us. He went on and on about his medical history, the 60s, viagara, you-name-it, for at least 20 minutes. The people he was talking to didn't even seem like they wanted him there anymore. We didn't even bother to stay for dessert or another drink. Our waiter left us with a weird half-apology for the food taking long, which was strange because that was the only thing about the dinner that was ok. The whole evening was bizarre, unatmospheric, and bland. We went there because my parents had gone to dinner there a few months ago and they came home with raving reviews! I have no idea how the same restaurant can produce such great and awful experiences simultaneously. read more

I cannot believe that this is the same place that others have reviewed. I had my worst meal in Buffalo at this place on July 3rd. I think the waitstaff had called in sick. One waiter for the whole place. Service was terrible. The one server that was there was not in a good mood. I had the seafood ravioli and it was gummy and only had about 3 shrimp in it. We spoke to another couple who said their meal was terrible as well. I'm not sure if they were preparing for Taste of Buffalo or not, but if you can't service the restaurant AND get ready for the Taste-DON'T DO IT! Do not go here. There are plenty of other great places around. read more

This was the first time I've eaten at Francesca's. I was with two friends. We were seated quickly and our drink orders taken. I ordered hot tea. i was brought green tea, which I cannot drink as it gives me migraines. I asked if there was any regular tea. They were out. They also did not have unsweetened iced tea. Our appetizers took over an hour to come. The restaurant was not busy. When we arrived we were the only table there. The appetizers were ok. Nothing to write home about. I was very disappointed in my flatbread. All it was was slices of garlic bread with some onions on it. Not what i expected. Our entrees came out much faster. We all had fish fry as it was Friday in Lent in Buffalo. Fish was ok. It was just nothing special. Our waitress was as attentive as she could be and we tipped her well as it wasn't her fault that our meals took forever. I would't go back. I'll head up the street to the Blackthorn Pub instead. read more

Francescas is a wonderful place to dine. It's upscale but not snooty. The quality of the food is impeccable. The service is efficient and friendly. And, surprise, the prices are very moderate. Both Deb and really enjoy this restaurant. read more

Food was great but the service was horrible. The waitress acted like I did not know what I was ordering and got snotty with my wife and I at different points during dinner. I have been before and things have been ok but that was the last straw! read more

I love the ambiance. I am thrilled to have such a nice restaurant in So Buffalo, BUT...don't ever go there with a coupon or for a house special. There is always an issue with the cost saving side of the transaction and you lose! Tuesday Schmoozeday is a deal and mostly delicious appetizers, but after the most recent escapade with deal chicken, I won't likely be back. I feel Steve is taking advantage of his customers and I have had it. Deal chicken won't even respond to my complaint and I am out money AGAIN. So if you like to get ripped off, this is the place to go. read more

We were seated given water and we didn't see a waitress for 20min then thay were out of strip steak thay were out of 3 kinds of beer ran out of 2 liquor cordials then a bug in the water soup was cold we were there 3 and a half hours for dinner we had a lot of people and not many were happy we will never go back again read more

Stopped in to Francesca's one night while driving down Seneca on the way to Chef's. The restaurant looked inviting from the outside and a quick google search showed what looked to be fairly inventive Italian menu. The Lobster gnocchi which was said to be homemade was clearly a packaged dry product which was tough and lacked flavor, the beet and goat cheese salad which did have a pleasant flavor was overshadowed by the beets being completely raw and nearly inedible. Now onto the entrees, The seafood ravioli which explained by the waiter to be made in house clearly were also a frozen product. By in house he must've meant they were reheated on premise. My companions chicken francesca with sweet garlic sauce was anything but the sauce was overwhelmed with garlic that had been chopped in food processor giving it a strong bitter flavor that was unable to get past. The server was clumsy and not well educated on the products he was selling over all a terrible experience that will really need some help to keep such a large place going. Hopefully it can be turned around because the inside of the restaurant is actually quite nice. read more

So, my girlfriend chose Francesca's for a dinner during birthday week after being there several years prior. I made reservations for 6 pm on a Tuesday evening. We were the only 2 people in the entire restaurant for the complete length of our dinner! The bartender/waitress/hostess could not have been any nicer!! She must've realized I had some doubts about the upcoming dinner. Ordered a bottle of beer, not what I ordered. Had checked out the menu online and had my taste buds ready for braciole, not on the menu! 2nd choice was osso bucco, all out! Was offered a strip steak instead. Chose the lasagna! The bartender/waitress/hostess was very attentive and was noticeably anxious as our food took forever! Skip the dishes driver also had to wait. She even brought over complimentary margarita shots! Finally, dinner! My girl had shrimp scampi which she loved. The lasagna (which by the way was the last serving left in the restaurant) was plentiful and served on a bed of spaghetti but lack much flavor. I don't know what was going on this night, but overheard the bartender/waitress/hostess on the phone explaining that there's no lasagna left and also fielding complaints from a skip the dishes customer! I have to say thank you again to the bartender/waitress/hostess!! She even brought my girlfriend a complimentary birthday canola and they did comp my entire meal!! Hate to leave a negative vibe, but that's how it went!! Prolly not going back. read more

Two times. Not doing a third. First time service time was ridiculous. A nice waiter doesn't excuse a two hour meal. Got dessert to go due to time and canolli shells were over baked and tasted burned. I called spoke to owner and manager several times. Both promised a certificate to replace the $16 cost for canolli never received. Went back despite previous experience. Got chicken parm and eggplant parm to go. Bill was over $37 got it home and portion was ridiculous small. For the price I expected more than a 1/4 cup off pasta with both meals. Based on my previous experiences, didn't bother calling. I am done! read more

Went here for dinner to celebrate two birthdays. We were the only ones there. The waitress told us their liquor license expired and couldn't sell us a glass of wine. Who lets their liquor license expire?!? The service was awful. There was one waitress and she wasn't even supposed to be a waitress. She went into a rant about how the restaurant was undergoing a change. She didn't even take off the flat pop we ordered off our bill! Our food came way too late after we ordered it. I ordered the shrimp scampi, which was awful. For $19 it wasn't worth the price; the sauce was all at the bottom of the bowl and was all oily; the shrimp still had all the tails on them. The restaurant was freezing cold! No music was playing in the restaurant, only in the back kitchen. The waitress didn't check on us at all, and when the bill came it automatically gave the waitress a $29 tip, and if it were up to me I would tip her $0. I would never suggest going to this restaurant, at least not until the owners have changed over. read more

Wonderful! I would not have stumbled across this place unless for their recent Groupon. The interior and overall ambience was beautiful. They played old Italian music, very intimate and welcoming setting. I had the special of homemade gnocchi, artichoke hearts, chicken and blush vodka sauce. It was to die for. Their complimentary bread is a warm italian loaf with olives and homemade oil with roasted garlic for dipping. One note: not a place to bring little kids. read more

Quite honestly , one of the best dining experiences of my life. " The Francescas Experience " As so titled in the menu is the way we went. A romantic dinner for two including everything your heart desires. Beginning with the appetizer all the way to the ending dessert and aperitif the food was perfectly cooked and seasoned. We had a wide variety of choices included in the package dinner. The service was impeccable. Our waitress knew her food and specials well. As a former Server and Restaurant Manager I could NOT find one thing that went wrong with the entire meal. The pace of the meal was perfect, the hot drinks hot and the cold drinks cold. Everyone received their meal at the same time and each person ooooed and ahhhhed their way through each course, although not one of us could finish our meal. Authentic Italian , this restaurant stomps on Olive Garden. Every attention to detail made the higher costs WORTH EVERY PENNY ! ( or Franklin, or 3 ...!) I super loved that " The Experience" Includes fresh baked bread with a wonderful dipping concocktion, an appetizer ( to share) soup or salad ( I suggest the roasted beet salad with goat cheese and candied walnuts ! ) an intermezzo , your main course ( choose ANY off the menu- up charge for a few items) I had the braised short ribs !! Super yum !!! He had the 20 Oz Steak, dessert and an aperitif ! Last we have two children 4 and 8, this may not be ideal for some diners/servers but we were treated with such kindness and patience with regards to them. Yes this place is perfect for a date night but our family of 2 kid 2 parents and 2 grandparents really enjoyed it as well !!! I have been here for a lunch as well previous to my dinner tonight, the pizza and pinini are so yummy ! We can't to go back ...and it will be soon ! read more

11. 26. 2013 ~ 3 of us went for Our Bir. Dinners, it was Amazing!! We had the $5 App`s Eggplant on french brd. Out of this World!! Lobster w/ Gnocchi, Fabulous !! Shrimp in a Cream sauce over Fett. MMM... than Tilapia Fish w/ real mash potatoes, Oh my Goodness... GREAT!!! Wait Staff Amy, Andrew, Tony & Jack.... so Fun & Friendly!! Great Wine, Great Deco... Sinatra was playing... Steve the owner, must be proud. We Will be back, we`re looking forward to it!! It truly is a Gem in S. Bflo. read more

we went for the advertised fish fry on a Friday night. got there at 7:15, there were two tables, the place was empty, not a good sign. Worse yet the one table was a twelve top of very senior seniors, that were swooning over the Sinatra wanna be. A very loud wanna be at that. Our server was prompt and very nice. When we asked about the fish fry, she informed us they didn't have any fish, in fact there was not a seafood item in the house. We should have left then, but ordered wine, and an ice tea. Looking over the menu, sipping wine, we wondered where all the offerings were that we saw on the online menu. No where to be seen, which can also describe the ice tea. Our server came back and informed us they were out of ice tea, and sent someone to the store for it.Huh? By this time one of our party started calling other restaurants. The place is sorry. spare yourself. I hope the server finds a new gig, she'd do well in another spot. read more

Food was pretty good would give it an average some things were good others not so much. the real reason I am reviewing this restaurant is because i am so pissed about the end of my experience. I had already took notice of a few thing, for example our soup and salad came before our appetizers then they appetizers were cool and the calamari was chewy. our waitress was good she did make sure our plates were cleared and we had everything we needed. now to the point my girlfriend and i walked in to find my little sister and her boy friend were there and neither of us are from the area we both just found the same groupon and decided to come. we talked to the manager who kindly agreed to allow us to sit together and have seperate checks and still use our groupon. I was thrilled and shook his hand. after our meal I realized i left my phone with the groupon in the car. when i came back the owner was standing at our table scolding them for trying to use the groupon on a holiday with a special menu. my sister and girlfriend were explaining that his employees stated on several occasions that this would not be a problem. I chimed in with i would not have known his restaurant existed without the groupon. He said he was doing us a favor and allowing us to use them but that he wanted to make sure we knew that no restaurant allows groupons on a holiday. This went on for so long I had enough and told him the conversation was over and we will not be back due to his behavior. He then yelled that we could only use one groupon and stormed off. Ofcourse we were paying cash wrote the groupon info on the checks deducted the value and handed our tip to the waitress who was shaking she was so scared of this tyrant. i advised her i would be glad to give him the bill and explain what was done. He sent out the manager who stated the band was too loud to understand our earlier conversation. haha they were still setting up there was soft background music playing at the time. read more

Looking for one of the most beautiful hidden treasures in Buffalo, try CASA DI Francesca on Seneca Street, in South Buffalo. I started with the gnocchi and lobster appetizer and it was remarkable. I told the chief's choice; it was amazing pork and potatoes over a tasty sauce. The serving was so courteous and kind. My wife and I try to get there often; we would highly recommend Casa Di Francesca. read more

My friends & I had dinner recently. We had a Ch. 7 daily deal coupon worth $40 which they would not honor because supposedly you could only use it on the $79 dinner special even though our bill came to over $175! The server was very nice to us until we presented him the coupon, then he got all weird. By the way it was a Thursday night & we were the only ones in the restaurant (which was probably why they wouldn't honor the coupon) - very strange! The server wanted me to come back another time to use the coupon on the $79 dinner special which I refused to do. The food was okay, but pricey and some things seemed to be reheated or overdone.I will never go back there! read more

We stopped by for an early dinner. The patio wasn't open for the season yet, but the server opened it just for us. We got prompt attentive service, and the food was excellent; highly recommend the eggplant fra Diablo. The only knocks I have are a limited beer list and the pasta was overdone, which seems to be par for the course at red-sauce joints. read more

I did not want to trust the negative reviews written here because I know sometimes they can be put here for nefarious reasons. I visited last night to hear a musician perform and ordered the 14 oz. steak well done, no pink. Beforehand I ordered an N/A beer and the bartender lifted it to the light and saw it must be dirty so she excused herself and went to the kitchen area with it and after two or three minutes returned with it poured into the tall beer glass. I sat across in a booth anxiously waiting to quench the hunger I felt because I purposely did not eat much during the day to enjoy the fine meal that hopefully lay ahead. She came to the table at my booth and presented something that looked somewhat different but the steak looked great, I asked for A1 steak sauce if I needed it and it was promptly brought to my table. Upon lifting the knife and fork I was horrified that they were sticky with a greasy residue and near the connecting points of the knife there was un-removed food from whatever cleaning process they use over time and it had collected there and built up somewhat, but mostly I was appalled by the sticky nature of the silverware. I took my paper napkins from my purse and tried to wipe them good until I couldn't feel the stickiness and mostly achieved a better situation with them, so I promised myself I would use them carefully to eat with. I was frankly embarrassed to have to ask in front of the other patrons seated at the bar for other silverware and explain why. The steak was delicious with whatever sauce they used to prepare and cook it with and on the outside it was well done but to my dismay half of the steak was fully pink and I dislike that very much, but I continued half heartedly ahead. They sat the steak directly on top of a smashed baked potato they covered the entire plate with, but there was no way it was a freshly baked potato. It had the appearance and taste of being refrigerated and reheated or just sitting around for a very long time, I could not eat but two fork fulls it was that bad. The asparagus had no firmness to it at all, it was so soft I easily cut it with my fork without trying very hard. Bottom line if the steak was cooked a little more it would have been worth the 23 dollars I paid for the menu order. I was still hungry so I ordered chicken wings to go with medium hotsauce to be added to my check, that I planned to eat later when I arrived home. They were saturated with grease due to being cooked at a low temperature, you could tell by the appearance of the skin. There appeared to be no hot sauce on them and weren't even tainted the color of red at all, not at all. They were a little spicy but I thought possibly they used white cayenne pepper instead of hot sauce, I do not know. I would not order wings there ever again. The prices were in line with other places I have been. The place seems like it doesn't get the fine cleaning it should have especially in the most important area, the eating utensils and glasses. The plate appeared clean. I will say the staff was very friendly as well as the people who visited there to dine or enjoy beverages. For food I would definitely not go there again until some changes were made from management about the areas I mentioned above. If I were drinking I guess it would be a good place to go but watch the glasses, if you are drinking beer you might want to just drink out of the bottle. The entertainment was very good but I would add that they have no lighting to see the person entertaining well, they need to add something if thats going to be long term, it would not be a large expense. I hope those reading realize I hope the best for the establishment over time and that they improve themselves and take a good hard look at where they are and where they need to be. I also hope those reading realize I spent the time in writing this because I thought it was important for not only management to see this but for those that are planning on visiting there to dine. I don't know how the pasta dishes are I only visited there one time so either try one yourself if you decide to go or look at other reviews here. Thanks for reading. read more

I would give this place 4.5 stars if I could. We went on Saturday night, it was a last minute decision and we were glad we went. Everyhting was fantastic. Food, service, atmosphere, price, portions, parking.....did I forget anything. The owners greet you and make you feel right at home. I highly recommend the "dinner for two, six course dinner". We had the fried calamari, it was lightly fried to perfection, our only criticism of the night (and I am nitpicking) is that it wasn't seasoned properly. The goat cheese and beet salad was very good. After the intermisso.I had the Osso Bucco Ravioli. The meat was tender and the sauce was deep and rich. My wife had the bracciole, it was tender and again the sauce was perect. it was a little lighter sauce which compimented the meat. For dessert, we shared a peanut butter chocolate torte which I really enjoyed. Heavy on the peanut butter. We also got the tiramisu which we never tasted. Took it home and my son devoured it. Ended the night with an after dinner drink. It was a great night. We will return and I highly recommend that you try it read more

We have eaten there twice. At first we were concerned because there were several negative reviews, but at closer look, all the negative reviews seem to be around the same time, which could be disgruntled employees or someone trying to downgrade the place deliberately- because this restaurant was VERY NICE. We returned a second time because there were other items we wanted to try. They offer some wonderful Italian dishes, and some non-Italian dishes (like a NY Strip steak that could feed two!). Food is ample, well-prepared (round of appluase to their chef!!). If you like 'hot' food try the eggplanta Diavlo! (but make sure you have lots of water at your table!). Another wonderful dish is the beet and goat cheese salad, and the soup is bowl, not one of those coffee-cup sized servings. Nice decor, nicely paced-dinner, good servie = making it worth the trip into the city. Parking is a bit of a problem and desserts could be a bit bigger in size for the price but I'd gladly return. read more