The food is excellent. Service is fine. Even the ambiance is great. The three stars are for the hours, and this is a big issue. They open at 3:00 PM., missing the substantive needs for the lunch crowd. We have dropped by so many times to find it closed. I finally jumped out of the car and looked at the window sign. What restaurant opens at 3:00 in the USA? Their menu lends itself more to a lunch. Meatball sandwiches (to die for). Perfect lunch on a cold day. It's a lunch place, open for dinner, in an unpopulated area of town. I heard they are struggling. Try changing the hours and see if that helps. I love this place but their hours are wrong for me. Open 3:00 to 7:00 PM and I'm in. read more

I'm pretty easy going however my experience was abysmal not only was the food absolutely loveless. The staff was incredibly rude and I could hear them cussing which made my dining experience super uncomfortable. I couldn't recommend this place in the slightest. Don't come here it's a waste of time and money. read more

The restaurant changed hands. The new owners are not organized and do not know what they are doing. They refused to hire servers, it's the owners that manage front and back of house and they have no experience in serving food. There is some big guy who just hangs out in the restaurant, cannot find menus, cannot seat guests and so you have to wait for the one inexperienced wait staff member to come seat you. Then it takes a l long time for them to get your order. Guests at every table had to flag down the wait person because he did not just come to the table. You have to request water, silverware and dishes. They do not just bring them. It takes forever for them to pull a draft beer. I mean a really long time. Then the wait person disappears and you are just wondering when they would come back. Same with the end of the meal. They do not remove plates, you have to ask for the check and only the wait person can do that. It is so haphazard it is a shame. It was much better before. The food is good, but it was exceptional before. The ingredients are good, at least they keep that concept of high end Italian food. But they added Mediterranean cuisine to the menu, hummus and baba ganoush and falafels. Not a good distraction. All in all, it was a disappointment and I would not go back there. They really need to hire a manager and proper servers who know what they are doing but alas, they prefer to do everything themselves in order to maximize profit, but the lack of service will decimate their future, I imagine. read more

The Tiramisu is soooo good. Thanksgiving Dinner good. Chloe has always greeted us with friendliness and efficiency. I will be back read more

lived in grass valley my whole life and this is hands down the best restaurant in the county. it's not even close you can tell the chef absolutely loves food On the pizza you can taste each ingredient individually and they perfectly blend together the wings are perfectly crispy on the outside as well as being juicy on the inside and the sauce is to die for absolutely phenomenal Love this place read more

Two weeks in a row tried to call in an order. The first time, no answer for 30 minutes after they opened. The second time, put on hold for over 10 minutes. Used to be our favorite restaurant. Will be taking our business elsewhere. read more

This place used to be great, but has been taken over by new ownership and was a big disappointment. Everything was bland and overcheesed. It reminded me of cafeteria food, and the food was obviously precooked and reheated. However, the baklava was good and the service was excellent, but I won't be back. read more

I hate to write this review, but it wouldn't be fair to future customers. I don't know if ownership has changed over the last 5 years, but I have to assume it has. The recipes are nowhere near what they used to be. We finally were able to move into the community and we're excited to have this place closer. But it's not what it was. It's ok, but that's it. The lasagna used to be ooey gooey, savory, cheesey, soulful, and felt like a hug around your heart. It's now an over cooked, dry, bolognese pasta dish. And extremely salt forward, to the point of inedible. The focaccia used to be soft, comforting and made with the best oil. It's now chewy, bland and dry. The herbed butter and olive olive is the only saving grace. My husband got the fresh noodles and Bolognese (because we originally lived it so much) and it had a few tablespoons of dry ground meat and absolutely no sauce. The pasta was perfect though, but if the sauce isn't equally as good, it completely ruins the dish. It's completely average. For the cost, this place isn't worth the visit. read more

Yummy pizza, very fresh. Stick with the pizza. The pizza was great. Eat the pizza. Definitely the pizza.

Ordered the Hills pizza. Took home Tiramisu as well. Both were Wonderful! Friendly people and a nice ambience. Will definitely be back!

Had the most amazing dinner here last night. 6 foodies, and we all agreed this is the best Italian food anywhere! It's like visiting a Tuscan orchard feast! The salads, appetizers, main courses and desserts are the most authentic. Food for the soul!!!!! I've been to Northern Italy, come from Italian grandparents, and I'm here to say, this was a better meal than I had anywhere in Italy. The lazagna melts in your mouth. The cheeses are delectable. The pizza is classic artisan. Please go out of you way to visit. You can do takeout, but the service was amazing too. Great helpful waitress. Nice visit from owner at our table. Excellent food, reasonable pricing, just a wonderful experience. Viva Italia! read more

Ordered the Moussaka, Honey Lamb, and tzatziki. Brought all home for a dinner with friends. ALL were fabulous - authentic ! Each dish was perfectly seasoned and fragrant. So glad to have these choices available in our area. Will certainly try others on the menu! read more

Some of the best food in the area, and definitely one of the best kept secrets. Such high quality and authentic Italian! I love that they use non GMO and non pesticide ingredients. Highly recommend the lasagna and pizza - the crust is impeccable. read more

By far the worst service and food I have had in years. They obviously don't care about anyone who goes there. Hard to believe places are this terrible, avoid at all costs. read more

The food was a base level of good, fresh made pasta and breads however (a) the sauce on the dumplings had an under-developed flavor profile with walnuts on top which were not seasoned nor toasted, and (b) the focaccia came out toasted in one large block with butter florets so hard it was difficult to cut to spread on the bread. What sadly brought it down, despite the regular postings on local groups about how La Gastronomia need locals to come in because the numbers are down, was the service. Service was stilted - odd ordering and three different people taking/delivering orders with a lack of base-level customer service. Dropping plates at a table without any awareness of the people sitting there, taking an order from one and then walking away before coming back to take an order from the others at the table, and a dessert menu offered before a long wait to make an order to find out one of the few items on the menu was out (would have been good to know when perusing the dessert menu). As a final "is this a sit-down place or a take-out place playing at sit-down service" was the dessert - tiramisu set on the table in a plastic to-go container with two spoons balanced on top. The place seemed perfectly full on a Saturday night, and the food was not bad overall, just not stunning enough to be a go-to for Italian dinner out when the dining room experience was so odd. We may use this as take-out for pizza going forward, but I don't think I'd go for a sit down meal + server tip again. read more

Seems a little odd to me that they have pull out brown paper napkins and will only give you one fork, seriously what restaurant doesn't give you utensils. Eggplant parm was stacked in a bowl super hard to eat especially since she only gave us a fork. The salad was olive oil and splash of balsamic, seriously. Cannoli shells were way over cooked, filling was ok. When you ask for the bill you don't get one, she tells you the amount and that's it. Oddest thing I've ever seen, how do you not get a bill before. You don't get the printed bill till after. Food was ok but nothing to write home about. The decor inside is embarrassing. read more

12/15/24 My husband and I went here for my Birthday lunch. Very welcoming! Salad and pizza was excellent as was the service. We even got 2 Baklava as dessert (comp for my birthday). We would highly recommend it read more

I love the food here and the couple who own the restaurant are from Northern Italy so the food is authentic. They made fresh pasta for me when I didn't have time and did some pizza catering for me. When friends visit they love to go to La Gastronomia because the food is great and the ambiance feels like a cafe in Italy. In the Summer we ate on their front porch when it was hot outside. It's a bit set back off the road and by a Mexican restaurant and auto business. Sometimes we have to wait to be seated and felt ignored by a couple of helpers who didn't acknowledge us or say I will be right with you, but this happens in restaurants everywhere. I read a couple of negative reviews by people driving through the area and hope people like this keep going so they don't see what a beautiful area and community we have here. read more

Although posted hours have it opening at 4:00pm, when driving by saw the OPEN sign. Sign on door said open daily 11:30 except closed on Mondays. Three of us ordered three pizzas, w/salads and drinks. Food and service was excellent, although pizzas came out one at a time. Discovered new owner and new, expanded menu. Would highly recommend. Nice atmosphere and seating; very friendly service and pricing was better than most all in Grass Valley! read more

Very good pizza and options. The menu is limited, so check before you go. Beer and wine options. Atmosphere is casual.

Oh Rita, we miss you so. We decided to give the new owner a chance, but all the soul is gone. The food was a disappointment, the service was abysmal, and we won't be going back. We both are so sorry to have lost this gem of a restaurant. read more

Great food Pizza is the best you will find in the area. Wine selection is okay. Deserts and wonderful read more

The waitress and cook were delightful! We really enjoyed our chicken kabab plate - flavors were fantastic. Also ordered the mushroom/sausage pizza and loved it. We'll go back! read more

Delicious Truffolini pizza and delicious lasagna! Friendly new owner George. We'll be returning!

Our friends and neighbors recommended this place so we had a double date and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here. It is kind of out-of-the-way but oh my goodness the food is delicious! So authentic the service was wonderful to. I highly recommend it.! read more

One of the best Italian meals my husband and I have ever had, hands down! We ordered: --Frankie's Special" Pizza which was basically burrata (it was truffle burrata to be exact, which was so delicate and still fragrant) atop the most well prepared pizza dough you've ever tasted. Very nice thin crust. The red sauce was very well made and complimented the pizza beautifully. $24 and worth every penny! We used some chili oil on top and it really rounded out the flavors. -- Lasagna, the most luscious lasagna dish I've ever had and came out piping hot. The bolognese was soft and not overpowering or overly salted. It was just as it should be! $15 both dishes were worth it and we couldn't decide which we liked best because they were different and didn't compete for flavor. We also had a Chimay and a non alcoholic lemon soda which was sweet but tart enough to be refreshing! Best dinner we have had in a long time. read more

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Vegan panini! I ordered the parmigiana with eggplant and sun dried tomatoes, and substituted the cheese for vegan cheese. The ciabatta is amazing! read more

La Gastronomia - a cut in half sandwich on a cutting board - Italian Near Me - Grass Valley, California

This place is amazing!! I had the homemade pasta which was perfect. My wife had a Trufflina pizza. We ended up sharing our plates as the flavors were incredible. We had the most lovely server who patiently answered our questions about the menu. The night was completed with tiramisu and cannolis. I recommend this place and plan to come back every week. read more

Pizza was soggy crusted. Very salty. Heard great things about it, but the emperor wears no clothes. Was really looking forward to it. Ordered it to pick up. It waited probably 5 minutes while the waitress was giving a newbie a lesson in Italian. Really disappointing. Will not be back! I'd go to "Little Ceasars", instead! read more

The food is top notch. Five stars! The service was rather poor. I wouldn't even give it three stars. We got the Veneta Pizza with sausage and potatoes. 10/10 would try it again. My fiancée loves Kombucha and the Mombucha from Nevada County was good too. The spicy oil was not spicy 1/10 and tasted like more oil. Just eat the pizza plain. No waiter/waitress service. Everything is "get it yourself". You pay and tip upfront. I wouldn't tip to serve myself. It was disturbing seeing the cooks in the back eating food with their gloves on.... hopefully they washed their hands and got new gloves... hopefully. read more

La Gastronomia - Veneta Pizza 10/10 - Italian Near Me - Grass Valley, California

Amazing food quality. The truffle pizza (Rita) was divine. They have table service but you can also order food to go..... Family owned and operated. Their hazelnut gelato was yummy, too! read more

Ordered appetizers with one person, drinks from another. Wine came, no problem. Then we got our entrees without the appetizer being served. The waitress was rude and said, well do you want it now, your foods here. Well, I guess not!!! The food was ok, nothing to brag about and the service is really less than desirable. And their reservation requirements are a bit absurd as the place was empty and they turned away a walk-in 3 top. Really? Tables are close together and it was loud for being half empty. But I guess with the overpriced pasta plates they can afford to do that. Check your bill sell. Our appetizer made a nice appearance on the check as did a credit card fee that wasn't announced anywhere. Avoid if you can. Alloro or Sergio's offer better everything if you're stuck on Italian. Or even LaFornaretta is worth the drive. We are too old for attitude and poor service when we're trying to support local businesses. read more

Unfortunately we got sick from their spaghetti last time we got takeout here :( I think the culprit was the meat sauce. They seem to have raised their prices too. Probably won't be back any time soon. read more

Walking in, I'm loving the porch seating. Casual, walk in, grab a menu, sit where you want. Went for the lasagna, came with a salad and bread. This is where things change. The simple exquisite nature of the balsamic dressing was a precursor. The lasagna comes out in a little pot. And it is the most delicious lasagna I have ever had. Every single bite. It would not stop being incredible. Of course I got cannolis for dessert. Glad I did that too!! Can hardly wait to come back. Thank you! read more

Disappointed. I really wanted to like it but we weren't impressed. Appearance is run down, sign inside held together with tape and chairs are coming apart. Eggplant Parmesan was just cheese and oil, served in a bowl but emptied it onto a plate to try and find the eggplant but was unable to locate hardly any. Northridge makes a better pizza. And Sergios is better Italian food. Bummed. read more

The pizza is very good, but not your typical American style pizza. If you want something more authentic, and far less greasy, this is really good pizza. And it is lighter. You won't have that nasty "pizza feeling" after you eat it because the ingredients are high quality. Recommended. A few things stand out as needing some improvement: - The Lasagna, which like the pizza is more true to the authentic style, unfortunately was presented very poorly in the to go container. The only vegetables inside were lots of mushrooms and a few odds and ends. The rest was doughy and just odd...also a little bit burned. It's possible this was a fluke, but in my opinion was not worth the price paid ($14.00). The garden salad which was included, was excellent and very fresh. - On a previous visit, we ordered two pizzas. Both were very blackened on the bottom. We realize they use a nice wood fired oven for flavor but obviously someone didn't pay much attention to the correct cooking time. Other observations....parking is pretty decent for Grass Valley, which has its share of restaurants with horrible parking situations. I'd give them a pass on the parking situation though it is still limited and could be an issue at peak times. The eating environment is a hybrid restaurant deli, and as a result is probably not the best spot for a "formal dinner" but more for a quick bite to eat. They use excellent ingredients and I recommend trying this deli out. read more

La Gastronomia - Lasagna...presentation not the best. - Italian Near Me - Grass Valley, California

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We thoroughly enjoyed our time at La Gastronomia! The owner, Rita, was so welcoming, friendly and all of our food was excellent. My husband has an obvious NYC accent, so she made sure she was the one that made it!! Oh, and the tiramisu and the 'ice-cream Sunday-ish' dessert with gelato cherry & chocolate syrup was awesome!!! read more

Would of been better off getting a frozen pizza. Couldn't even taste the ground up sausage . Not much of anything on it Ordered a pizza to go and thought we would enjoy a beer while waiting Got our beers with a attitude from owner. (Confronted her that glass was half foam ). Then started looking at bill Charged for using credit card ( no mention of extra fee) plus a charge for card not present (she had card in hand ) Won't be back read more

Food is mediocre at best. It's a tacky concrete box and very loud. Also they force you to buy bottled water and refuse to serve a glass of tap water. read more

Absolutely excellent authentic Italian food. Near my girlfriend went here and it was some of the best Italian food that I've had in my life here in America. Would highly recommend it! Very fair price as well read more

La Gastronomia - Great restaurant! - Italian Near Me - Grass Valley, California