This is one of those wonderful Italian neighborhood spots that you just pray never changes. It's…read morepredictable in the very best way which keeps you coming back. Tall colorful urns displaying seasonal flowers flanking the entry and the hostess's smile is always very welcoming. The ambiance is intimate yet bright , either banquet seating along the windows or in the rear dining room, small bar, white tile and exposed brick pizza oven, with the always classic Italian dinner music setting the tone. Service: is always friendly, very accommodating, get your order right every time, and make sure your dining experience is a pleasure. Cuisine: appetizers- white bean and spinach soup is excellent, Lamb lollipops perfectly grilled, broccoli rabe and sausage is very good, the the ruby, red and golden yellow beet and crispy goat cheese over arugula with an orange vinaigrette is beautifully presented bright and fresh. Dinner: should they have the eggplant stack as a special I highly suggest you order. It's almost hard to explain these golden disks of perfectly cooked creamy fried eggplant stuffed with cheese and then stacked, served on their fresh summer Pomodoro witches outstanding. The linguine alle vongole red is full of tender local clams, Flounder francaise with baby spinach over capellini perfectly done with a very bright lemon butter sauce. The Woodfired brick oven pizza was enjoyable but as Pizza goes, we are die hard New Haven style APIZZA (self-proclaimed Lol) aficionados. Last but certainly not least is the classic standout dish for me, and many loyal local diners, the Chicken Parm à la vodka. No. This is not anything like one you've had before. Crispy, hot, tender, perfect thickness chicken Milanese over el dante rigatoni velvety slightly spicy just creamy enough à la vodka sauce topped but not smothered in cheese. Once you've had it, you'll crave it.

Charming mostly Italian- American spot with a small bar area in Branford Center; footprint is on…read morethe small side & with limited parking. We found the menu to be both eclectic & traditional - with a spring in its step. Buffalo Gulf Shrimp were both high quality & home made versus the common pub style. Everything we ate was good. Plenty of friendly servers available on the weekend late afternoon we dined. Tables are close together but the noise level remained moderate in spite of the overwhelming at times music being piped into the bar & dining area. Recommend for weekend lunch as parking might be easier navigate.

80 Proof and Barracuda now serve Brunch on Saturday!! Went to Brunch on a Saturday to check it out…read moreas we usually go there for brunch on Sunday's. It was the same great service we always expect from Clarissa! This time we had the Chicken & Waffle, Shrimp & Grits, Meat Lover's Omelet and Chilaquiles, and of course the Mimosa Bar!! All were delicious. It's always a fun vibe at 80 Proof. Good music, good food, good energy is what keeps us coming back!!

This is my second updated review for 80 Proof and Kitchen. My cousin and I came to get a bite to…read moreeat. 80 Proof offers classic food options, a focus on shareable plates and craft cocktails, two bars, a patio, a private, and multiple private dining and event options. We ordered Macaroni and Cheese, Sweet Chili Wings, and Nachos. The Sweet Chili Wings were good. They had great flavor, and the sauce stayed on the wings instead of all over the plate. They had a great flavor and were crispy. The Nachos were good. They were crispy with plenty of toppings. The Macaroni and Cheese was okay. It lacked flavor and the noodles were a bit overcooked. The customer service was excellent, and our server was very friendly.

Our group came to Encore to celebrate a birthday, we all came and left happy with our choice. We…read morewill definitely be making up excuses to come back here. It was the first time some of my group had experienced a pre fixed menu and it's safe to say they're sold. If you're celebrating anything special or even coming on a date or a time with family/friends this environment will 100% elevate the occasion. It's in a good area, the place is decent sized. I enjoyed that it wasn't huge because it wasn't at all overwhelming. The workers are very quick, helpful and resourceful. Everything from ordering the food on went very smooth. Not one mistake in our order and everyone enjoyed their meals. I felt that usually other places make small mistakes that make dinners go on forever but the night went so smooth that I was shocked. Thank you Encore team for a great time! PS: Dressing a little nicer than usual is recommended as I felt the place was classier than most.

We had a great evening here with Carlos as our server. We told the host it was my parents 30th…read moreanniversary & they kindly put candles & Happy Anniversary on a plate for them! So cute and definitely made this stand out to us. Thank you Carlos & staff, that was so kind of you! We all did the price fix menu which is a great buy - appetizer, salad, entree, & dessert for $49 each! The sauces were very flavorful & each course was delicious. Carlos brought over the bruschetta on the house while we waited for appetizers. Great espresso martini & the pom parade mocktail. Definitely will be returning. Gorgeous downstairs dining room & bar set up.

I enjoyed my time there. The waitress was amazing. I wish I knew her name. Italian woman. The food…read morewas very good. It wasn't the best, but it was good. The burger was a little bit underwhelming but it was hot. The wings were tasty but could have been a bit bigger. The personal pizza for children's meal was a hit with my son. The Oreo cheesecake was superb. The place is very clean and quiet. It smells nice and it's a good place for dates or groups.

First time here for dinner. Usually I pop in for lunch. Always sit in the bar area. I like the…read moreservice there. Tonight's server was Danielle. She helped us decide on our meals. I got the salmon with broccolini, smashed potatoes and avocado sauce ... outstanding. My friend got the Honey Sriracha Chicken. She loved it. I didn't take pictures of the food because we were either laughing with Danielle or busy eating so I forgot. I did manage to get a photo of our chocolate lava dessert. Eli's has been one of my go-to places for lunch and now I can add dinner.

I visited IL Gabbiano for a Passive House event, and it was absolutely fantastic! They served a…read morepre-set menu featuring squash blossoms, meatballs, and eggplant parmesan, alongside a great variety of cocktails, beer, wine, and delicious mocktails. All the food was packed with flavor, perfectly seasoned, and served in huge portions. I never even knew I could like eggplant parmesan as much as I did here! The ambiance is upscale American-Italian--nice, clean, and located right on a beautiful waterfront. The indoor seating features massive windows overlooking the port and ocean, and they have great outdoor seating options as well. The staff was super friendly, attentive, and completely on the ball, accommodating everyone's requests with a smile. The service was top-notch, the drinks were excellent, and the views were stunning. I will definitely come back here every time I'm in New Haven.

We reserved a table for a party of 23 for Yale's graduation weekend. Seemed like there were several…read morelarge parties there. Dining space is huge and they also have outside water front patio dining. Food was delicious and large portions. For a large party, they gave us an option of a pre-set menu or ordering off the menu for our size. Pasta was delicious, steak was great, salads are huge. Definitely recommend for large groups.

Started with the Beet Salad which we started. It contained goat cheese, baby arugula, candied…read morewalnuts and apples. With a thick balsamic dressing. It was very good. The main entree was Chicken Cristin. I ordered it over pappardelle. It had two pieces of white chicken meat in a sherry wine sauce. It was covered with spinach, mozzarella, artichoke hearts and roasted peppers. It was delicious. For dessert I ordered the Gelato. The said 3 scoops of gelato, however it was 3 small spoonfuls. Order 3 different flavors. Except for the espresso, they all tasted the same. Not worth the money. The meal was very good, disappointed in the dessert I ordered. Service was good and they had off street parking. Would have given it 5 stars except for my dessert .

Whoever said this place never disappoints should have been at my table today. I've come here many…read moretimes but the last 2-3 times it has been lacking....and I always get the same thing..Bistro Salmon. Today, small, thin piece and the sauce was missing the usual honey sweetness and overly mustardy. Squash barely cooked and a few pieces of asparagus that looked more like string beans. Basically not much on the plate for $33. The service was also bad. The waitress was absent from visiting our table in the beginning , middle and end of our meal, had to ask her for water, she never asked us how our meal was and was, didn't clear our plates etc. it was poor all the way around this trip. Maybe chef was on vacation with the usual servers!!

Went to this restaurant on a Friday. Very busy but we were seated quickly…read more Main entre took a while because they were busy but the made up for it with bread, appetizers (calamari) delicious. Entre came out hot, presentation excellent and taste was awesome. Will be back, thanks for making my first day retirement meal a wonderful experience. FYI: parking is challenging on busy nights

Came here for lunch for a farewell lunch for my coworker. I haven't been here in a long time…read more Inside there is a lot of seating and not too busy. The table and seating were very comfortable. Parking is kind of small and tight. Server was informative and was very good about my coworker's nut allergies. The bread came out and had a good chimichurri that came with it. I think I had like three slices. All the meals came with salad which was not special. I order the Panko Shrimp which was absolutely delicious. I would come here again to try the other dishes. Overall good experience.

Service- Mike is number 1 Food- great selection- Sunday…read moresauce is the best. Ambiance/ always fine at the bar.

A++ all around. Food, staff all excellent. I never had a bad meal. And is my go to knowing no…read morematter what I order will be good.