I was introduced to this restaurant when i was a wee lad by my Sicilian grandfather. I still think…read moreits the best pizza in town. I make pizza and pizza ovens for a hobby. I cook. Why is their food so good? It just is. Ill keep working on my style. Delish. Love the staff! Thanks for existing Eric W

Been coming here because of my husband for almost 10+ years and it the best Italian food. Very…read moreflavorful, hand-made pasta, the staff are really attentive and nice, and I just love the Italian small restaurant feel to this place. It makes me feel like I stepped into Italy. My favorite is the gnocchi pesto and my hubby always gets the steak. When we have family visit, they get the broiled salmon. All amazing. We've had their pizza numerous times and yes it's a heavier crust but it's still pretty thin and very delicious. Plus I'm a sucker for bread so honestly the pizza crust is delicious. I've been to other "popular Yelp" Italian restaurants and they're filled with oil, grease, and "fluff". This family owned restaurant always uses fresh ingredients and hand-made pasta and you can't beat that (big portions too and their bread is to die for).

Delicious food, friendly service Nice gluten free selection…read more Next time will definitely try the gelato

With my friend in town, she wanted to try good Italian food. We came to Passione Emporio based on a…read morefamily recommendation. We were satisfied and left full. The restaurant is quaint and has neighborhood charm. It's a cozy space with a decent amount of seating for various party sizes, plus outdoor seating. They have fresh gelato and a wood-fire pizza oven you can see. The service was fine. Our food came out hot and fast, and our water was refilled, but we weren't checked on much. Their menu offers specialties and seasonal items. I had the Salmon Ravioli and my friend got the Lasagna Ragu. The ravioli was good; you can taste the creamy spinach filling. The sauce was light and bright. I wish there were more ravioli plus veggies. My friend enjoyed her lasagna. Their menu online can be a bit misleading compared to their in-person menu. I wouldn't mind getting this dish again. Passione Emporio is a nice spot for Italian food in West Berkeley. I'd come here if I lived in the area but wouldn't go out of my way. They're located off Fifth Street with free neighborhood street parking around.

Whenever I am in town, i enjoy coming here. My favorite is the crazy Alfredo. It was so creamy,…read morerich. Although there are times it can lack a little flavor, so I just add a dash of salt and it's delicious. My husband got the chicken Godfather's Favorite, and he really enjoys this dish. It's creamy, hearty and flavorful. The parking here, however is atrocious! There is rarely any parking. People usually double park here. But be careful because some cops will be in the area and will try to cite you if you don't move your car. The wait time is long on busy days. It doesn't help that it's near campus so it can become very busy in the area too. I do recommend giving this place a try. Definitely a comfort-food kind of place, and the price is decent and the portions are pretty generous.

This review is for their delivery…read more My meal came hot and was still steaming by the time I was able to eat it. I ordered a Alfredo shrimp fettuccine and it was super creamy! I found that the shrimp were on the smaller side and the sauce could have used a little something. However, I did find it much better than any bottled alfredo that I have tried. I'm also very glad that the pasta portion came with a slice of garlic bread with fresh garlic on it. I would say that it was a good portion for two meals. It was affordable and good for the price. I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for affordable pasta option.

3of us arrived at 8:45pm. Dolly graciously invited us in and we ordered 2 Caesar salad es 2…read morespaghetti & meatballs & one shrimp & crab ravioli, soft drinks and a mascarpone. The food, hospitality, ambiance and service was excellent. There were 3 other jovial couples that ended up staying past closing with us. We ended up closing at 10!! Our only regret was that the place can only accommodate tables for 2 and seats at the bar. Dolly is a do

Made a recent visit here as I was looking to try cheese wheel pasta and I must say they did not…read moredisappoint. Inside is small, but fortunately we were able to be seated at the bar right away. The gentleman at the bar (Dolly's husband) couldn't have been a more gracious host. He immediately gave us menus and allowed us to sample the various wines before making our selection. We struck up conversation with him since it wasn't too busy and he told us how him and his wife met and got together, honestly a great story. As for the food itself, it was all amazing. We ordered a variety of things including the meatball and cheese wheel pasta and it was all very good. Dolly herself came out, who was also very friendly, and we were able to speak with her and meet their beautiful daughter. It was a great experience and I would definitely comeback and recommend to others.

my uncle recently treated us to a nice meal here in Belotti…read more Can't tell you enough how authentic this meal was The ambience was an indoor and outdoor seating italian restaurant! The food here was great. The service was awesome.

I was incredibly disappointed by my experience at Belotti Bottega. Regardless of how highly rated…read morethe food might be, the dismissive front-of-house service I received guarantees I will never dine here. We arrived as walk-ins and noted four visibly open tables inside. With no host at the door, I walked toward the back, only to be redirected to the entrance by a waitress to wait. We waited patiently while the hostess was tied up on a long phone call. When she finally hung up, another party (who happened to be white) walked in and admitted they were late for their reservation. Instead of acknowledging me--a brown person who had been following the rules and waiting right in front of her--the hostess bypassed me entirely to assist the tardy arrivals. I understand that reservations take seating priority, but bypassing basic human acknowledgment to cater to a late party felt incredibly disrespectful and carried the heavy sting of implicit bias. When we pointed out that we were there first and should have been spoken to, the hostess inexplicably offered us a recently occupied outside table and quoted a 30-45 minute wait, completely ignoring the four open tables sitting empty inside. If management wants to improve their service, here are a few basic tips: Acknowledge guests in order: Always speak to the person who has been waiting first. A simple, 'I need to check in this late reservation, but I will be right with you,' goes a long way. Communicate transparently: If four inside tables are being held for upcoming reservations, explain that. Quoting a 45-minute wait for an outside table while the dining room looks empty just feels insulting. Don't leave the door unattended: If waitstaff redirects guests to the host stand, ensure someone is actually available to help them in a timely manner. Hospitality starts the moment you walk in the door, and the lack of basic respect here completely ruined the evening. Let me get this straight. You claim to have reviewed "security footage" to verify what happened. But you conveniently didn't mention whether that footage has audio. Because if it doesn't--and most restaurant security cameras don't--then you have no idea what was actually said or not said at that door. You can see who walked in and when. You cannot see who was acknowledged, who was ignored, or what tone was used. So your "we reviewed the footage" defense is only half the story at best. You claim your hostess was "taking a phone order for a to-go customer." That's fine. But taking a phone order doesn't explain why you bypassed me--the person standing right in front of you--to assist a late party that hadn't even been waiting. You say you "must honor existing reservations." I agree. But honoring a reservation doesn't require ignoring a walk-in who has been standing there patiently. A simple "I'll be right with you" would have taken two seconds. That never happened. You say I "chose to leave." Yes--after being dismissed, ignored, and offered a 45-minute wait for an outside table while four tables sat empty inside. That's not walking out. That's realizing I wasn't welcome. You say "an empty table is not necessarily an available one." True. But if four tables are being held for reservations, you could have explained that. Instead, you quoted a 45-minute wait for an outside table while the dining room looked empty. That's not communication--that's deflection. You say the suggestion of bias is "simply not supported by what happened." But you reviewed footage without audio. You don't know what was said, what wasn't said, or how it was said. You're defending the sequence of events--not the experience. You claim to be a "multiracial company" that "proudly serves everyone." That's great. But the experience I had didn't reflect that. I'm not saying you're racist. I'm saying your front-of-house service that night made me feel invisible, and your response is trying to gaslight me into thinking it didn't happen. If you want to improve, start by acknowledging that perception matters. And if you're going to cite security footage as proof, be transparent about what that footage can and cannot show. Because without audio, it's just video of people moving around--not proof of what was said or felt. --- P.S. If your cameras don't have audio, you're not "reviewing the interaction." You're reviewing the choreography. There's a difference. And if they do have audio, are you recording customer conversations without their knowledge? That's a whole other problem.

I'm ready to take this street and head straight into the heart of Rome, or Berkeley so to speak,…read moreespecially if the food is this deliciously prepared as it is at Via Del Corso! Located in the heart of Berkeley's trendy North Shattuck business area that covers most of the northern part of the busy thoroughfare of Shattuck Avenue, Via Del Corso comes from owner Peter Chastain, a local restaurateur who made sure to save a longtime favorite local restaurant that was known as Corso, in a prine dining destination. Chastain did so by assembling an amazing team that guaranteed authentic cuisine that could be found not in just one but throughout many regions in Italy, much in part thanks to Chef de cuisine Massimo Orlando, who brings his heritage from northern Italy into all of their dishes. What brought me and two other diners here on a busy Saturday evening was the buzz that has been constant ever since they opened Via Del Corso in the summer of 2021 and we wanted to see what it was all about. Reservations on the OpenTable even a mere two days out were actually easy to make, as we arrived a few minutes late and they were still gracious enough to take our party and seat us with a view of their open kitchen, where no fewer than five chefs were cooking up a storm all evening long. The dinner menu at Via Del Corso is separated into categories including Spuntini, which are little bites; Antipasti e Insalate, which are their Appetizers and Salads; Primi Piatti or first course dishes; Piatto del Giorno or Dish of the Day; Secondi Piatti or second course dishes; Contorni or sides; and Dolchi or desserts. To start our meal we decided to order their Insalata di Polpo, which was their poached octopus served with Yukon gold potatoes, Gaeta olives, celery, sweet onions, and topped with lemon and extra virgin olive oil. Served with the perfect amount of umami and flair this starting dish was the perfect starting dish and made us eager for more of what Via Del Corso had to offer. As for the second course in our meal, we knew we wanted to share in their deliciously handcrafted pasta entrées, and it was recommended by our server Mike to order their signature pasta entrée, their Ravioli con Spungnole e Fave, which were their fresh pasta raviolis filled with sheep's milk ricotta, served with fresh morel mushrooms, fava beans and topped with Parmigiano cheese; and then we ordered a half portion of their Tagliatelle al Ragu which is their fresh egg pasta topped with Emilian meat sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano. For our main courses, we decided to split two entrées, their Petto d'Anatra con Ciliegie e Balsamico, which was their seared duck breast topped with their balsamico condimento, blistered cherries, and sautéed spinach; and their Bistecca di Manzo alla Griglia which is their Grilled Prime New York Steak served with rucola, lemon, and shaved Parmigiano. We also opted to have it served with Lardo which was a film of buttery garlic and cost an additional four dollars. The pastas would be presented to our table first and they were two of the most lovingly crafted pasta dishes we have enjoyed in some time. The real star recommended their ravioli as the were a meal unto itself with beautiful triangle shaped pouches filled with fresh cheese topped with unique mushrooms combined with an unbelievably tasty sauce. At 60 dollars our Bistecca was a wonderfully composed dish that was served with an elegantly composed arugula side dish and would have been a wonderful solo entrée to enjoy. The seared duck was a nice heavy dish that I most likely would not order a second time, as we saw the halibut being a nicely composed dish from a table far away, and nothing but good things about their signature pork chop. With a total bill of $194 for five dishes, a return visit would be a must to Via Del Corso, as we found this restaurant lively, in a good way, the service attentive, and most importantly the food prepared in a way that would make us come back for many more return visits. A neighborhood gem that everyone can enjoy!

Delicious food. I started with an olive oil infused martini. Perfection. I had the tuna carpaccio…read moreand then the pork chop. Both were great but the pork chop was the best I've ever had, ever. Perfectly cooked, moist and seasoned so well. Their service is knowledgeable yet not over bearing. I've been twice. There's one husky guy who's been quite bristly both times. Maybe he needs a fernet. I don't know. Hope to go back in the future.

For my birthday dinner with my bestie, I was craving pasta. We didn't know where to go, but landed…read moreon The Italian Homemade Company because they have numerous spots. It's a good place for a laid-back atmosphere. The restaurant is fast casual. When you enter, you can look at the menu and place your order. It's pretty much self-serve aside from them bringing your food. With that said, the limited interactions we had were pretty mediocre. What's fun is that it's a build-your-own spot. You choose your own pasta and sauce. They also have items such as sandwiches and salads. My best friend and I got the same thing--Rigatoni with Bolognese. I opted for no cheese on top. The pasta was al dente, but I definitely wish there had been a bit more sauce on the meat. The portion was decent for the price, but I do feel like I could make this at home. So if I come back, I'd opt for something else. The Italian Homemade Company has a few locations throughout the Bay Area. This one-off College Ave. is great for a quick pasta pick-me-up. You can find street parking in the area.

We visited here for lunch after shopping for my son's shoes. I had the day special of pappardelle…read moreand lamb ragu. My son had the meatball platter. The food came out quickly since there was no other customers ahead of us. I enjoyed the pappardelle noodles length and firmness. Each bite had a good chew to it. The lamb ragu was very lamb forward. It was the right amount of ground lamb to carrots in the ragu sauce. My son enjoyed the meatballs and the flat bread that came with it. He mostly ate the bread, dipping it in the marinara sauce. The size of each meatballs were like a good scope size ice cream. This was a good lunch to a relaxing day of shopping with my son.

I was around the area, had done quite a bit of walking, and wanted something light that wouldn't…read moreleave me feeling too heavy. I came across Casa Barotti on Yelp, saw the photos, and it immediately caught my attention. The moment I walked in, the atmosphere reminded me of a calm little lounge. The music and overall vibe made it a really relaxing place to sit and eat. I was greeted and welcomed by one of the staff members, and since it was my first time, he was very patient and helpful when I had questions. After ordering, I sat by the wall and noticed some of the little details around the restaurant. They were pretty creative, even using an empty tomato can to hold the utensils and everything you need to eat! They also had pepper and chili oil available on the side. I wouldn't have minded having some extra seasonings like dried oregano, but that's just a small preference. I ordered the classic Margherita pizza and the mushroom & leek pizza. The presentation was beautiful. Both pizzas came out fresh from the oven on wooden boards, and they even sliced them up. The crust had the perfect crunch, and the Margherita was simple but incredibly flavorful without feeling too heavy. But if you're feeling adventurous, I'd definitely recommend trying the mushroom & leek. It was absolutely mouthwatering and had so much flavor. Overall, this was a really enjoyable meal with a great atmosphere, beautiful presentation, and delicious pizza. I'd definitely come back again

Where the focaccia? My mother, (rest her soul) used to say:…read more"Focaccia is God's scourge on the world". And she was not too fond of Kenny G. She had some strong opinions. However, she would dig this cool spot. What a cozy, lovely, well appointed space this is on College Avenue in Berkeley. Beautiful aesthetic, terrific menu selections, and you can even get half a beer! What's not to like? There's nice music playing and the small space has every possible square foot utilized in a nice manner. And, absolutely delicious focaccia! Today I went for the pesto zucchini which is awesome. Very lovely staff members and an incredible neighborhood for other types of shopping. My mother would have become a focaccia fan here. However, Kenny G still makes John Coltrane turn in his grave!