I do love this chain of Italian restaurants. This is the biggest of the 3 that I have been to (if memory serves me), and yes - it does get quite busy in here! Busy means it also gets very loud. I wish there was something we could do about that, and I hope it's not simply a sign of age... LOL!! Well, really - what did I expect for a Saturday night?! It was bustling in here!
First of all, the setting: the mall where this Trattoria is located is not special or super spectacular in itself. However, the inside of this restaurant is really nice! It's warm and inviting! Right away, I noticed the decor: it's a wide open and bright space. The tables are set with white linens and beautiful wine glasses. The walls are decorated with nice brick- and stonework going halfway up the walls, nice paintings above to decorate. We were a group of about 12 happy knitters, celebrating a visit from Lucy Neatby who had joined us for this meal. We were placed at a table that backed onto a wall that led to the kitchen. The place smelled divine! My back was to this wall, and I was facing the large windows to the street. Yes, it was very bright in here, until the sun went down. Then the lamps set the ambiance. To my right was an entire wall of glass - which housed the wines that went from floor to ceiling. Wow! These were offered by the glass or the bottle; a glass costing about $7 and up. We were offered appetizers, but I did not order one for this visit.
Next, the service: The waitresses who seated and served us were attentive without hovering over us. They kindly filled our water glasses, without always needed to be prompted and reminded. They got the orders right - no small task in a larger group. We were seated at 6:00pm, and by the time I left, it was 8:00pm, and a few of the guests at this table lingered over coffee.
Lastly, the meal itself. Expect to pay a bit more for your food in this restaurant (after all, it's not ESM!) On the other hand, when I come to an upscale Italian restaurant, I tend to get upscale food, and not just your basic spaghetti and meatballs, or the kind of cooking I can do at home. Let's be adventurous and get the stuff we DON'T often eat, even though we know we like it! So, I ordered Veal Marsala, at about $26.00. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have tried cooking this dish at home, and *AHEM*... Let's just say that I will not stop going out for Italian food just yet! It was delicious! I wish I could say that I took a photograph, but I must have been hungry... Sorry! No photo! However, I will describe it to you: there were 3 slices of veal about the size of my palm, cascading over a half-potato. The other half was elsewhere on the plate, along with vegetables and long, flat noodles. the sauce was perfect! This serving was big and filling enough without overwhelming the plate. In other words, not such a huge portion that I had leftovers for a big lunch.
I would definitely go back to this location (or any of the other 2 as well). Good food in good company. read more