This was to be a Christmas present from my wife, who knows I love Italian, I am Italian... I know authentic, and I grew up in Chicago- need I say more?!
I know it is very difficult to find authentic Italian restaurants in California, lets face it, everything here is prefab, and image is everything out here. What California restaurant owners dont seem to get is that we don't eat images, we eat robust authentic flavors.
I have lived here for 30 years now and I have only found 4 authentic Italian restaurants worthy of my money. I am sure Chinese, and japanese people feel the same way abut their authentic experiences out here too...
Our visit to this restaurant was disappointing. It seemed to have an above average ambience, but that is where it ends. The pasta was overcooked, yes you can overcook pasta and there is no excuse. The marinara sauce was bland, and this seems to be the main complaint by everybody who eats there. There is no aroma, or authentic flavors whatsoever. If you can't get this sauce right- what the heck are you doing in this business? I asked about their meatballs, and the response was aloof, and ignorant of the importance. If you can't be excited about your menu- then why... Ughh...
The waitress had a painful look on her face and was aloof, or just too bothered to take your order. The service was a insult to injury as far as I am concerned, what a shame.
All in all the food tasted on par with Chef Boyardee, worse than Swanson's frozen foods, which you will find more tasty than this place. The Lasagna was watered, wet, and without any fillings as usual. It was baked, but there was only one slice of cheese on top. The inside was void of any flavor or any of the usual ingredients (meat, egg, or cheeses) necessary for a real lasagna.
My wife's food was pedestrian and flavorless too.
This was a huge waste of time and money. So-so ambience, no aromas floating throughout the restaurant as usual, service was irritating, food was bland and outright tasteless, and the price was above average, but way too high what you actually get. I would never recommend this restaurant to anybody unless they were starving and the food was free. If you are not italian, or have never had authentic Italian, then you won't get a proper idea of it while visiting here.
I have read some other reviews, and my wife even chimed in with her take on them so as to get us there. Who ever is giving this restaurant good reviews is probably shills, or family members of the operation to be sure!!!
A better restaurant for Authentic Italian food would be Finbars! Finbars has it together, and they get it mostly right, which is hard enough in So California, so they deserve a lot of credit. You won't go wrong with Finbars, which was down the street from this place- unfortunately we found out afterwards.
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