After tonight's travesty of a meal, the only thing I can really say Scoozzi has going for it is its hip, urban atmosphere. It's very pleasant to sit in there. I only wish it were pleasant to order,... More

After tonight's travesty of a meal, the only thing I can really say Scoozzi has going for it is its hip, urban atmosphere. It's very pleasant to sit in there. I only wish it were pleasant to order, to eat, or to examine the hard water stains on the glasses too closely. The food itself, I'm afraid, was entirely disappointing, and considering the prices, it's an absolute travesty. The poor service was an appropriate match to the food. We sent the dirtiest wineglass back only to receive an equally dirty one. A moment later, the wrong salad was delivered, and it took almost ten minutes to flag the waiter down to get the right one. As we finished the salads ($9-$12), the waiter inexplicably asked us if we would like some bread, perhaps because he noticed the empty bread plates still on the table. It's good we demurred, since our entrées arrived about thirty seconds later, apparently having waited under the warming lamp for us to finished our long-delayed salads. The Funghi e Tartuffi (mushroom risotto, $21) was bland and sticky, with no richness, complexity, or texture. I couldn't finish it. The warming lamp appears to have particularly cruel to its sauce. The Pescatore in Acqua Pazza (seafood over linguini, $25) had only decent flavor, and the shrimp were tough and the tilapia chewy. My tiramisu ($7) had clearly sat for quite some time. It had almost a cafeteria flair. The crème brûlée ($6) was a little better, but hardly inspiring. I last ate at Scoozzi several years ago. I'm not sure if my standards have risen or if theirs have slipped, but it'll be years before I try it again.
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