After a long hiatus, my wife and I tried the Swingside again this past Saturday, and our experience shared some - but not all - of the attributes cited by previous Judy's Book reviewers. The great service, quirky space and fairly-priced wine list were all in effect, but the food didn't quite measure up to the 5-star rating we were hoping for.
We shared a (huge) caprese salad to start, and while the mozzarella and base-layer of salad greens were excellent, the tomatoes were a little on the anemic and flavorless side. I had the sausage and meatball special, and - despite their handmade-with-love origins - both were on the dry and bland side, not the flavor explosion I was wishing for. (My vegetables were also overcooked to the point of sogginess). My wife had a seafood puttanesca which was also solid but unspectacular - lacking the zip and personality you'd expect from that dish in this place. The portions for everything were huge so we failed to leave room for dessert...
We'll certainly come back for the location, great people, pleasant space and overall positive vibe - we just wish the food lived up to the rest of the experience.
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