True to their advertising, this little traditional Italian restaurant really does expose customers to above average creative, yet traditional, Italian food. No spaghetti and meatballs here .The atmosphere is very romantic, and very European. The service was very good for a busy Friday evening. Our server was not only very attentive and knew all about the items and wines on the menu, but knew which cheeses in the restaurant were homogenized and which were pasteurized. My only complaint about the restaurant itself was weak floor structure around our table that caused my chair and table to bounce every time someone walked through.\r
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On to the food. . . we started with the cheese plate appetizer and a bottle of Chianti. The cheese plate was lacking in presentation and selection. It consisted of four single pieces of cheese (one of which tasted exactly like the smell of a dairy farm) with a dollop of creamy goat cheese all delivered on a plate with a paper doilie. However the ""truffle cheese"" was so good I asked our server for more information on it. For the main course my wife had the veal, medium rare, and I had the wild boar stew. The veal was absolutely delicious and the greens it was served with were perfectly prepared. The wild boar stew was a little bland and the boar tasted a little dry. It was a warm and hearty dish but I would not recommend it to anyone looking to try something exotic. \r
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So here is the verdict: \r
Atmosphere: 4 1/2\r
Service: 4 1/2\r
Food: 3 1/2\r
Cost: $117: one appetizer, dinner for two, one bottle of wine ($42). Very fair.\r
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For a grand total of 4 Stars for Il Cortile Del Re. A great place to go for dinner for two (or more)!
Pros: Atmosphere, Service, Food
Cons: Can be a little crowded and loud
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