Cavi Cucina Italiana

My immediate table consisted of three people: myself, my wife and a dear friend. We ordered three appetizers: the 'sardinian caviar', the wild boar and the baby octopus. Everything came in microscopic portions - literally, five 1-inch slices of tasteless wild boar placed over a small bed of lettuce. Same with the Sardinian caviar - five or six paper-thin slices of poor quality 'bottariga' which back home in Sardinia is served very generously and is very flavorful. The baby octopus tasted very good but then again, it was a very small portion. For first course we ordered the Malloreddusu, a Sardinian pasta in a lamb ragu sauce. Again, the portions were ridiculously small. The taste was however very good. As a second course, our friend ordered lamb shanks and I shared with my wife the 'Porceddu', or oven baked suckling pig - a very popular Sardinian dish. Again, the portions were disappointingly small and the flavor of the Porceddu a far cry from what it's supposed to taste like. I tried the lamb shank and it was good. As dessert we were presented with 'Sebadas' - a fried ravioli-like piece of dough filled with Pecorino cheese - nothing like the real thing. It was actually pretty bad, I only had half, couldn't stomach it. The wine was very good - Cannonau - and the homemade 'Mirto' (a Sardinian liquor) also very good, even though not one of the best I've had. What was most disappointing however was the bill - $233 for 3 people - which we contested as my wife and I had shared one second course - which brought it down to $197. With tip, it came out to $232 in total - or $77 per person. I wouldn't mind paying this much but that's way too much for the quality and quantity of the food we ate. Sorry to say, but Mr. Tonino is not going to see me or any of my friends any time soon. Pros: parking Cons: very small portions more

I went to this place last night and I enjoyed this small restaurant a lot! The ambience is relaxing, romantic, and clean. It gives you a feeling of separateness from the business of LA. The food is delightful also. It taste good and just the right amount of serving. Therefore, unleash your self! The food is so great that eating the whole serving will not give you the feeling of gluttony. Besides, eating slowly while enjoying your time with your special one makes the experience even better. ;) And.. you must, you have to, and you should order desert. They're spectacular, delicious, and not so sweet so it's good. Furthermore, the service is satisfactory and very accommodating. However, just a little complaint. They do not accept American Express. What's up with that? :( So have a back up credit card, people! I suppose here in United States that's not a problem huh? <>< Pros: Ambience Cons: Does not accept American Express. more

When I visit Newhall for business, I am always pleased with this amazing place. This is the ONLY authentic Italian restaurant within 50 miles. The specials are amazing often imported delicacies from Italy. Seasonal meals and a warm friendly atmosphere. The establishment is a unique gem for the area and stands up to the best dinning establishments in Italy without the high prices. Warning if you come and experience these delights it will become addictive and you will want to come back again and again. If I lived in the area, I would be back night after night to see what new adventures await my pallet. If you want over cooked pasta with a ketchup ragu go to the Olive Garden, if you want a true Italian feast Cavi is the place for you! You won't be disappointed. Pros: Top quality imported Italian delicacies prepared to prefection. Cons: Don't let the strip mall location and simple decor fool you, your are in for a treat! more

This place needs to improve. My girlfriend and I went there on Valentine's Day, and things immediatly started off on the wrong foot. We had a reservation, yet it took them about 20 minutes to seat us. Then it took another 15-20 minutes before a waitress even came by. She then totally forgot our drink order (I had to remind her). Our reservation was for 8:30 and we did not get our first course until 9:30 and it wasn't anything special. After waiting another 15 minutes for our main course, we had to leave. They had 2 servers for 15 tables on Valentine's Day. The whole place was in chaos. Totally unorganized and unprepared for a lager than average Thursday night. What made me most upset was they employed a lady to play romantic violin music, but they couldn't hire an additional server to help with orders. I know we were not the only ones to complain as I hear the hostess asking the kitchen staff as to where a number of orders were ... really a bad experience. We will not be back. Pros: They have a nice little dining area Cons: Service, organization, and the food was just OK more

I know this sounds cliche, but this is authentic Italian cuisine. In suburbia, it is almost impossible to find a family run joint like this, but here it is. Awesome food, great vibe from the owner and staff, and great selections. I almost always go for the tagliatelle with crab and a touch of grapefruit--this dish is devine. You can't go wrong with the other dishes. For desert I tried the frozen melon mousse with some melon liquor, and it tasted like it was just pulled from the garden. They have plenty of classic tasty dishes besides the unconventional ones I described. Please support the very few independant fine restaurants that we have in Santa Clarita! I bid you fine dining--you won't be dissapointed. Cheers. Pros: Amazing italian food, and without the teeny-bopper hostess Cons: Ambiance is hindered by its location. more

I normally dine on the westside at Piccolo in Venice, CA for great Italian food...Or..I dine at Angelini Osteria for fabulous food also..NOWHERE else, maybe Vicente in Brentwood when I feel like splurging...But tonight I was taking my sister out and needed to find a great place to eat which I was worried about because I had to find a place in Saugus, because with all of the restaurant robberies in the Valley, I did not want to take a chance so I figured its either Los Angeles or Saugus...Well from my experiences Saugus is chain restaurant city, so I was worrying, so I basically looked and looked for about 45 minutes hoping to find some kind of good place to dine for Italian...Well, I then came across this place and saw there were no reviews...scary I thought, especially as picky as I am, thats a big gamble...So, I decided to call the restaurant to get a feel for who was answering the phone and judge by the treatment on the phone if this place was worth the drive( which meant questions about what type of Italian food was being served)..The chef answered, he is a pure "Italiano" and very charming...Hmmm. I thought to myself, might be worth a drive..So, I drove... All I can say from the moment I walked in, great service, very clean place, good wine list, $13.00 corkage, chef came out to great us, His name is Antonio but you can call him Tony, and the other guy that took care of us, who might be part owner , his name is Antonio, also, and you can call him Antonio....The food was wonderful, very authentic food, my sister had the pork and I had the past vongolese( I think thats how you spell it) which was not on the menu, but was made for me anyway...ah ..yes...Dessert was fabulous...Cannoli with pistacio filling...need I say more!!!! This is my place for authentic Italian food when I am in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys and might even be worth a drive from Santa Monica... This place is sure to stay on my list of favorites...Ciao..!! Pros: Authentic, Intimate service, chef greets Cons: far from me, shopping center is not that cute, needs Italian music more