Location is nice. Food is not great. Had Aperol Spritz (more soda than prosecco). Service is compétent, but not exceptional. Had two unremarkable pasta dishes. This place has been around for a while it appears, but it's probably lost a step.
I ordered the mare pizza, and didn't understand the shelled seafood on the pizza. The seafood mussels and clams were delicious, but what it left me with was plain tomato sauce on crust. Deserts there were delicious.
I loved this place as a child, it has a special place in my heart. I’m willing to give it another chance but here is my experience.I walk in with my wife at 5pm, right when they open, to an empty restaurant. The host greets and asks if we have a reservation to which we replied no. He says nothing as he sat us and was obviously high on something, I suspect Xanax.The server came forth and asked what drinks we would like.We sat and were served our drinks, Negroni and some other cocktail that tasted like lemonade.Our server came back for the food order and we had to ask him about what the specials are bc the only other table sat was one adjacent to us and the server was telling them about the specials so.. I would’ve liked to know.We started with the bruschetta and each ordered the steak special.My drink was lackluster but I wasn’t trippin, the Negroni was flat out bad and my wife didn’t want it. She stated as such and got a glass of wine instead and the Negroni was placed at the head of the table.Our bruschetta comes. It was fabulous with a toasted bread and a fresh portion of tomato and the mozzarella on top was lovely. This is the two starsThings start getting weird, our server never checked in on us and even though the restaurant was empty. He instead, popped out from the back and looked at our table and quickly went to the back.Our steaks come from captain Xanax.There was so much fat on that thing and it was covered in a reduction so I couldn’t see where it was. I probably ate 60% of that thing, Negroni we tried to return is still sitting on the table.While we are eating, the Xanax man comes up awkwardly to our table and looks at us for what felt like 10 seconds, does a weird smile and walks away. He came back with water but it was the weirdest single move I’ve ever seen in a restaurant.We finish up and ask for the bill, bill returns, Negroni is on it and and the price for the rib-eye was ridiculous. We asked for the Negroni, which was still on the table and undrunk, to be taken off.Awkward interaction ensued, Negroni was taken off.When we left, the Negroni was still on the table.It’s hard to describe everything I felt when coming here. I’m just glad I didn’t try the fish.
LOVE this place. Visited on a Sunday eve. Love the menu, traditional Italian offerings, big spacious dining room, candles on the tables. Walked in without a reservation around 8:20pm and it was the best service. Will definitely be going there more often.
Let me be clear, the food was excellent and could not be faulted. However the service didn’t live up to chef’s efforts. We turned up on a Tuesday evening around 8pm, without a reservation but there were plenty of tables to spare. We probably waited 2/3 minutes for the person controlling the tables to “greet” us. I have to say that she appeared more interested in chatting to people at the bar and later on in the evening eating her dinner at the bar. This might be normal practice in the US but it wouldn’t happen in Europe. There was no engagement and I witnessed a similar, almost surly attitude to other diners as the evening progressed. Our waitress took our orders and having ordered a bottle of Corona, a red wine appeared, which she replaced once I pointed out I had asked for a bottle of bear - perhaps my English accent got lost in translation. Both my wife and I ordered pasta dishes and when they were delivered we were asked if we required anything else. We asked for Parmesan cheese and pepper ie from a pepper mill. We had to wait and then remind our waitress regarding the cheese and when the pepper didn’t arrive we decided it was just too much bother to ask for this as well. Took the edge off the evening and our first visit to Santa Cruz. Hence the 3 out of 5 score.
We went there for dinner on Saturday.We waited about 1 and a half hour for our food, in all this time, our server didn't come to check on us or to give us any update, we asked another server for water and never got it. The food was not bad, we had futuchini Alfredo which was really good, gnocchi with pesto, which was a bit flavorless, and chicken parietal that was very unsatisfying.Not sure if the price justify the visit there.
Went for my son's 8 birthday ?! The dinner was excellent and they even kept the ice cream cake we brought in the freezer until we were ready.
We have had so many people tell us we “have to try their Amalfi Martini? (Well Made Vodka, grapefruit juice, House-made Limoncello cream).So I finally ordered it, and it was sweet and tasty but personally I’m a Negroni ?with dinner and espresso martini for dessert kinda gal ?We were craving pasta and pictured is:- ?Rigatoni alla Vodka e Gamberoni:Rigatoni pasta sauteed with wild large shrimp in a creamy vodka tomato sauce- ?Off menu carbonara but he wanted fettuccine noodles insteadAlways a great date night spot with live jazz on Fridays ?
Great location with easy parking next door. Service was good and friendly but not pushy. Outdoor patio is excellent when weather is good. They carry locally caught seafood. I had the Lingcod. It was delicious.
Very authentic Italian food with a pinch of the restaurant’s uniqueness. I recommend the Seafood Pasta or for an original choice, Penne Bolognese. (Sorry if I spelled anything wrong) Definitely recommend this place for all the Italian lovers out there.