Brady is the most unprofessional manager I've ever experienced in my life, and I've worked for a lot of bad people. If you're looking for a job, AVOID catering here at all costs. Brady is not the one who hired me, he is not the one who interviewed me, I had never even had a conversation with him. But while I was running late due to an emergency I was keeping Jake (the only guy I've worked with) updated with everything since I didn't know Brady at all, didn't even have his number or any way to contact him, and Jake told me "sounds good" at one point. And then I get a phone call while I was driving there and it's a random number, turns out it's Brady who is calling me to fire me. Best part is, he fired me in a phone call that was only one minute long, and wouldn't let me talk. After telling me that we need to "part ways" he says, exact quote, "you can come pick up your check whenever it gets here I don't know when that will be" and hung up on me. I had to text him and tell him he had to tell me when my check will be there, which is actually surprising that he thought it was okay to act like that. I am not surprised that there is a shortage of caterers at Basta. I was really excited to work there, all the employees were really nice to me and welcoming. Jake was a really good trainer, he was really nice and supportive in showing me how to do things, and everyone else welcomed me and introduced themselves to me on the first day which I've never experienced before. I could see myself staying in Iowa City just for this work and the people there. But then there was Brady. In the end I'm very grateful that Brady showed his true colors and helped me avoid working for a man like himself. I was under the impression that Basta really needed someone to fill the catering position, but I guess that's not true. I'm very upset that this man is trusted to manage people and treat them fairly. How he acted today was so shockingly unprofessional, I'm very disgusted with it. If this line of work makes a man so stressed out that he takes it out on the people who work for him that he doesn't even take the time to talk to, then he needs to look into a new career path. All this to say, if you want to work for a man with extreme lack of communication skills that will magically become your fault, you should cater for Basta.
the waiter at this restaurant was the rudest human being i have ever met. i ordered the wrong thing and when i went to tell him i made a mistake he flipped out on me and stopped waiting on our table. it was a total misunderstanding and i was not upset at all, he got furious and thought i was blaming him. when i was laughing at myself and saying that it was my fault he walked away in extreme anger. he was genuinely so mean, it was the weirdest experience i have ever had at a restaurant. i will never go back there and i suggest strongly that you don’t either. their food is good not great and after that service it’s not somewhere i ever would suggest again!
Went here on a date night years ago and revisited again with friends a couple weeks ago and wow, it did not disappoint. The atmosphere is super moody and relaxing and the menu has excellent selections without being an overwhelming amount of options. Our table shared the burrata which we devoured and I ordered the bolognese. They must make their noodles in house because they are cooked perfectly and have the right chewy bite. Great place to go for a date night or a small group!
Great setting although it's very loud in there. Not a place for conversation. The food was delicious nicely presented but not enough to fill you up. We ordered eggplant parmesan. When it came, there was only 2 small slices of egg plant parmesan on a bed of spaghetti. It was excellent. But 2 slices of eggplant for over 20.00 was a very expensive "appitizer". We left hungry & very disappointed. Won't go back.
This seems like a very nice place to take a date to. Great staff and a better atmosphere than most restaurants. The appetizers were very good.
best fried calamari and chicken alfredo in iowa city. the chicken is marinated in herbs and is super juicy and flavorful. the drinks are amazing too.
Good place to go with family for a classic Italian fine dining experience. The seafood as very good as well as the appetizers. Fun environment that is right in the middle of downtown
Decent food, pizza wasn't my favorite, I'll probably order margarita next time. Pasta's portion was a little bit too much. Awesome cocktail. Service was lacking, waited about 10 min even tho I had reservation.Will return and order other food, maybe change my opinion. 3.5 / 5
So happy that I got to spend my birthday here. We had the Brussels sprouts for a starter, and the butternut squash ravioli for our course . Definitely a 10/10! The ambiance was perfect and we had a great server. I wish we could of told the chef’s that the food was divine. We will we back again soon, thank you❤️
We ordered takeout due to the ongoing pandemic and they had just dished up our meal when I picked it up. And the garlic smell wafting from the bag promised a tasty meal when we got back to my son’s apartment. I had the four cheese penne pasta which was delightful and he had the spaghetti and meatballs. Both portions were large and were saved for lunch tomorrow. The menu had a nice variety of appetizers and entrees and the bar seemed to be doing a brisk business. The interior looks pleasant and cozy. This time of year parking was readily available, although when classes are in session, I suspect parking would be more difficult. I hope that we can eat in the restaurant when I visit my son during the summer (as a grad student he’s very appreciative of being treated to a nice meal).