"I visited this restaurant for the first time and ordered the steak. Unfortunately, the sauce was extremely salty, which had me reaching for water frequently. Overall, I didn't feel it was worth the price."
I took a friend out to celebrate his birthday, and the creative and unique touches were remarkable. To provide some context, I have dined at some of the top-rated restaurants and hotels worldwide over the years, as has my friend, who has even more experience in this regard. We both appreciate excellent service, and unpretentious Tavolàta delivered on that front.
We arrived over thirty minutes early for our reservation, before the restaurant was fully staffed, but the hostess was gracious and unfazed, quickly working to accommodate us. Ruby, our server, was like a birthday present herself! She greeted my friend by name and wished him a happy birthday, treating us with genuine warmth and care...
I've been wanting to visit this place for a while since I'm a fan of Ethan Stowell's other restaurants, which usually do a fantastic job. I came in for restaurant week on a Monday evening and found it quite empty—the kitchen wasn't even preparing any dishes when we arrived. We were greeted promptly and seated right away. However, the music playing felt more suited for a bowling alley or grocery store than an Italian restaurant where entrees cost $20-$30.
The restaurant week menu was appealing, and the appetizers were mostly outstanding. The Tavolata salad was excellent, and I will definitely be back for that. The beets were also delicious and full of flavor, but the burrata was somewhat dis...
The restaurant itself was quite attractive, but unfortunately, it had the kind of vibe that would make anyone avoid it in Italy. The staff was friendly, and they quickly found me a seat with a view on the patio, which was nice. I was hungry and hoping to bring some leftovers for the next day, so I ordered a salad and the spaghetti dish. When I asked the waiter if the spaghetti came with fresh anchovy, which would have made it fantastic, he informed me it was made with dried, salty fish, along with garlic and butter. I decided to go ahead with my order.
Both the salad and spaghetti arrived promptly, but the salad was overwhelmed with black pepper to the point that it dominated the dish. Wh...
I had a disappointing and strange experience at this restaurant. They have a coat check at the entrance, but the host didn’t offer to take our coats. The service felt incredibly slow; every food and drink item seemed to arrive one by one, and it took over an hour for our main courses to arrive after we ordered. When we requested additional drinks while waiting, the waiter had a bit of an attitude about it. If the food is going to take so long and we’re only given one water pitcher (which took ages to refill), it’s reasonable to expect that we will finish our drinks and want more.
I ordered the anchovy garlic spaghetti and opted for the meatball add-on. The meatballs arrived about 15 minutes...
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Later in the evening, we informed our server to bring out the cake. After we blew out the candles, they quickly took it to the back to cut it (only cutting it; we served it ourselves). When we received the bill, we were shocked to find a $50 cake-cutting fee ($5 per person). This was surprising because we had not been informed about this charge beforehand. While a fee for cutting a cake is acceptable if communicated upfront, $50 seemed excessive—more than the cost of the cake itself.
It’s worth considering that if only two people had come, would they still charge $50, even if the number of cuts would be the same as for 5 or 10 people? A flat fee would make much more sense. Later that evenin...
Definitely check out the happy hour here!! They have drinks, apps, and pastas on the happy hour menu at a pretty good price.We got roasted beets to share, and then I got the rigatoni pasta. The beets tasted fresh and had a nice balance of flavor, although I felt like the portion was a bit small. And the rigatoni pasta was super tasty!! I really liked how sauce that had a bit of a kick, and the sausage added a lot of flavor. The portion was pretty generous and I had enough leftover to have for lunch the next day. The full price menu is pretty pricy, but the happy hour is a great deal! It's a great way to try some of their pastas!
The beets were excellent, but that's where the positive comments stop. The pasta was extremely salty—so much so that it was almost inedible, and I usually enjoy salt. We ended up leaving almost our entire plate untouched. The salad came with a vinaigrette that, no exaggeration, made me cough; it was simply too much vinegar. The atmosphere inside was cold and the music had a strange vibe. If you're a fan of excessive salt, you might want to give it a try. Otherwise, I would recommend skipping it.
I aim to provide an honest review, so I would rate this restaurant either 2 or 3 stars. Most of the times we've dined here, I would have given it 4 stars. However, during our last couple of visits, the food has been excessively spicy—so much so that we struggled to finish our meals without constantly drinking water. It might have just been a few off nights, but I wanted to share my experience.
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The restaurant offers a contemporary take on Italian cuisine. The gnocchi were generously sized and absolutely delicious. The delicata squash appetizer was simply outstanding. As for vegetarian options, while there aren't many main dishes available, the ones they do have are quite good.
I visited this restaurant for the first time and ordered the steak. Unfortunately, the sauce was extremely salty, which had me reaching for water frequently. Overall, I didn't feel it was worth the price.
