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54 Mint Rosticceria & Formaggi
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Tue-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
75 reviews for 54 Mint Rosticceria & Formaggi
Review Highlights
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"Their wine list is filled with excellent Italian wines." In 9 reviews -
"Everything was amazing, especially the pork belly." In 6 reviews -
"This is our new favorite place." In 4 reviews
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73 reviews in English
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Review from Paul W.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2012
This place is a gem. I was looking for a nice Itallian restaurant to take my mom to for Mother's Day which also happen to be her birthday so I wanted it to be special. The restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside, found it immediately. I took my mom and my Aunt on Saturday because I knew it would difficult to get a reservation on Mother's Day. Walking inside the restaurant and it has a warm homey feel to it. I think the space is perfect because it makes it more personable and you don't have to look very far for your server. It felt like quite a few people were on dates, I could easily overheard conversations next to us, but I didn't find it disturbing.
Immediately upon enterting the restaurant we were approached by a pleasant,gorgeous employee that immediately seated us after mentioning I had a reservation, so no waiting. We were given just the right amout of time to decide on our drinks. My mom and aunt didn't seem too happy to be there and mentioned how much they liked Olive Garden, this didn't sit well with me as I had spent time researching and reading reviews for this restaurant.
When our server came to take our order he was absolutely energetic, very pleasant and patient with my family as they had questions about the specials. My family ordered the specials which were ribs with mashed potatoes and I ordered the roasted chicken with vegetables. I have to say, my family became very happy after they tasted thier ribs and mash potatoes, nothing but praise from that point on about how tender and tasty it was, it slid off the bone perfectly etc. I had the same with my roasted chicken, it was tender, delious and very tasty. I don't normally enjoy vegatables but this was delious. It was really a wonderful experience and best of all everyone was happy. I forgot to pass our compliments onto the chef, I will when I go back again.
Our server's name was Mateo,he was so very attentive and even sent us home with a delicious tiramisu. Ladies don't try to get him to meet your daughter neice's etc, like my aunt did for my sister it's embrassing :-) I can't comment enough on how friendly the entire staff was. I love this place! -
Review from Isabelle S.
Brentwood, CA
5/15/2012
I really wanted to like this place. It had everything that I wanted. It was small, Italian family owned. I have to say the meal started out really well. The salad was very good. I noticed they even tempered the onions by letting them sit in a bit of the dressing so it wasn't overpowering. The bread was good. I think it was a bit dry though. They might have cut it earlier in the evening leaving it a bit dry. The cheese plate with honey and fried seafood starter were very good. We all ordered something different. I did like that they had many vegetarian options. The main plates were okay. They had a very niced grilled seafood plate that was pretty good. I ordered the pasta dish with eggplants and cherry tomatoes. I felt the dish was a bit bitter and acidic but it had great potential. Another person in our party got the mushroom dish and the sauce was lacking. Just a bit of cream would have done nicely. The ravioli and seafood pasta were pretty good.
The meal took a turn for the better at dessert. The tiramisu was really good. It wasn't too boosey. I think it is one of the best ones I have ever had.
The service was really fantastic I have to say. The staff knew when to leave us alone and when to come to help. Really great service is sometimes hard to find. I can't tell you how many times an apathetic teenage server dampened our meal in other places.
I might give it another try but I think I like Salvatore in Walnut Creek better. -
Review from Joanna S.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/29/2012
I loved this place! It's a little difficult to spot due to poor signage, but located very near the Trader Joe's in a non-descript shopping center at the corner of Oak Grove and Treat. Everyone who works here is really Italian, so the food is the real deal. My main complaint is the space: too small, too noisy and not classy enough for what is going on inside. A minor, but still important second consideration is the name of the restaurant. It's a cousin to the restaurant in SF of that name, but in SF it spells out the address of the place. In Concord, it is irrelevant and even misleading.
By far, this is the best Italian food I've had in the burbs. We tried the special appetizers of the evening--the fried zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese (heavenly) and the firecracker- hot sauteed calamari (spectacular). Our group of four ordered two meat and two pasta dishes, which we each thought were excellent. I loved the homemade cheese and spinach ravioli, served in a brown butter sauce kissed with cinnamon and topped with deep fried sage. For dessert we sampled the tiramisu (made with no alcohol and decaf coffee!) and a flourless chocolate cake, both very good. All the desserts, and the breads too, are house-made. By the way, the olive oil and balsamic vinegar served with the bread are of such high quality, they could easily become addictive. Don't say you weren't warned.
The problem of the space is not trivial.The restaurant is just too good to stay in that little joint. I found the noise level detracted from enjoying our meals and conversation. Next time, I think I'll reserve a patio table. Meanwhile, guys: look for a lease on a bigger place, put in some sound baffling and change your name to reflect your food. I'd call it "Buonissimo"!. Ciao. -
Review from Jen W.
So I'm a little tipsy right now...don't mind any typos or slurring of words...I just couldn't help myself but to write a review of 54 mint immediately after I stepped out of the restaurant.
Yes, it was that damn amazing.
Yes, it was incredibly authentic.
Yes, the people who work here are Italian...the accents are real.
Let's start off with the service. There are 2 guys running the front...both who are extremely friendly and personable. Me likey. They were attentive from the start...and made sure that every item tasted delish. Excellent! Oh, and I asked for a recommendation for wine...and our server brought over 2 generous samples. Talk about going the extra mile!
We started off with the caprese. We actually ordered the prosciutto dish but I think we misunderstood each other. Anyhoo, the caprese was perfect. The cheese was super fresh...the tomatoes were refreshing...and the basil sauce was the perfect complement. Btw, the house bread was amazing! They make their own homemade foccacia and it's the bomb diggity. I could eat a whole loaf...yum.
For our entrees...I ordered the pappardelle ai funghi...mmhmmmm...one word to describe it? Earthy. You've definitely gotta be a mushroom lover to appreciate this dish...and I absolutely love mushrooms. The pasta is also made in house...and it was cooked just right.
Wifey ordered the tagliatelle ai frutta di mare...a ribbon pasta with assorted seafood such as shrimp, mussels, squid, and clams. They definitely weren't skimpy with the seafood...the sauce was absolutely perfect. Couldn't help but to sop it all up with some bread! The serving sizes were perfect for us.,,normally, we rarely finish our meals and end up taking our items home...but we couldn't help ourselves. It was THAT good.
We were contemplating ordering a tiramisu...but one more bite and I'd have to check in to Jenny Craig. It was over...I threw in the towel. I surrendered!
The prices are reasonable...especially for the quality of food you're getting. Keep one thing in mind though...if you think olive garden is the best Italian food you've ever had...you prob won't like 54 mint. This is the serious authentic stuff.
Italians love this Italian establishment...but this Asian gal can't wait to come back to stuff my face some more with their yummy food. I want to try their porchetta sandwich...a lunch time special.
54 mint is a must!!! And you must give it a try...there's also a location in the city. Yay me! -
Review from K P.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/16/2012
Really really good food! I have to say, it's better than the Italian food I've found in the city.
It's a small little operation, and it was packed, so I recommend reservations. The service was excellent; for the first time ever I didn't feel rushed and felt well looked after.
The salad apps were awesome. The octopus salad looked yum, I didn't get to try it but my friend certainly seemed to enjoy it. The mozaralla appetizer was also delicious.
For entrees I got to try the pork belly special; it was sooooo good. And it didn't leave me feeling like I was having a heart attack. The seafood pasta was also a delight. -
Review from Courtney J.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/2/2012
Great restaurant so close to home! Don't be fooled by it's location, it gives other 5 star restaurants in the area a run for their money. A reservation is necessary since it's small with lots of business. Personally, I like the smaller setting because it makes it more intimate and romantic. Considering the size, you still have enough space to be private and not be in someone else's space. I wouldn't recommend it for groups over 6 people because by that point you've taken up half the restaurant.
The staff there is 100% Italian, very sweet and extremely helpful. They know their menu well and know what appetizers or wine to pair with your choices. I highly recommend their Caprese salad. The monzarella is incredible, by far the best I've ever had. Any of the entrees are a good choice, but the pastas are especially great considering they are all homemade. They do offer take out, but expect it to take a little while.
I love this place, definitely recommend it to everyone around! -
Review from dina s.
3/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Husband and I needed a date night and we decided to try this new restaurant. Husband called to make a reservation and was surprised to find that we couldn't get in until 8:30. Dang! But we had to eat and I sure was not in the mood to cook!
On the Friday that we came, this place was packed, packed, packed! They had to bring two small tables in from outside in order to have enough seating. The inside is fairly plain, but it is clean and appealing. The noise level was also intense, but it is to be expected in a small, busy restaurant.
Our food:
risotto croquettes for the appetizer
cannelloni with chicken and cheese for the husband
cod with a potato "galette", tomato, caper and olive sauce, and spinach.
The appetizer was delish. It was fried goodness- warm and yummy.
My cod was well-seasoned and seasoned perfectly. The potato "galette" was basically a burned hashbrown, but whatevs. The tomato sauce was tasty.
Husband's pasta dish was fresh, well-cooked and yummy.
The prices here are good, the staff is truly Italian and this place just feels nice to go to. -
Review from Nicole S.
Concord, CA
5/16/2012
Authentic italian food. Excellent service. Food tastes amazing. All the dishes get rave reviews. Wine is excellent. Highly recommend.
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Review from Lee H.
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Definitely a nice surprise in a strip mall. The owners appeared to be Italian, either that or they have both perfected their affected accents, Italian language skills and have hired other Italians to stand is as dining "props" during the dinner hour.
I wanted to love it, but couldn't get past the overly heavy, overly al dente pasta. -
Review from Jeff M.
Clayton, CA
4/16/2012
This place is a labor of love. Claudio, the owner is authentic and his passion for rustic Italian cuisine is evident. The olive oil served with the fresh bread is top quality and is also available for sale. The octopus in the salad is fork tender, which is difficult to pull off without experience. The veal Marsala is Devine. They make their own pasta! The pasta with cherry tomatoes and salty ricotta is to die for. The lasagna is just like grandma is cooking in their kitchen. The wine is reasonable and the service attentive. And the food is reasonably priced. How lucky we are to have such fine food and a quality dining experience so close to home. Claudio, Mille Grazie!
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Review from Karen C.
Hayden, ID
4/14/2012
Four of us enjoyed a fabulous dinner here a few months ago. The owner was so friendly and helpful. We loved the buffalo mazarella appetizer, which was plentiful. We each had something different and we were all quite happy with our meal! We go out once a month as a group and try different restaurants. WE WILL BE BACK!!! What a funny litlte strip mall to have such a fabulous restaurant!!!
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Review from Debbie C.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/25/2012
How great to have a small quality Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. I happened to stumble in one day for lunch after hitting Trader Joes and was pleasantly surprised. The two gentlemen serving were charming and attentive. The food delicious. I liked it so much that I brought my husband and parents soon after for dinner. The "boys" actually remembered me and worked us in. I love the intimate size but strongly recommend reservations as it gets crowded. I tried to bring some friends just recently but discovered they are no longer open for lunch (hoping that changes soon).
Give Mint 54 a try and ENJOY! -
Review from Curioso H.
Concord, CA
3/8/2012
We pick up a couple orders of the baked chicken every other week, it addictive! I've never thought of chicken as being particularly special but their dinner serving is amazing!!
We've also eaten there and have on occasion had an issue with service when they're busy but we're willing to overlook that because the food has always fantastic every time we've gone! -
Review from Stuart M.
Pleasant Hill, CA
5/5/2012
The food here definitely lives up to the raves. Stuffed squash blossoms, octopus salad, ravioli, and porchetta were all world class. This is authentic regional Italian made from quality ingredients, not dumbed-down in any way. Portions are generous. The room, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired: crowded, noisy, and not much fun. Any reviewer who uses the word "romantic" for this sterile white hole-in-the-mall should seek counseling. And the service, while friendly enough, was rushed and forgetful. For instance, when one of our appetizers arrived, the waiter told us it was the last plate of the evening and therefore short on quantity, but that he would adjust our bill accordingly. He didn't. Not a big deal, but still. Don't set my expectation and then fail to execute. All in all, though, a great foodie experience, and I will definitely be back to eat my way through the rest of the menu. Here's hoping that their line-out-the-door success will soon translate into a nicer venue and more front-of-the-house hires.
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Review from Tim O.
1/10/2012 5 Check-ins Here
The balsamic alone is worth a visit. Besides that, I have 53 other reasons you need to try 54 Mint. Here's a selection:
No. 12: Buffalo mozzarella with tomato and basil. Not made from real bison. Better.
No. 31: Pitch-perfect service that doesn't feel forced or manufactured - plus an Italian accent if you're in the right section.
No. 36: The guys running the show won't hustle you through your meal even if you show up 10 minutes before the stated closing time.
No. 46: Anything from the rotisserie. Meat coma awaits.
No. 54: The fact that this is the best Italian food you'll ever eat in a shopping center and arguably the best Italian food you'll find in Contra Costa. Watch your back, Prima. -
Review from Sara W.
Walnut Creek, CA
3/27/2012
My boyfriend and I had a date here Saturday night and we cant wait to go back! The food, service, and ambiance were amazing! Its so cool to see a family run restaurant doing so well and its so close to home! I wish I could give more than five stars!
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Review from Loretta D.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2011
Close your eyes and you are in Italy. At 54 Mint, the whole experience transports you from the moment you walk in the door: the unique and delicious food with each course (we're not talking spaghetti, here), excellent wine list, the lovely ambience, and delightful staff. Owner Claudio worked his way through the room seating patrons, taking orders, and entertaining all with grace, charm, and humor. This is the kind of restaurant experience where you can't wait to invite others to share. We had the most enjoyable time and will be back again and again. Thank you, Claudio. ;)
Loretta Dunncarter Balmy -
Review from Marco P.
Union City, CA
12/15/2011
Where's the button for the 6 stars??? I'm Italian, and seriously, in the Bay Area i have never ever eaten italian food that was this good! The food is INCREDIBLE, it's really authentic (i'm talking about no use of butter and cream when they cook, only italian wines being served, italian staff, really fresh and high quality products).
This is really a piece of heaven, and when they play Antonello Venditti's music in the background i feel at home... -
Review from stephanie m.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/7/2011
I want to start by saying I live three blocks away and today is my first time dinning at this establishment. If it was up to me I would have continued to stay away, but my husband made the reservations on his own. I knew if this place was anything like there location in San Francisco, I should be worried.
This place is hands down the best Italian restaurant in Contra Costa County. The food is delicious, the service is wonderful, and it is family owned. From the time we started with the prosciutto and mozzarella appetizer to the main dish of cannelloni and the pork belly special, everything was excellent. Not to mention the tab which included a glass of prosecco and a beer was only $67.00.
I have a weakness for Italian food and now I have a amazing local fine dinning casual restaurant 3 blocks away. -
Review from M.M. S.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
As good as it gets in the Walnut/Claycord area. This restaurant could easily hold its own in downtown SF. Starts with incredible ingredients - many of which are flown in from Italy. The buffalo mozzarella is perfect - the tomatos were a little out of season but what can you do in the middle of the winter.
Entrees/pastas were perfectly prepared. Dessert was solid, but wouldn't say it's their strongest area.
Service was friendly but a little slow since they only have 2 people working the entire front. Worth the wait though.
Lunchtime menu looks like it is worth checking out as well.
We'll be back often! -
Review from Nohad B.
Concord, CA
3/16/2012
Love this restaurant! The food is delicious and the owners are true Italians! So welcoming and caring to their customers. I feel as though I am in Italy, with Italian being spoken and yummy food! A small gem! Their sister property in San Francisco is also wonderful. I've been for lunch and dinner and both were TERRIFIC! It's my new Italian bistro and only a mile from home. I recommend it!
Nohad V. -
Review from Gabriela R.
Concord, CA
10/1/2011
My search is over, I finally found my Italian restaurant.
I had the lasagna and it reminded me of what I ate in Italy; No nonsense meat sauce with al dente pasta layers and the perfect amount of cheese. A hearty, tasty italian dish I will crave for. My husband had the ravioliies, smothered in brown butter and perfectly crisp sage leaves. Heavenly! The tiramisu we shared at the end of dinner was perfectly delightful and obvious that they use good ingredients for this dessert. Their wine list is filled with excellent Italian wines.
Bravo!
The place was packed, reservations are recommended. Service was Friendly, charming and very attentive. And imagine, it is an Italian Restaurant staffed with Italian speaking people. That's amore! -
Review from Vicky T.
2/7/2012
Seriously... Good eats.
Went here mid week for dinner since I know this place is PACKED on weekends (reservations are a necessity for the busy weekends). I love me some authentic Italian, and this definitely hit the spot. We started off with the Grilled Octopus on Fingerling potato salad. WOW... This is the BEST grilled mediterrean octopus I've EVERRRRR had. And I've spent a lot of time in the Mediterrean area (bf is Greek) and had my fair share of freshly caught, grilled tenticles. This place was definitely the best!!! It was sooooo tender. I'm drooling just thinking about it. The bread looks like its baked in-house every day... Nothing spectacular, but good. Tasted like the bread the bf's dad makes weekly at home. For the entrees, I had the Paccheri alla Norma (large tube pasta with eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and salty ricotta cheese). I know what you're thinking... where's the meat???? But I didn't miss it, the saltiness from the cheese held its own in the dish. It was super yummy. I ate the whole thing. The bf had the Scaloppine di Vitello (Veal in marsala wine with mushroom ragu and soft polenta). This dish knocked our taste buds out of the water!!! The creaminess of the polenta, the tenderness of the veal, the richness of the mushroom sauce all danced together so well. Needless to say, we finished that off also.
The restaurant had a lot of Italian speaking patrons. This is great because you know its good/authentic when the customers are enjoying their meal, hanging out and speaking Italian.
The service is very European style (for most Americans, they would consider it slow). For me, this is what a dining experience should be.... laid back, they don't rush you, and you get to enjoy your meal and your company. I hate when restaurants rush you by giving you your check when you're barely finished with your entree. Here, the service is very friendly and conversations are flowing.
This place is perfect for a casual but oh so yummy dinner. Great (and surprising) addition to good ol' Concord. Its really hard to find since its in the middle of a strip mall. But soooo worth it venture. I'm definitely coming back again... and bringing friends and relatives. =) And since I work in SF/SOMA, I'm going to try out their original restaurant in SOMA.
If anything... please come try their octopus appetizer... you wont be disappointed. -
Review from Nick F.
Fremont, CA
8/20/2011
This is a great Italian restaurant in an unprepossessing strip mall. My wife and I have eaten there twice in the past month and both meals were winners.
Tonight we started with the caprese con prosciutto. There was a large scoop of perfectly fresh melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella and it was an excellent match for the imported prosciutto.
My wife got the cannelloni, which looks better than the photo attached to the profile. The filling was very meaty and rich, with a wonderfully creamy sauce. My mother-in-law had the blue cod (catch of the day); it was perfectly cooked and accompanied by delicious potatoes and spinach. I had the spaghetti bolognese; it was solid, but not particularly noteworthy--may have needed a bit more seasoning. It also could have been served just a few degrees warmer. I don't recall what we had on our first visit, but my wife and I both enjoyed it immensely.
Little things that make a difference--the owner came by a couple times to check on us. They fill the water glasses, leave the carafe on the table, and refill the carafe promptly when needed. The bread is good and they serve plenty of it with olive oil for dipping. Also, if you use your utensils for the appetizer, they take them away and replace them with fresh ones for the next course--I rarely see this in restaurants at this price point and it's refreshing.
Some of the early reviews have complaints that I can only assume were due to getting the kinks out of a newly opened restaurant. Service is smooth, polite, and prompt.
Ambience is clean, bright, and pleasant--good enough for a date unless you're looking for a deeply intimate or romantic evening. Noise level is fine for easy conversation.
Finally, the price is outstanding for food of this quality. One appetizer, three entrees, two glasses of wine, tax & tip came to $103. This is likely to become our go-to Italian restaurant.
Nick says check it out because you'll never believe you've found Italian food this good in a suburban strip mall. -
Review from K J.
Danville, CA
2/17/2012
I would have given 5 stars if it werent for the lack of service. Even though we had a reservation, we were ignored for about 5 minutes in the doorway upon arrival. Only two guys run the front area. Once we were sat, we were ignored for another 10 minutes-no drinks, bread, nothing. My husband actually wanted to leave. I wanted to stick it out, even though it was pretty irritating. After that, things looked up. We got the eggplant which was AMAZING. Big portion too! For dinner I got the chicken in the lemon caper sauce. I cannot tell you how well this was cooked. It was probably the most flavorful chicken I have ever had. My husband had the cannoli which he loved. Concord is so lucky to have this restaurant! I really hope that they can afford to bring on a 3rd staff person for the front during their busy time.
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Review from Sarah M.
Berkeley, CA
1/12/2012
OMG.
I am half Italian, and so my "insides" are made of pasta. I can eat Italian food every day of the week and not get tired of it. My nutritionist once told me about "the pasta diet", where all you eat is pasta, until you grow tired of it, and then your portions become tinier and tinier because you just don't want to eat pasta anymore.... I would LOVE that diet, except I don't believe I would ever get tired of it...
Enough about me. My sweetie took me here for my b-day dinner. It was classy, delicious, and the most GORGEOUS Italian man waited on us. I had to REFRAIN from drooling over our server, but the food is just as drool-worthy!!
First of all, please note- this is a teeny family-run restaurant. There were only 2 people working the front of the house on a Tuesday, and it did look like some people had to wait quite a while to be seated, even with a reservation. You know, sometimes servers just get "in the weeds" and it is not their fault. But, the incredible food, wine, and staff more than make up for the seriously long wait time.
Everything we had was DELICIOUS!! I LOVE that there are ACTUAL ITALIANS running the place, too- how great is that? These guys know what they're doing, and I can't WAIT to try the SF location.
Try the eggplant appetizer- it is heaven in your mouth!! -
Review from Casey C.
Walnut Creek, CA
2/17/2012
*Amazing* true-to-style Italian food. Very friendly service from a bunch of incredibly high-spirited Italians. Great prices too. Five stars. A gem in Concord of all places!
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Review from CHRISTY M.
Concord, CA
9/8/2011
This is our new favorite place! We've been multiple times and each time the food and service has been wonderful.
Service: I love that the owner and staff are all ITALIAN! Yep, an Italian restaurant that is run by Italians! Very personable and want to get to know you (go figure in this day and age).
Food: We've had the octopus carpaccio, buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto, veal Milanese, lasagna, ravioli's and cannelloni. ALL of these dishes are filled with spectacular flavor, and I mean it.
Wine: This all Italian wine list works great for me. I just ask the server to give me what they think's best and so far so good. I'm ain't mad about a little pinot grigio on a hot day...
All told, I love this little neighborhood gem and will be going back LOTS -
Review from Daniel J.
Concord, CA
8/6/2011
Rustic Italian cooking that goes light years beyond most American-Italian restaurants.
We were fans of Evana's, the restaurant that previously occupied this location, but their menu was pretty heavy on the pasta+sauce formula. 54 Mint has brought some real cooking artistry to the location, and made the room beautiful, to boot.
We started with a Buffalo mozz/tomato/basil appetizer. A lot of places offer fresh Mozzarella these days, but what we had stopped us in our tracks. A baseball-sized sphere of rich, creamy cheese that was fantastic on its own, and heavenly when combined with the tomato and basil.
Sheela had the spinach and ricotta ravioli in walnut sauce, and was kind enough to share a bite with me. Delicious, subtle flavors.
I had sauteed chicken thighs dressed in a ... lemon and onion sauce? (Should have written this right after we ate there). The chicken was fantastically tender and flavorful. If I have a quibble, it's that it was fairly drowning in oil, but it wasn't too hard to leave most of it on the plate.
They have a smallish but strong wine list, and the service was warm and attentive. The prices are a bit on the high side for the area, but justified, considering the overall experience.
Decor doesn't generally matter much to me, but it should be noted: The new owners have done a great job transforming the space into a warm, inviting location. They raised the ceilings, installed new lighting, and opened up the wall between the dining room and the kitchen just enough to make the room feel bigger.
Can't wait to try their brunch! -
Review from Roldan G.
Merced, CA
4/14/2012
Had a lovely evening everything was delish. Rarely do we get to have a date night at such a place. Really did feel like we entered a restaurant in italy. Claudio we miss you. Be back soon.
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Review from Alison W.
Pleasant Hill, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food was amazing... we will be going back for that, but the service was just meh... In all fairness, we didn't make a reservation, so we sat outside but we had to split the table with another couple who walked up behind us who didn't have a reservation either. It was just kind of annoying because I was trying to have a date with the hubs, but I felt like I was on a double date with this other couple that we didn't know, ha. Oh well, we'll give them another chance because the food was just that good.
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Review from Teresa S.
Clayton, CA
1/27/2012
Super charming service and delicious food. Everything we ate was gobble up your plate yummy. I've tried most of the Italian restaurants around this area and I think this one is the best. Only complaint is the portions are small.
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Review from Emily J.
54 Mint recently opened in the space occupied by the recently closed Evana's. We discovered it was open last week when we were headed to karaoke at the Captain's Chest and I immediately bookmarked it for a future visit.
Enter Friday night and the strong desire to not cook...
This is a family-run business and the service was welcoming, warm and attentive service from start to finish.
They have a wine list ready to go but no beer and wine license to be able to serve the vino. *sad face* Hopefully soon. We stuck to water and I liked that they brought a carafe for our table so we could refill our glasses at our leisure.
We started with the Caprese salad to share. ($12) I was impressed with the quality and freshness of the tomatoes, basil and, most importantly, the buffalo mozzarella. They provide a large portion of creamy and mild cheese on top of the whole basil leaves and lightly seasoned tomato slices.
For my main dish, I ordered the cannelloni with chicken, spinach, sundried tomatoes, ricotta and smoked mozzarella. ($15) Obviously made to order, the entree was bubbly hot from the oven and quite delicious. I stole a bite of my honey's special -- rigatoni with meatballs -- and it was also very yummy. The older gentleman who told us about the specials, and who I am assuming is the owner, proudly shared that their meatballs are made fresh with Niman Ranch beef. Those were good meatballs!
This spot definitely classes up the Trader Joe's shopping center at Treat and Oak Grove. We will definitely be back.Listed in: Date Nights, Noodles, Concord Shopping Center @…
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Review from Alissa C.
San Francisco, CA
Being that my BF and I just came back from a 2 week vacation in Italy I was soo pleasntly surprised and happy with 54 Mint R&F, I felt like I was back in Italy!
We were graciously greeted as we walked into restaurant by a young man. From what I could tell it was a family run business with the Father, Mother and 3 sons all doing their part to help, without frantically running around. There were already 3 large groups in the rather small dining area, but we did not feel squished at all.
We took our time ordering and even got to use our new Italian vocab to order our wine and appetizer as the server (the son) spoke Italian to us. We ordered the Caprese salad which came with a huge ball of Buffala on wonderfully ripened tomatoes, I was in heaven. The green sauce drizzled on top is divine.
We also were deciding between two bottles of wine and with our servers help picked a 2009 Rizzi Barbera and we were not disappointed. It was full of flavor and robust, just as he described.
I ordered the Cannelloni which was great! The perfect portion for my and my BF got some good bites in too! It came out piping hot, with all the ricotta cheese and rich sauce...it was delish! My BF got the Pappardarelle al Funghi and that was good as well. It is not a cream or tomato based sauce and was a little bit heavier than we thought, butsince we both love mushrooms we though it was wonderful!
Overall the experience, atmosphere and most of all the food was above par, especially for their unfortunate location of being in a strip mall....although it is convenient for us and we will be making many trips back again! -
Review from Bryn W.
Martinez, CA
1/23/2012
For the life of me, I can't understand how this place ended up with so many 4 & 5 star reviews. Perhaps the regular chef was sick the day we visited?
Anyway, I had the veal scaloppini, which was... sweet. I'll agree with other reviewers that the polenta was delicious and creamy --no problems on that. The veal itself was tender, but the sauce was just too sweet and made whole dish taste like French toast (wife tried it and concurred). The wife had the lasagne, which was passable, but underseasoned and hardly what I'd expect of a 4 or 5 star restaurant.
The bill came to about $75 for two (including a glass of wine each), and considering the tab, the portions were a bit skimpy as well. On the positive side: service and ambience were very good. However, can't say I'll return anytime soon. -
Review from Jenny S.
Elk Grove, CA
3/24/2012
Fantastic food! I will def. come back again. Great service and Ill love the cozy setting.
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Review from Kristi M.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/29/2011
Delicious food and a great wine selection! The staff is very friendly and accommodating.
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Review from Samantha S.
San Francisco, CA
12/19/2011
The location is terrible but the food and ambiance inside is outstanding. In the middle of a strip mall is a lovely, authentic italian eatery with the most gentle pasta, wine list to DIE for, and octopus that will melt in your mouth. My new favorite place to eat west of the east of the caldecott.
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Review from Gerri L.
Pleasant Hill, CA
11/8/2011
Had lunch at 54 Mint last week, and my experience was somewhat disappointing having heard glowing reviews. The staff and service were very good, but my chicken was overcooked - I can cook a moister chicken at home.
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Review from RM T.
Concord, CA
12/14/2011
Service was excellent and the food was OUTSTANDING! We shared a couple of small plates, an entree and enjoyed a couple glasses of wine. Our meal included the grilled octopus (the best I've had since traveling to Spain), Tomato risotto croquette with mozzarella in tomato sauce and the homemade cannelloni filled with chicken breast, ricotta & smoked mozzarella....a dazzling taste-bud experience! All of the dishes were favorites and I'd order them again and again....
As stated by others, 54 Mint is the best Italian restaurant in the East Bay. It's especially wonderful since we live just 1/2 mile away!
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