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A Tavola - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
1041 Middlefield RdRedwood City, CA 94063
(650) 995-9800
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
35 reviews for A Tavola
Review Highlights
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"...had the best teriyaki skirt steak and bread pudding dessert." In 6 reviews -
"...some of that great service and style they had in San Carlos." In 8 reviews -
"...highly recommend the warm napa cabbage salad and pistachio..." In 3 reviews
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35 reviews in English
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Review from Dan B.
12/5/2007
A TAVOLA IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS. Too bad. It was a good spot.
How do I know it is closed? There is a "restaurant space for sale" sign on the door, and the place has been dark for months! -
Review from kim n.
3/7/2007
This place is huge! The same restaurant group owns the restaurant next door so collectively they own a block of the city. Of course we went into the first open door we saw and found that the reception area is a quarter block away. The space is extremely nice but since it was sunny outside today so we opted for the patio tables.
The lunch menu is a mish mash of different cultures, something unexpected from the name. My friend went with the a salad that had grilled chicken, apples, feta, mandarin oranges and mixed greens with a honey mustard dressing. I opted for the NY Steak which came with steak fries. Both of our meals were really tasty although NY steak for lunch is not my norm and would be expensive if you did that for lunch every day. We both also noted that the fries (I prefer shoestring style) were really well done and we both managed to polish our plates.
The service was semi formal and especially being outside they check on a bit more sparingly than I'd like since I didn't get my iced tea refilled. Overall a good place for lunch if the weather permits and I'm assuming the atmosphere is quite different when the inside is packed up for dinner. -
Review from Jeannette S.
Santa Clara, CA
6/28/2006
This restaurant relocated to downtown Redwood City near the corner of Main St. and Middlefield. It's been a couple of years since I visited this area of downtown Redwood City, and it has changed into a sea of warm colors and beautiful landscaping.
The restaurant itself had a nice ambiance with rich Mediterranean colors and wood furnishings. I came with a group of 15, so we were seated in the bar area. But the bar was not busy at all, so we were undisturbed. There is a small seating area at one corner of the bar with leather chairs and a sofa. Off to the side of the bar was another dining area/banquet room. There was an event going on at the time, so I didn't get to check it out. But we observed a large collection of wines covering one of the walls! Very impressive! There is also outdoor seating available.
The food and the service here is top notch! One note about the food: this is not an Italian restaurant. It's more of a fusion of cultures. For example, they have jambalaya, teriyaki skirt steak, beef spring rolls, etc. So if you like fusion cuisine, you will not be disappointed! Check the website for the detailed menus. Everyone at our table had nothing but good things to say about the food. They also have an extensive wine list, which is also available to preview on the website.
Metered parking is available in nearby lots. The meters are in effect during business hours, so parking is essentially free if you go there for dinner. -
Review from Jen W.
Redwood City, CA
7/16/2007
The selection is lacking and the food is not that great. There are many more places w/better food for the price. We have been three times and will not go back. I am disappointed with my meal every time (and I'm not super picky).
The ambiance and service is great - the only reason I gave it two stars. -
Review from nicole c.
San Carlos, CA
4/22/2007
I'm not sure how to rate this place. It was good, but I didn't love it.
My biggest annoyance was that I thought it was an Italian restaurant. It's not. I just looked on their website and they don't claim to be Italian, so I guess I just made the assumption that "A Tavola", would be Italian cuisine.
In the end, the food and service were good and we did all enjoy our dinners. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this place, but I also wouldn't mind going back. It was good...just not 5-star great. -
Review from Daisy H.
4/4/2008
Like a few people...I assumed this was an Italian restaurant. It's actually American. I had to attend a birthday dinner here & had a hard time finding it just because it's pretty hidden.
The potato gnocchi I ordered was not what I had in mind but I ended up eating everyone else's food and loved it better than my own. I tried my friend's skirt steak which was good and the polenta was awesome too. I wish I had a better experience with my own food.
My friend was trying to book this place again for another birthday, but it looks like it is closed. -
Review from Brian Y.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2006
This is one of the places that tries very hard to bring some pedigree to redwood city but sadly is undercut by the quality of the products that go into their dishes.
I know its a sign of authenticity to have shells in your crab cakes but id prefer more crab to shell. Spicy fried chicken had the sad taste of frozen chicken that was battered then fried, crispy on the outside and slightly off setting on the inside.
Great cooks can only go so far with bad ingredients. Maybe I have just picked the wrong dishes to eat, but they do 3 things very well; drinks, steak and bread pudding.
TRY the raspberry Mojito! Get a nice rare steak, and order the bread pudding. Its fail safe, no shells, and they can't mess it up, yet.
We go just for the bread pudding, its too much for one person unless you are a glutton. Soft delicate satin like texture that maintains its shape without running allover the plate. Its mm mmm spank me good! -
Review from Brad P.
Redwood City, CA
1/23/2006
OK, I'm confused. I think this restaurant moved from San Carlos to downtown Redwood City near the soon-to-be-opend (they've been saying that for a while now) multi-plex theaters.
I've been here twice, and both times walked away with that warm and fuzzy feeling you have after a high quality (and high calorie) meal. The warm cabbage/bacon salad is ridiculous (if a bit salty -- but what do you expect for bacon fat based dressing -- at least the cabbage is healthy) which is perfect for splitting.
Yes, the bread dip is insanely good. I also like the wine flights they offer for $15 which they bring all at once. I had the red flight, and my wife had the white flight. We looked like lushes with 6 glasses of wine on our table for two, but it's really fun.
The atmosphere is sophisticated and high-class for "the city" (Redwood City, that is). But, it's relaxed and cozy at the same time. It's a bit of a splurge ($100 for 2 with the wine flights), but a place I hope to go a couple of times a year. -
Review from Drew P.
San Francisco, CA
7/21/2006
This is the worst of the Avenir restaurants. I thoroughly enjoy going to Town (San Carlos), Milagros (Redwood City), NOLA (Palo Alto), and Kingfish (San Mateo). But A Tavola was disappointing. The service was bad, the food was mediocre (way below the standards of its sister restaurants), and the bar was pitiful. I was even annoyed by the location of the door, which is off the street and to the side -- you basically have to walk through the patio (where the host station should be) in order to go through the front door, which is really in the back or on the side.
The menu is very similar to some of the other restaurants, but they have different versions of the filet tip appetizer, the crab puffs, and the calamari. Somehow, they messed up fried food and steak - that takes real effort to mess those things up.
PROS:
Nice furniture.
CONS:
Bad food, bad service, bad bar. How can anyone have a bad bar? I will never return to this restaurant, and I've even been reluctant to go back to the other restaurants in the group (out of spite for A Tavola). -
Review from Kristie K.
Redwood City, CA
2/19/2007
Atmosphere - 5; food - strong 4; service - questionable.
Keep in mind, this is NOT the A Tavola of San Carlos. They are in RWC now and have lost some of that great service and style they had in San Carlos.
If you read any of my other reviews, I'm a little bit of a service snob. While obviously food is pretty important at a restaurant, you are also paying for the service. And at the higher end prices of an A Tavola type establishment, I honestly expect more. The interesting part about this place, they have the same owners as Milagros next door (consistently terrible service) and NOLA in Palo Alto (top notch service and food).
We've had hit or miss service with A Tavalo. Sometimes the service has been spot on, but more often it tends to be a miss. Our latest visit sent us walking out the door and going elsewhere.
We went on Sunday night of MLK weekend. We didn't expect it to be very busy and honestly, it really didn't seem that busy, but the host was running around like a crazy man and was pretty rude to not only just myself and our party (my parents, my fiance and his parents), but he yelled at this other lady who was also waiting for a table. Something to the effect of "I'm really busy right now and just don't have time to help you" On that note, we decide we better seek dinner elsewhere.
Again, food is decent. Prices are on the higher end so service should reflect. I recommend you make a reservation even if you think it will be slow, and if you do try to do a walk-in and they are busy, try somewhere else instead or you may be dissappointed.
I wouldn't say we will never eat here again, but with so many other great choices popping up in the downtown Redwood City area, this definitely would not be my first choice. -
Review from Ann R.
Bay Area
5/31/2007
Last time I went was at the end of 2006, for a special night out. This had been my favorite place in town, and my preferred choice for celebrations. Unfortunately, this was after TOWN opened its doors. My sense was that they sent the A-team to TOWN, and left A Tavola to be the B-team's training ground. Neither the service nor food were up to par.
The food is good yes, but with a place like that the whole experience is paramount. Maybe it's a bit too much to ask, but when you're one of the few local restaurants that can provide a little city flair to this foundling suburb, you've got to bring your game.
If you must go there, the bread and dip are delish, the sushi rolls are great, the fish is a good choice, and the steaks are a safe bet. Enjoy the rustic elegant ambiance. It's especially lovely in Christmas when the decor is up. -
Review from victoria J.
San Jose, CA
10/13/2007
My first visit to this restaurant was at lunch when it first opened with my boyfriend, and it was delicious!
Surf and turf sushi, jambalaya, ahi tuna, and dessert with some dessert wine. It was pricey but worth it and its a beautiful restaurant. It was something different and delicious.
Went there for a birthday. Place was packed, seated us in the hidden by curtains room and it was really private and relaxing.
But the menu changed, ahi tuna-gone, surf and turf roll-gone. Tried out other entrees and it was ok, boyfriends steak was tough and gross according to him, and my fish was ok appetizers were still good hey I will trust in menu changes not a problem, but the food should be good right?
The waitress said we got a free dessert since it was my birthday too bad the bill didn't say so. I don't feel this restaurant's food is worth the price or their overpriced weak martini's. -
Review from Justin L.
5/2/2007
Though nothing quite compares to dining in the City...I do like it when I find above-average spots in the Peninsula & South Bay. Most recent exploration took me to a new take on an old favorite. Back when I was in high school in the Peninsula, I really enjoyed dinners at A Tavola in San Carlos...They had the best teriyaki skirt steak and bread pudding dessert.
Now years later...I discovered the San Carlos A Tavola location has gone the way of the dodo bird. Fortunately they have a new location in Redwood City. Decided to give it a shot for dinner. Decor is nice and airy...doesn't however have the cozy charm of the original SC location. When it came to ordering, took a stroll down memory lane and ordered the skirt steak in addition to the gnocchi...even ordered the bread pudding for dessert.
Though food presentation/plating was not quite on par with SF standards...Everything tasted really good & was well-prepared. Waitress was really helpful as well. Helped us discover an awesome red dessert wine...liquid heaven.
So if you happen to be cruisin' thru RWC...A Tavola is definitely not a bad option at all. -
Review from Anna D.
5/8/2007
This restaurant is now closed. Milagros, which is next door, bought it out for expansion. No word on whether A Tavola will spring up at another location. My friends and I happened to come there on their last night in business.
They had good food. I had "The Rig," which had pork, rigatoni, tomatoes, and garlic bread. I liked it, though the rigatoni was undercooked. It's a bit on the pricey side, and don't be fooled by it's name. It's definitely not an Italian restaurant. -
Review from Keewi H.
7/2/2006
I am usually generous with stars for restaurants but this place doesn't deserve for that. We order some appetizers, Fillet mignon, Fried chicken. The fillet mignon was so well done that even manager apologized for that- we order medium, and little plastic thing was founded in scallop potato.
They offered free dessert for that and the sorbet was really good. :)
I don't like restaurants that have sushiroll, jambalaya, southern fried chicken all together. Identity CRISIS!! -
Review from Mai S.
San Mateo, CA
5/19/2007
I've been here several times for dinner and lunch (and even when it used to be located in San Carlos). The lunch menu is a little limited and can be a little pricey for your average lunch. But if you're looking for a nice place to have a business lunch, I definitely recommend A'Tavola. The atmosphere is nice and they also have a patio area for those nice sunny days. There's a huge parking lot in the back, so parking is very easy.
For lunch, I typically order salad and their portions are very generous. For dinner, my favorite is their pistachio crusted Halibut. I often find that restaurants tend to over cook halibut, and I'm always left disappointed with dry fish. But A'Tavola does a good job on this dish and cooks the halibut perfectly! One time I tried a steak...and that was not that great. So I wouldn't say that every dish on their menu is spectacular.
The service here is just ok, but I don't consider A'Tavola to be "fine dining", so it's good enough. The prices are reasonable, and I'm always pleased with what I order. I just saw another post about A'Tavola shutting down, so that's definitely a disappointment. Oh well! -
Review from Samantha R.
Menlo Park, CA
9/16/2006
Based on yelp reviews (and the fact that we stupidly waited until 7 p.m. on a Friday night to unsuccessfully request reservations at Mantra and Evia), we decided to try A Tavola. What a mistake. This place is just a fancified Macaroni Grill. Except at Macaroni Grill I was able to sustain a conversation with my dining companion seated 15 inches from me. At A Tavola, that was impossible. My husband and I were compelled to yell at one another to be heard so that nearby diners probably thought we were in the throes of deep marital strife. And that was the "ambience" of A Tavola, so to speak.
Now for the food. First I ordered the intriguing pear martini. "Sorry, we ran out of pear puree" our waitress informed us (to her credit, she later provided me with a complimentary apple martini). My (alas, vegetarian) husband requested the pizza. "Sorry, the pizza oven isn't working" she replied (although strangely enough, the wood-fired artichokes were available). The skirt steak I ordered was flavorful enough, though the teriyaki marinade was a bit overpowering.
Anyway, after all that yelling back and forth during dinner, we were ready for dessert--A Tavola's "famous" bread pudding. "Oh, gosh, I'm sorry. We just ran out," our waitress said apologetically. "Is this a joke?" my husband asked, as he picked over the charred remains of his mediocre roasted artichoke leaves.
No, this is just the dining experience one has at A Tavola. -
Review from Chris C.
San Mateo, CA
2/17/2007
I tried this place a while back but while it was decent, nothing jumped out and grabbed my short and curlies. I've been back a few times since and the food quality has steadily improved. Today, my usual favourite, Jambalaya for lunch was exquisite. Fresh Dungeness crab, oversized shrimp, muscles, Atlantic salmon chunks, Andouille sausages and even little pieces of crawdads made my food coma well worth it.
The menu has slowly evolved over the two years I've been patronising this place and even though they've dropped some previous favourites, they've replaced them with more than apt masterpieces. Top that experience off with the two for one entree deal that I get and it's settled, I'll keep coming back to yet another Redwood City gem! -
Review from Kisha S.
Atlanta, GA
2/11/2007
I love this place! I went with a date and we had lots of fun. Every item we ordered was much better than we expected. We loved the salad, and I had a pork pasta that was to-die-for! The sauces were delicious. The menu changes, so you might not always be able to find the entree that is your favorite--but I WILL be going back.
The servers were friendly and the atmosphere was sweet. Not overdone, a little rustic. I do agree with one negative reviewer--the front door is in an awkward place.
I recommend making reservations because one time when I tried to go, the whole restaurant was rented out to for a business party. I should have pretended to be part of the party because I was hoping for some A Tavola that night.
So far this is the best place I've been to that is near Belmont or Redwood City. -
Review from Peter F.
Redwood City, CA
7/15/2008
This restaurant has been closed for over 6 months which makes me question some of it's recent reviews.
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Review from Allison K.
San Diego, CA
6/11/2005
A Tavola is a faboo restaurant on a bustling street in San Carlos (where's that? no idea) My food was ri-cock-ulously good and the ambiance was superb...perhaps that's cause it wasn't a super busy night but I'm sure even if it was hectic it'd be manageable. Nice first date place...or second or third date...but definitely NOT fourth date...I have no idea why.
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Review from Meredith O.
San Francisco, CA
7/10/2006
I'm an avid cyclist, which means there are days when I spend copious amounts of time on my bike. On a typical 5 hour bike ride, I usually start dreaming of real food, as in anything besides power bars and energy gels, somewhere around the 3 and a half hour mark. It starts simply enough... thoughts of juicy cheeseburgers begin wondering around my head. Shortly, I then start thinking "Oooh, pasta would be way better." Two minutes later, I'm salivating over sushi. By the time I take my feet off my pedals and place them on asphalt again, I'm of the mindset that anything that does not have whey protein and potassium in extra doses added to it would suit me just fine.
As a restaurant, A Tavola is very much like me after a long bike ride... it just can't seem to make up its mind. So, it tries to be good at a little of everything. And doesn't do as great of a job as I'd like. The name of the restaurant---A Tavola---would lead you to think it's Italian. A glance up at the sign above the door, in its designed-for-outdoor-seating-on-a-warm summer-night Redwood City location, states "Regional American Cuisine." Hmmm...which region? The decor is warm and reminiscent of Tuscany, but a look at the menu shows the restaurant may want to be perceived as a steak house. Rib eye, skirt steak and filet top the list. I also found one pasta dish, two fish dishes (the requisite salmon and a heavy sounding sea bass with a red wine reduction), a roast beef au jus sandwich, a cheeseburger and a New Orleans-inspired jambalaya. But then someone in the kitchen must have had an identity crisis because I also saw Asian offerings sprinkled throughout, in the form of lettuce-chicken wraps and "just who are you trying to cater to now?" steak and shrimp sushi rolls. You read that correct. Sushi rolls. A Tavola = sushi rolls? I guess if you serve "regional american cuisine" it does.
The food was good enough, but not spectacular... we settled on the grilled artichoke as an appetizer, which had a wonderful flavor but was almost drowning in olive oil, and the jambalaya, which was flavorful but just missed the delicious mark. The desert looked promising---a brownie sundae with caramel sauce and whipped cream---but the brownie was dry enough to cause us to leave a couple bites on the plate when our friendly and attentive waitress took it away at the end of the meal. On the other nights we've been there the place is buzzing with activity, but on our Sunday evening visit it was creepy slow, allowing me to get a full whiff of the bar room's lingering wet sponge smell that I detect every time I walk in the entry way.
In short, the food's decent, the scene is good, the place doesn't know what the hell it wants to serve, and if I am ever indecisive about what I want to eat after a long bike ride, I'll come back. Otherwise, I'm aiming to visit restaurants with more specific regional cuisine so I don't have to worry about how well my spicy tuna roll goes with my French onion soup.Listed in: (my former) life in the r-dub…
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Review from Melinda D.
Palo Alto, CA
8/22/2006
Although my overall dining experience wasn't better than satisfactory, this is probably my favorite restaurant in Redwood City. That said, Redwood City is not known for fine dining. Try the warm cabbage salad (enough for a lunch meal). They have a kids menu that comes with french fry appetizers and ice cream sundae desserts. On a warm day, the patio is nice, but it looks onto busy Middlefield Road.
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Review from Seong P.
3/5/2007
i met a friend for dinner and drinks and i was pleasantly surprised. i know it's gotten good yelp reviews but i wasn't expecting too much because i'd never been to downtown redwood city. i think that's where i was.
we had the polenta fries, steamed clams and the jambalaya. the polenta fries were the best. the steamed clams were good too but having just had great ones in half moon bay recently, they didn't compare. the jambalaya was on the salty side.
i also had 2 delicious drinks. the pomegranate martini and the blood orange drop. i preferred the blood orange drop because it's a little more citrus-y but both were great. nice and tart in a sugar rimmed glass. more great drinks for the summer. can't wait. -
Review from jenn w.
CA
4/20/2007
I've only been here for business lunches and really enjoy the experience. Not sure why I just don't rate them higher, but for me this is just a place I associate with business lunches and not a place I'd take my family or go on a date. But, tasty food and nice service. I like the lemonades, clams, and sandwiches.
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Review from Kevin S.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2005
Who knew? Tucked away down here in the wilds of the mid-Peninsula, there's a pretty hectic little restaurant scene on Laurel Street in San Carlos. A Tavola is probably the best of the bunch. A reasonable outdoor dining space, fairly nice interior, and some good and creative dishes. I loved my pumpkin soup and the pistachio halibut, although I have never understood the urge to put mashed potatoes under a piece of fish. The only kind of potatoes that work for me with fish are chips.
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Review from Melissa L.
Portland, OR
12/21/2006
Ate here last night, and even before we left I was thinking about how I'd rate it on Yelp. For me, this is a sign that I'm not really digging a place so much.
My impression (and the BF's) was that the place is overall a Meh.
Food wasn't bad. I had the Teriyaki-marinated Skirt Steak, which was both too sweet AND too salty. (guess I'm spoiled by my BF's excellent homemade teriyaki.) BF had the steak frites, which was tastier. The mashed potatoes that came with my skirt steak were amazingly creamy, however. Oh, and we had the calamari fry appetizer, which had some sliced pepperoncinis mixed in and a dressing of some sort poured over the top. The calamari itself wasn't as crispy as we like it, though, so again, meh.
Service was completely indifferent. We waited about 10 minutes before anyone came to take our order. We had even eaten the bread that some guy brought us before Waiter Boy ever made an appearance. And then it took him about another 10 mins just to bring us two glasses of wine. WTF?
I like the decor and vibe of this place, but it just seemed kinda impersonal. I know it may just be the waiter we ended up with, though, because I saw the waitress serving a nearby table just chatting up a storm with them.
We did NOT order dessert. -
Review from Andrenaline R.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2006
This place has goooood olive oil and bread. However, what's with just giving you one bread at a time. Can we get a bread basket? The food wasn't the greatest, but it's better than most of the foo foo restaurant I've been to. This place would be a great place for group dinners.
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Review from Kim C.
Newport Beach, CA
3/7/2007
Good food at great prices! The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, but the only weird thing is that in order to get to the hostess stand, you have to find the door on the side instead of going through what looks like the "front" of the restaurant. Other than that, everything was great. My favorites for the night were the desserts! Delicious bread pudding with a flan-like consistency and the banana cream cheesecake with english toffee. Oh so freakin good! I will definitely be coming back A LOT.
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Review from S S.
Belmont, CA
5/7/2006
A Tavola has not been on Laurel Street in San Carlos since the fire on the night of father's day 2005. It moved to Redwood City. BUT, in the same location and owned by the same group is Town which is great. Service is excellent - probably about the best casual restaurant type service around. Great steaks, great fish. Highly recommended, but it's packed. Need a res.
Haven't been to A Tavola since they moved, but it was a great place too. -
Review from m t.
Belmont, CA
9/9/2006
Would like to pressure them to get some vegetarian entrees on menu! Unconsciable to NOT have a single one in the Bay area,
for a restaurant of this style.
Beautiful setting/decor. Haven't yet had a meal here due to lack of options for vegetarians. Come on folks! It's the 21st century, you know? Will add review if I ever find food to eat. (and my hubby) -
Review from d b.
Los Altos, CA
1/23/2008
Been going here since 1999. Love the place. B+ food, A+ bread pudding (an absolute must have), A+ service. Got engaged here - it was the place of our first date - and the staff did everything to make it a perfect night.
Their kitchen burned a few years back and they moved to downtown San Carlos. -
Review from Waynele Y.
Honolulu, HI
10/14/2006
great food! i highly recommend the warm napa cabbage salad and pistachio crusted halibut --and of course the bread pudding for dessert. the best bread pudding!! their apple cobbler is also quite good. i would recommend reservations on weekends. this place gets pretty busy.
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Review from Christine R.
San Carlos, CA
9/28/2005
My husband and I visit quite frequently. A Talola is part of a chain (Nola). The service is always friendly and competent. THe food is very good with healthy proportions. They recently changed the menu and eliminated a few items so I find myself struggling somethings. But overall, this restaurant is wonderful.
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Review from Rick T.
Redwood City, CA
11/13/2006
A Tavola is usually spot on. Great bread and oil/balsamic mixture to dunk it in and then some very nice entrees. However, since moving to Redwood City they seem to have off days. Usually I get the MARINATED CHICKEN SANDWICH for lunch maybe paired with a salad. A sandwich can live or die on the bread it is served on. Usually, the bread is fresh and the meal is a hit, but every now and then something goes horribly wrong and the bread is "not so fresh." Well, friends, it all goes down hill from there. However, most of the time it's all on the up and up and a good time is had by all.
