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La Vela Ristorante
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
373 Amsterdam Ave(between 77th St & 78th St)
New York, NY 10024
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
(212) 877-7818
- Nearest Transit:
-
79 St (1, 2)
72 St (1, 2, 3)
81 St - Museum of Natural History (A, B, C)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 12 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
We are one of the longest running restaurants in Columbus Circle with the best haute Northern Italian cuisine on the upper west side. Gabriel's Bar &… read more »
42 reviews for La Vela Ristorante
Review Highlights
"This was a great Upper West side Neighborhood find."
(in 5 reviews)
"Brick walls, open windows to the sidewalk-cozy."
(in 3 reviews)
"The red sauce is fantastic."
(in 3 reviews)
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42 reviews in English
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Review from ted s.
Manhattan, NY
11/25/2011
Very good food. Comfortable atmosphere. Friendly owner and overall, just a reliable local spot. Great for visiting in-laws who want a nice meal, good bottle of wine and a cozy locale.
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Review from Anna R.
12/3/2011
A solid lunch at a neighborhood spot. Came here after visiting the overhyped American Natural History Museum and it was a good place to decompress.
Our son had his favorite pasta with pesto and my husband and I leisurely shared carpaccio, pasta delicioso, and a chicken dish.
I would have given a four star rating, but I could tell the chicken was a day old and they just reheated it from the night before. Chicken doesn't really keep. -
Review from Michael L.
New York, NY
12/31/2011
When I found out they offered handmade fresh pasta I had to try some. I ordered the papparadelle funghi and a veal saltimbocca for a protein component via seamless web. The Veal was decent with a nice garlicy flavor and it came with a medley of vegetables or a side of spaghetti. The pasta was underwhelming. None of the flavors actually meshed well and it needed more of a sauce instead of random tomato, olives and mushroom. A creamy sauce wouldve put it together better. A waste to see potential like that get wasted. Will probably not order from again.
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Review from Mike O.
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here for dessert last Saturday evening. We were nearly hustled out the door when the servers realized there was no one in the restaurant this late in the evening. So ha. Our server got back at me when I ordered a digestif and commented wryly, "Here is your dessert, sir." It's all in good fun! The desserts my company and I did share were fantastic. A cheesecake and something chocolate, I'm sorry the digestif clouds my memory. I like nice places that are nicely empty. Come here late for dessert, or what have you.
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Review from Andre C.
Manhattan, NY
12/3/2011
It was a long day and we wanted to order some Italian food from a place nearby. We went online and searched for a few places, finally decided on La Vela. Lets just say we should of continued searching. Not only was the food bland, but i spent the entire nite regretting it. Will never order from that place again and really advise people to stay away, unless your looking to lose some pounds!
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Review from Sandee L.
6/7/2011
I was invited to attend my roomie's birthday dinner here with her friends and fam.
Between the 10 of us, we had an eclectic medly of food. We shared the calamari fritti which was perfect. Light, crisp and fresh - The way it should be! I had the saltimbocca (veal scaloppini with proscuitto) and it was very good.
The waitstaff was very attentive. The restaurant itself is very cute and cozy. -
Review from jessie n.
Missouri City, TX
11/6/2011
You know you in a good Italian restaurant when the pasta is coming out fresh! Will come back again
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Review from Scott Y.
South Plainfield, NJ
3/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I actually ate at La Vela quite some time ago, but I remember my meal pretty clearly. The reason that I remember my meal so clearly is the same as the reason that I have waited so long to write this review. My meal was very curious, and I wanted to give La Vela another shot before reviewing them. I'm moving out of the neighborhood soon, however. Since I barely have time to hit my regular restaurants one last time, I doubt that I'll find time to revisit La Vela. So when Yelp reminded me that I hadn't reviewed La Vela with that little box in the upper right hand corner of the screen, I figured it was in the stars.
Here's the deal, I had a spinach fettuccine in a bolognese sauce. What was curious about the meal was the dichotomy of impressive and disappointing. The actual spinach pasta was amazing. It was a homemade fettuccine that had a great taste and texture. The meat in the bolognese seemed to be pretty high quality; but the meat and especially the sauce were very bland.
I feel like maybe I just caught them on a bad day, seasonings-wise. Either way, the homemade pasta was definitely worth the trip. -
Review from Vanessa A.
New York, NY
10/5/2011
Came in only for drinks. The drinks were great nice and strong but 4 drinks came out to $53 dollar. SOOO that wasnt so cool BUT they did the job and got us nice and saucy!
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Review from Scott B.
Manhattan, NY
10/8/2011
This was a great Upper West side Neighborhood find. The food was great, menu could have a bit more variety however. Service was excellent and this was extremely family friendly... They reserved a special table that was elevated in the back of the restaurant so our children can roam without bothering others...
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Review from Carla p.
New York, NY
11/21/2010
I love pasta so much, so pretty much any Italian restaurant is okay in my book.
I was underwhelmed by La Vela, but not in a bad way. We sat down. We ordered food. Prices were average. The server brought it in a normal amount of time. My penne a la vodka was yummy. My pino noir was yummy. We ate the food. We left.
The menu actually seemed pretty creative but I sort of panicked and just ordered the penne a la vodka.
It was good. You can go. I will probably find another place next time. But you can go. -
Review from Nina S.
Calabasas, CA
10/5/2011
On a recent trip to New York, I discovered this wonderful restaurant. I'm giving it four stars not just for the food, which is very good, but for the overall experience - great service, friendly, warm and lively atmosphere. We'll definitely return the next time we visit Manhattan!
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Review from Pamela S.
6/30/2011
It was a warm summer evening, I was in search of a quick bite before a play at 2nd Stage Uptown, and the open-air storefront and dim interior of La Vela beckoned me. The orecchiette, served with broccoli rabe and sundried tomato, was appealingly simple; the garlic and broccoli rabe were plentiful, the little ears sufficiently al dente. While my glass of chianti, which was essentially table wine, was overpriced at $9, it still proved to be a pleasant meal in pleasant surroundings.
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Review from Lindsay K.
New York, NY
1/14/2007
I am really on the fence as to whether or not to award La Vela three or four stars. My boyfriend and I wandered up Amsterdam looking for something very specific. It was almost 11pm on a Saturday night, and we wanted to drink (and eat, I guess) at a quiet, romantic place with a calm, moody ambiance. La Vela was perfect. It's a classic red sauce Italian restaurant with red and white checked table clothes, candle lit tables, and over sized framed Italian posters. It was nearly 11, and we were told we would only have an hour to eat if we were willing to be slightly rushed.
We ordered two easy pasta dishes, assuming they would arrive quickly so we would have time to eat. Unfortunately, the bread was generic, thick and chewy (Ah, so I guess that's the deciding factor for 3 stars). The food arrived within 10 minutes, and we were really pleased with our steaming hot pasta dishes. My Pennea Alla Vodka wasn't as heavy and creamy as it is typically served, yet it was delightfully flavorful and robust-- a solid representation. My boyfriend's Fettuccine Deliziose with artichokes and prosciutto was satisfyingly thick and rich. Our bottle of Chilean Cabernet was a bit too fruity for my taste, but definitely a drinkable red.
Points for the old Italian woman who seated us and eyeballed us the entire time until we asked for the check. Well afterall, we had been warned. -
Review from Josh F.
Long Island City, NY
10/25/2009
Prior reviews of La Vela perfectly illustrate the critic's conundrum. Just as Rudy's on 9th avenue is a perfect dive bar but a horrible bar in the grand scheme, so is La Vela a good neighborhood bar. It is not Babbo, but does that mean it deserves two stars? How does one frame a review?
One way is to attempt to analyze what the restaurant wants to be. Is the wine list long and pretentious? Do the waiters go a bit overboard? Is the china fine? The glass hand blown?
In La Vela's case, the lists of wines and entress are short. The decor is suitable but not especially refined. The wait staff is competent and pleasant. By the standards La Vela sets, it accomplishes its goals. It is a good and probably dependable restaurant. In the larger frame -- by which I mean in the grand scheme of Italian restaurants -- La Vela is mid-tier. It is neither an exceptional cheap place nor a good expensive place...somewhere in between.
The portobello mushroom appetizer was bland. One expects a juicy mushroom but these were blah. The Pollo Al' Forno was good: tender, lightly breaded and well sauced. My guests and I were also well sauced. The wine list is short but good.
The Fettuccine Deliziose (white fettuccine with sauteed baby artichokes, prosciutto, a light cream tomato sauce) was very good.
The chocolate mousse was also extremely good; exactly what one wants out of this dish. The coffee I received was terrible. It was towards the end of the night and tasted as if it had been made in the morning. I sent it back and ordered a cappuccino, which was fine.
Our large group spent $70 a piece and that was with several bottles of wine. I did not consider the food terribly expensive, but the place is hardly a bargain, either. I would not seek this place out, but if I lived in the neighborhood I would not hesitate to stop by. -
Review from Anna L.
5/4/2007
I've actually never eaten there but I order via seamlessweb several times a month. The rigatoni bolognese is my favorite but the other dishes are top notch as well. My fave upper west side italian restaurant.... may even beat Pomodoro in my book....
**6/8/08 i've gotten delivery here many times but last night i went to the actual restaurant... it must've been around 930'ish... the food was even better right out of the kitchen. service was great. i'd go back again. confirmed that it's better in my book than pomodoro -
Review from Jamie M.
New York, NY
5/19/2009
eh. I was very underwhelmed. Kind of pricey, as to be expected in Manhattan, and just alright. For $30 i had a demi bottle of presseco and a chicken dish. The chicken was pretty good, it was a nice size portion of the chicken but the sides were a little skimpy; one red potato cut in thirds and a few veggies.
It is certainly nothing to travel for but if you're in the neighborhood it'll do the job. -
Review from Scott R.
11/18/2007
There's so much Italian food in the city that there's little reason to settle for mere competency. Well, except when you're ordering in and only some Italian places are up on SeamlessWeb.
I've done La Vela twice through SeamlessWeb and I've been 1/2 pleased both times.
The first time I went with Mozzarella Caprese and Penne alla Vodka. The Mozzarella Caprese was solid but the Penne alla Vodka was no real better than I could've done with store-bought pasta and sauce.
The second time I went with the Mista Salad and Orecchiette Baresi w/ broccoli rabe, sundried tomatoes, sausage, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. I hated the Mista Salad (the vinaigrette was awful) but liked the pasta dish - the orecchiete was just ok but the broccoli rabe, sausage, and sun dried tomatoes made for a nice combo.
Prices are affordable and delivery is prompt.
Not a place I'll probably visit but I'll keep it in consideration when getting delivery. -
Review from Tom M.
4/1/2008
My fiancee and I used get dinner here often when I lived in Manhattan. I don't like many restaurants in Manhattan, this is an exception.
Unlike so many restaurants in Manhattan, it is not cramped. Plenty of room and nice atmosphere inside. The red sauce is fantastic. -
Review from Jimmy L.
Bayside, NY
2/10/2009
Service was not as good as I would have liked. The only visits we got from our waitress was to take our order and to give us our checks.
If the food was any worse, I would have easily given this place 1 star. -
Review from James P.
Austin, TX
10/18/2009
Looking for a wonderful atmosphere? Let's see... cozy, warm, charming. Oooh, even a bit artsy. If this is your top priority, visit La Vela and have a cup of coffee. Maybe a glass of water. What the hell, get some wine.
But if you are planning on eating, drink a couple of bottles of wine first. I'm not sure I've had such a sad meal in months. It wasn't bad, just taste-free. My companion got the ravioli swimming in a bland tomato sauce; I had some kind of pasta with a bolognese sauce. My sauce was bland but at least had clumps of a taste-free meat-like substance.
Perhaps the best strategy would be to enjoy a romantic glass of wine then stop off at Zabars and get some takeout Italian. -
Review from Jay O.
Brooklyn, NY
9/23/2011
There was a piece of metal in my food and I didn't realize it until I felt in my mouth. Unfortunately, I will probably order from here again because my boyfriend loves their veal scaloppini.
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Review from E and A P.
Manhattan, NY
9/25/2011
So many great Italian restaurants in this city, Why did I have to walk into this one? Poor to average food with less than average service. Keep walking.
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Review from Vanessa S.
New York, NY
3/22/2009
A nothing than an ordinary Italian restaurant on the upper west side, with a nice croud to enjoy a meal with. I went there to meet up with friends I haven't seen in a long time, it was a nice place to catch up.
I had the Ravioli al Pomodoro, which is stuffed with spinach and cheese in tomato basil sauce, it was satifying but for the amount I got wasn't good with price of $12, I dont think it cost them $2 a ravioli to make it. -
Review from Alisha G.
New York, NY
3/19/2011
Solid neighborhood Italian food, but not greatest service.
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Review from Josh W.
New York, NY
1/19/2008
Pleasantly surprised at this Upper West Side Italian spot. I was complaining to my girlfriend prior to walking in that 99% of Italian restaurants in the city are terrible. Thankfully this didnt deliver on that theme. The only downside to the experience was the Mozzarella Caprese - it was terrible, dont waste your time. Thin, sad looking tomatoes and Mozzarella that seemed to just come from the corner store.
The calamari on the other hand and the accompanying sauce was done nicely and the two pasta dishes we had were very nice. The Pappardelle ai Funghi dish was done nicely with a wide assortment of mushrooms and an interesting creme-like sauce. The only complaint here is the goat cheese was obviously scooped out and just 'plopped' on the dish.
My girlfriend had the Fettucine Deliziose which was also very good, no complaints here. The sauce was the highlight of the dish. Its obvious that the sauces are homemade here and the pasta seems homemade as well.
No major complaints, if you find yourself in need of Italian that delivers while in the neighborhood, I do not think you can go wrong with La Vela. -
Review from Marshall H.
New York, NY
2/13/2009
Borderline 3 stars, but I just can't do it. If I lived nearby, I might order delivery from here. Dining here was just sort of... bland. Don't get me wrong -- I wasn't unhappy or disappointed. I just kind of expect better these days. It's not like I just moved to Manhattan... there are just so many restaurants to choose from (especially Italian restaurants) that La Vela is somewhat boring. At least it wasn't expensive.
It's very homey... the red & white checked tablecloths contribute to this, and the staff made us feel at home. The service was good (not great) but I felt there were probably more waitresses/busboys than were necessary, although you can't really complain about that... it was just a little weird. The atmosphere was a little dull, despite a great space since it was so large and open, and the brick walls were a good touch. It wasn't bad for a dinner date since we didn't really care where we ate as long as it wasn't too pricey (i.e. going out afterwards was more important). I saw this place as more of a family restaurant.
Food-wise it was nothing to write home about. Not even a postcard. Pretty standard options, but nothing I'd order again. I won't be coming back here simply because it's not worth the trip across town... but like I said if I lived nearby I'd consider ordering delivery. -
Review from Berkley W.
New York, NY
2/25/2011
A solid menu, always friendly staff, fresh food and good wine. Sometimes even meet interesting people. Highly recommend for a straight up Italian restaurant.
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Review from Haley S.
1/28/2008
A friend of mine took me here to dinner for my birthday. The calamari was yummy, and not too flimsy. I had an orrichette with Broccoli Rabe and sundried tomatoes that was pretty good - not the best I've ever had, but totally decent. My friend had a pasta with mushrooms that she seemed to enjoy. However when we ordered the frutti di bosco for dessert (and this one of my fave desserts!), it arrived still frozen! I get that not every restaurant can make desserts on sight but at least defrost it!
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Review from Lady R.
New York, NY
10/28/2010
If zero stars were an option, i would have chosen that, although i suppose 1 star for dim lighting and quiet could be appropriate since we did appreciate the atmosphere at the time.
We wandered into this place on our way home thinking to get a nice bite to eat before settling down for the evening. (in retrospect, being the only customers at prime dining hours should have been a tip-off to go find someplace else) After one glass of wine, an underwhelming serving of calamari with bland watery tomato sauce (i was putting salt on every bite just to get some flavor) and two tolerable entrees, we departed the still empty restaurant and went home...
...fast forward 2 hours later and i'm hugging the toilet as though my very life depends on it's porcelain stability (i thought those days ended with the diploma?), while the man is impossibly patient waiting for his turn. rinse, repeat.
will not be going back there again, after years of dining in new york (and his lifetime of living here) this is by far the worst experience we have ever encountered
diners be warned -
Review from argen t.
Surprise, AZ
Updated - 10/4/2009
Our AZ family requested NY Italian, so we brought them here. Every dish was a culinary delight, with the variety ranging from alfredo to black pasta to broiled salmon, with the best gnocchi they ever had. There was no veal parm on the menu, but there was no problem requesting it and getting one of the best we've tasted. The wines we chose this time were fabulous and the desserts divine. Love this place, what can I say.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/21/2009
My wife and I came in for dinner before a Paul Simon concert at the Beacon. We had a reservation for… Read more »
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Review from Diana B.
New York, NY
9/28/2006
Nice nabe Italian place.
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Review from Jillian N.
New York, NY
9/14/2009
I was excited to find this place because I was on the hunt for a restaurant with an item on the menu that included alfredo sauce (or some equally delicious white cheese sauce). I also loved this place because it was laid back and elegant at the same time - casual without being tacky. Something about the red checkered table cloths always wins me over - and the gnocchi was delicious!
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Review from C L.
Amawalk, NY
7/25/2010
I am a huge fan of this restaurant, having eaten there around 30 times in the past four years. And I don't even live in NYC.
Without a doubt, this restaurant has the best risotto I have ever eaten. I have it every time I go there. I did have pasta once, which was okay, but not as good as the risotto. (If you are looking for really good pasta, you might try Al Dente up the street two blocks at 80th.)
I believe that you can tell the quality of a restaurant by the quality of its bread, which is very good.
The salads are always very fresh as well.
This restaurant is my "go to" restaurant on the UWS. -
Review from Eduardo V.
Playa Del Rey, CA
4/4/2010
Best gnocchi in the UWS, flavor but mainly consistency are simply to die for, we have been there often and almost any of their pasta dishes have been great. If Cristian the bartender is there, make sure to ask for the jalapeño margarita, very interesting brew. The service seems a little grumpy at times, which is why I am not giving it 5 stars
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Review from Terri V.
Manhattan, NY
4/27/2009
We do lunch here occasionally. It's a nice neighborhood spot. Our waitress Femawn (sp?) is always great....friendly and attentive! Food has always been good here. Better than cooking at home and cleaning up, I always say.....
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Review from Rayad A.
Queens, NY
12/13/2009
I went to La Vela for my surprise birthday lunch and it was great. We were the only table in there (it was about 3 PM) and my friend made reservations and ordered the wine with food before we got there so the food came out fast. Our waitress had us in mind for our entire stay there. It was not over the top in any way and very relaxing.
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Review from Hamid H.
New York, NY
2/17/2008
Me, my friends and my visiting family went there twice within one week. First time we were just tired of looking and choosing so we dropped in just because. The place was half full but filled up to packed within half an hour. The service was good, the atmosphere was friendly and the veal risotto was belissimo...repeat visits expected
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Review from Chinku G.
Hicksville, NY
1/13/2006
This is a great anytime place. If you're craving italian and want a casual, comfortable place this is the place to go. Nice menu, and the staff will alter anything to your liking i.e., chicken instead of veal.
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Review from Alysia A.
New York, NY
11/7/2009
I have never had such terrible service (and bland food) in a restaurant before. In all my years of dining for pleasure and on business travel all around the country and the world, I have never seen anything like it.
First, I want it to be known that I signed up for yelp just to write this review - it was THAT bad. My date and I first ordered a bottle of wine at the bar while waiting for a table. I ask the bartender for a recommendation to which she immediately points to an Italian red wine. The only question I ask is, "Is the wine dry?" to which she says "No, not at all." So of course the bottle turns out to be very dry.
I think, no problem - I can deal with the wine since we're about to sit down for what we were hoping to be a good meal.
We should've known better when the waitress started to take our order. She wanted to give us a few minutes to look over the menu but since we had already been reading it over for 15 minutes, we said that we were ready. Once we ordered our two appetizers, she seemed to be in a rush and said that she can come back to take the order for the entrees. Once again, I said that we were ready to order. So she was kind enough to stay and take our entrees (wait, isn't that her job?).
The appetizers came, the calamari and the sausage and polenta. The calamari itself was decent but the tomato sauce was so bland. It tasted like something that came out of a can. We literally kept adding salt and pepper but never got it to taste like there was any flavor. I can't speak for the sausage but my date said that it was ok - not great but not bad. Then came the pastas - stuffed mushroom ravioli and stuffed seafood pasta. We immediately dove in, being starving at this point. After the first two bites, we looked at each other and asked how each other's pasta was. So we switched plates and agreed that both pastas had no taste. We actually called the waitress over to let her know that we needed more seasoning and did she have some tabasco sauce? She came back a few minutes later with a bottle that must've been about 5 years old - there was dust all over it and the worst kind of dust - sticky with grease. She seemed embarrassed to hand it over and after I made a face upon touching it, she said something and grabbed it back. I thought oh good, she's going to bring a bottle that's perhaps less than 5 years old. Nope - she had merely wiped off the greasy dust with a napkin and brought back the same bottle. At this point, we're beyond hungry and want to just dive into food - food with flavor. So we just doused it with tabasco sauce but after another 2 bites, we decided that we needed to talk to the manager.
She came over and was even more rude than the waitress. After explaining for why the mushroom ravioli is supposed to be bland (something about the walnut absorbing all the flavor), she agreed to let my date order a new dish to replace the seafood pasta. The way she explained the food as if we were crazy and the fact that she and the waitress never at one point apologized, is what really annoyed us. We were so turned off at this point that my date didn't order a replacement dish and left after paying the bill. We ended up picking up some cheese pizza on the way home.
I can accept bland food but receiving decent service is non-negotiable. Both the waitress and the manager made us feel like complete snobs for complaining about the food. They need to be better about dealing with unhappy customers. It really is a shame because being new to the neighborhood, we were looking for a decent Italian restaurant to frequent.
