Piatti Ristorante Bar
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
407 reviews
San Jose, CA
"I LOVE THIS PLACE! Customer service is excellent every time i go, its always clean, food is delicious, that might even be an understatement.…" read more »
58 Reviews for Piatti Ristorante Bar
I have to say that the halibut was amazing. I loved it. Paired with a bottle of pinot noir, it was perfect. Service was fantastic. Love the ambiance, high ceilings, very open and airy. I really enjoyed it here with my friends.
I know I said spaghetti factory had pasta dishes that were cooked by a first time chef...but this place is by far the worst.
My boyfriend and I came here because it's only down the street from where I live. I thought it was going to be those nice, classy, and yummy dishes. Nope. I was wrong.
There was absolutely no taste to my pasta. No richness in flavor. Service was unkind. Chairs felt uncomfortable. SooOoo high-priced.
Ugh!
Just like the other yelpers say the parking sucks big ones. But I have to say the food was delicious. I went there with some family and we ordered about 3 different plates of pasta and risotto.
Now when you first walk in, the place is kinda pretentious, but if you get over that part the food is great. I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo nice creamy Alfredo sauce the pasta was perfectly al dente, also the chicken breast were nice juicy cubes of white tender meat, I also tried the rigatoni with spicy lamb which was equally deli-sh nice hearty flavor I definitely recommend this place for a dinner date the setting is perfect to get you sum Cattywhompus
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Prices here are insane!! For the amount of food you get!? I have to say... I'm surprised how little food they serve for the high prices they charge. If it wasn't for the lack of restaurants around in this area, they would definitely not be in business...
The only redeeming thing about this restaurant is the yummy olive oil herb dip... and the all you can eat bread. The pasta portions are small and the salads are mediocre. I got the seared tuna salad which was very good but left me hungry two hours later. :(
Head over to Pasta Pomodoro on McCarthy... at least the food is cheaper and better!
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It's in Rivermark, so the parking is terrible, but I still love Piatti. It really depends on what you order, though. Stick with the pasta -- for example, the ravioli is super fresh and melts in your mouth. The bolognese sauce is also terrific, as is the oil-based dipping sauce they give you with your bread. I also liked their tomato cream soup and fried calamari (but not the smokey dipping sauce that came with it). Avoid the risotto (bland) and the non-chocolate desserts. The pizzas are so-so.
The prices are pretty high, when I think about it, but the atmosphere is so warm and the pasta is homemade and delicious, so it is worth it when you leave feeling cozy and content. The crowd can be a little pretentious sometimes -- usually couples and professionals aged 35-50 looking for a refined meal -- but I forget about everyone else the minute the bread comes out.
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A somewhat upscale Italian place frequented by mostly professionals from nearby Silicon Valley companies. Good bread coupled with a nice dipping olive oil. Portions tend to be on the smaller side, like European portions. I had the ravioli which was excellent, but it came with about eight pieces, which definitely won't satisfy anybody who is looking for an Olive Garden type restaurant. Service is attentive but not overbearing.
Good place to eat. Moderately priced. Good wine list.
Unlimited bread and olive oil-herb dip. Restaraunt is always packed. Reservations are suggested.
Parking is terrible.
Waiters are a little bit slow in their service.
If you are in for business lunch/dinner --- it is noisier inside.
I disagree with my other reviewers on the pricing. I thought pricing
and the portions served are reasonable.
This place isn't too bad. Once our server cooled down, he was pretty nice. I'm sure dealing with a group of 10+ isn't the easiest job in the world.
The food was pretty decent. I had the crab cake sandwich and the vanilla gelato and chocolate cake dessert.
No real complaints.
***EDIT***
I just found out how much my crab cake sandwich and dessert cost. It was 27 bucks! wtf! I mean it was good, but it definitely wasn't $27 bucks good. A big minus star for that. For shame!
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We went for dinner on a Wed. night. The parking lot was packed, but that seems to be how it is nowadays in the Silicon Valley. The wait staff was nice and very attentive. I woud say that the price I paid for the dish was a bit much considering I got about only 10 noodles. I was not full from the meal. It came out about 5 minutes after we ordered and my fiance didn't get his salad. They forgot to bring it out. I'm not sure if I will go back. We basically paid for a $40 meal with no drinks. A little outrageous for a meal that could satisfy two 5 year olds.
This review is actually based on 2 years ago. My boyfriend and I came here for our valentine's dinner 2 years back and had an enjoyable evening. I had ordered the crab cakes to start off with. The crab cakes were mediocre, and a bit on the small side. For our entrees, I had ordered the lobster risotto and my boyfriend ordered some kind of steak. As we sampled each others plates, we both agreed that I had the better dish. Don't get me wrong, his steak was good, but it wasn't great. Overall, I give this place 3.5 stars. The food was good, not great, and the service was average. They weren't overly attentive or nice, however they weren't horrible. All in all, I would make a return visit... (keep in mind that it's been 2 years since I've been back)
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Piatti's is an good restaurant . It is my personal destination of choice located less than 1 mile from my home. The service is great especially if you get a chance to be served by Frank or Arturo. I have noticed a change in the cooking in the last 6 months. They need to keep to an Italian menu and forget about nouveau cuisine style presentations. Also, chili flakes in the linguine with clam sauce doesn't work for me.
I was really excited when I saw this Piatti because I used to eat at the one in Sonoma before it closed. I expected to have the same wonderful food here but was very disappointed.
I had the special risotto with asparagus - it had no flavor, and salt didn't help.
My friend had the sea bass - this was awful as well.
When the waiter finally came around and asked how our meals were I couldn't lie, I told him my food wasn't good. At that point my friend felt bad to complain about her meal so she said her food was fine. She barely ate her food and didn't want a box and he didn't get the hint. The manager comped my meal and I was grateful, but after two disappointing entrees I won't be back.
I had become acquainted with Piatti first at the Roseville location for personal and the Santa Clara location for business and have always had a good experience.
This week a business partner picked Piatti for lunch and it was a good choice once again. We were a little ahead of the lunch rush at 11:30am and were seated promptly.
Ordering was a little awkward as after our server took our order, her manager within earshot of us asked her if she had told us about the specials. As she had not, she had to come back to the table and tell us about the specials while the manager hovered and picked up the specials menu of the table to show us what she was referring to. I think it could have been handled better.
I ordered the Pollo Diavolo Panini (Spicy Chicken on Ciabatta). the bread was fresh and the chicken was very tender. I really enjoyed the polenta fries which was a new concept for me. My lunch partner ordered the Strozzapretti (Twisted Rope Pasta with Italian Sausage) and seemed to enjoy his meal.
Piatti continues to be a favorite for a business meal or special occasion.
Went there for lunch with a pack of 4 and this place was pack. Thought the food should be really good with that kind of crowd and big price tag on the menu.
Unfortunately, the food is only ok and the portion is really small. We had the calamari, it was so so. Agree with one of the Yelper that the source is not to be touched. Its not edible. I had the linguine which cost $17.50 and I finish that up in 5 scoops. You can imagine how small the portion is. Had to eat the bread to fill myself up. Definitely overprice.
The server was also rushing us, not friendly. Will not go back. I can get much better food and service with $25 per head.
I've been there several times for business lunches and dinners, not because its anything special, but because there isn't much to choose from in the immediate area.
And, despite having eaten there several times, I can't for the life of me remember what I had. Nothing distinctive or especially memorable about it. Just another corporate chain right up there with Il Fornaio. Yawn!
I always thought we could skip an Italian chain restaurant that's located around Safeway. However, I was glad that I was lazy enough to want to dine there one night. Our meal was pretty much perfect. The grilled salmon was perfectly cooked. The grilled asparagus was surprisedly the spotlight of the dish. They were very very good. The other pasta dish was also good. Service was decent as well. Price was also not bad.
Does boring pasta make your palate tingle?
Do you have 'sucker' written on your forehead?
Does a wood interior, high ceilings and a fireplace, but a chill in the air, excite you?
Does flat soda make you want to get up and dance?
Piatti's will graciously charge you $15+ for a bowl of pasta you could have made better at home. (I was glad work paid for lunch.)
Back to the fireplace - it's deceiving. I mean, I like it hot - my food, my coffee, my men... but this was one chilly place - the food was steamy but the windows created such a draft, half our party was cold. The fireplace? Ambiance? Nah, the place was too open - big rooms, high ceilings, not cozy or warm feeling at all.
The food? The sandwiches looked good, the pastas were blah. My rigatoni tasted like the $0.33/box generic brand with a minimal amount of shredded lamb on top. The 'ricotta salata' in the dish was lacking as well - a few sparse shreds on top of the pasta. The dish just did not look appetizing. It tasted okay but was lacking in every component but the pasta itself.
I will say the pappardelle did look good with shrimp, zucchini etc.
The apps - prosciutto: "the other white meat. part 3" had more fat than meat (is it supposed to be like this?) and the baked goat cheese was a disappointment - why breadcrumbs on top? and the tapenade with it did nothing. An after thought perhaps?
Everything is a la carte - so pay $15-22 for your entree and then tack on $6 for a caesar salad... the twisted rope pasta with sausage looked rancid but maybe that's your thing.
I'm sure some people like this place.
But people like Mcdonalds too.
Everyone has their own standards.
You can decide for yourself.
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I was thrilled when my boss suggested this place for our staff lunch since our lunch trifecta is usually Round Table, Round Table, and more Round Table.
We started with a round of apps. The melanzane with mozzarella sounded great on the menu but was lackluster. So was the fried calamari (the dipping sauce needed more of a kick). Also tired? The canellini bean salad hardly anyone touched accompanying the pancetta wrapped shrimp.
I chose the Strozzapretti - twisted rope pasta with sausage, cauliflower, in a cream sauce. This sucker was almost completely inedible - it was a mess of bread crumb/Parmesan clumps with a horrible taste. It looked unappetizing as well. My co-worker asked me how my lunch tasted, and I said, "Pretty bad." She said, "It looks it, too." Then she asked another co-worker (who didn't hear us) who ordered the same dish how his was and he said "Pretty good." To each his own I guess. (I'm right though! Do you hear me? Right!!!)
I guess it goes without saying that for $15 (!!!) for this turd of an entree it totally wasn't worth the price. Generally I feel like Piatti should suffer even more in their ratings given their prices. (I should say that service was good though.)
My Crema Catalana (creme brulee) was better than everything else I tried, but I still wouldn't order it again.
Possible Hopeful Things About Piatti's for the future:
-Nice window-filled room with a fire place for private parties
-Sandwiches ($10 for a portobello sandwich and polenta fries or salad and my co-worker really liked hers)
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"Hold onto your stuff here - or you'll lose your valuables too!"
(see notes below)
We've been here many times and I've always liked the atmosphere. If you're concerned about price, go at lunch. Always has been worthy of at least three stars when we've been here before.....
Now for the edited/updated review:
The waiter wasn't listening to me at all, was sometimes hard to get service, the butternut squash soup and Misti salad are good as alwayse and this time the chef didn't realize that pork tenderloin is supposed to be a bit charred on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. Now it was ok not bad - just not great and just not up to the usual par.
We have their nice dessert, avoiding the usual tiramissu and the chocolate desserts.
Now here's where it gets UGLY.
We live right around the corner. We leave, realize that we forgot our nice jazzy, tiny digital camera that fits in a pocket yet takes these awesome pics. WIth well over 100 pics that haven't been downloaded. Ugh!
Panic hasn't set in as I realize it's only been minutes, there's more staff than customers on this Sunday night and that we sit near the back of the restaurant where its dark (because some of the lights didn't work - not due to intended ambiance).
Besides no customers have walked by and there's only the staff.
So I'm greeted by my waiter and the manager as my gal's already on the phone with them... No camera, No real strong intent to find the camera. It's got to be in either the bus person's pocket or perhaps our waiter's pocket.
So of course I get at best a half hearted effort and he asks if it is in my car, if she's taken it to the bathroom. Yes, that's right the bathroom's nice, but not that nice!
Update.. only after three emails to the manager and an email to their corp office in Mill Valley do I get a reply from Parviz, the manager. He's sorry that we "lost" our camera and that he can't "accuse my staff."
Bottom Line: Someone got a nice digital camera, they didn't care to help us much at all and I doubt we're going back again.
So it's hard to give Piatti's the usual three stars.
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Restaurant gets 2 stars. Unless you get the wood fired pizzas or a simple pasta, the rest of the dishes are low quality, tasteless or too expensive for what you get.
However, I give the bar 4 stars. It's a cool place to grab a drink and split some appetizers. We often sit on the couches and eat appetizers for dinner because we were dissapointed by the dinner entrees a few times.
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**Update 10/25/07**
We've sent numerous e-mails and called the management regarding the retrival of our digital camera. Now - it's not about the camera, it's about the pictures that we didn't have a chance to download before the camera went missing. We've asked for the cameras return with no questions asked, but no response from the general management.
I'm very disappointed and sad that the pictures on the camera are lost as they were pictures of my family celebrating my nephew's 8th birthday.
I'm still perplexed as to the dishonesty of their staff. The night we went, there were few people in the restaurant - I would say that there were more wait staff than there were customers. Our table was pretty secluded and away from the other patrons (after all it we were celebrating our anniversary - we wanted to be cozy!). The only people who would know that we had a camera were the waiter and the bus person.
Moral of the story here: If you go to Piatti's - Don't bring valuables or things you cherish as you may never be able to retrieve them again.
We won't be returning to this restaurant and if I could take the star off, I would. What a shame - when they first opened, they were really good.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
10/21/07
Well, I wanted to say some nice things about this place. We went here for our anniversary dinner. The ambiance is nice. The waiter was a bit absent minded as he kept wanting to clear off the dishes even though my b/f kept on telling the waiter that he was still eating off his dish.
The meals we ordered were ok. The butternut squash soup was the best part. The pork tenderloin was a bit over grilled.
The worst part is that we left our digital camera there. We didn't discover that it was missing until we got home. I called the restaurant, they claimed they looked, but it was nowhere to be found. My b/f went back to the restaurant (we don't live far from Rivermark) to look - but couldn't find it either. Ok - we know we had it (we took a couple of pictures), but didn't leave with it - makes you kinda suspicious, right?
It kinda gives you a feeling deep in your gut that something's not right. I don't want to point fingers - but there were few patrons at the restaurant this evening. I know where I had the camera, we just left without it...so where could it have gone within a span of 15-20 minutes?
We're following up with the general manager, but I think that my camera is gone. Too bad - it's just not the camera, but I had some pictures that were taken during some family gatherings that can't and won't be duplicated ever again.
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I went for lunch with colleagues, service was notable, cuisine could use improvement in the freshness department.
I consider the decor to be confused, it's an Italian restaurant with a western wood theme going on.
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SHORT & SWEET: good but busy lunch spot for local tech crowd; quiet for dinner; nice bar area with sports on a flat panel; menu has improved over time, but still limited in selections; great appetizers, try the risotto balls; good but not exceptional pastas; medium portions; uncomfortable chairs; young and sometimes inefficient wait staff; great management; parking tough in Rivermark mall during lunch.
Note-this review is based on the bar***
Great service, nice ambiance, but difficulty finding parking easily at RiverMark. Before heading out on a Saturday night, I was looking for something light. I have never been to this joint, and it was on the way to the bank. I know...I am not sure if I would have come in if It would not have been for my cousin. We entered and sat at that the bar. It was not full, but we decided to be "special." Ordered the butternut squash soup with creme fresh and a Caesar salad. Salad was huge, and salad was very fresh. Loved loved the warm bread served prior to the meal. Our waitress was friendly and very attentive. For what I had, it was great and the calamari that was served next to me smelled so good that I would come back again.
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When this place first opened up, it was really nice, with good food.
Been a long time since that's been true.
Ever have soggy pizza?
How about hard ravioli?
Or wilted lettuce?
All this can be yours, you just have to show.
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Portions a joke and so-so service. With the price I paid for a meal there I could have had a much better and hearty meal many other places.
I ordered the salmon, and spinich/cheese ravioli, husband the chicken all entrees were nothing to really mention. Food quality was OK but not worth the prices on the menu.
Will not go again.
I've been here several times, and I've been disappointed each and every experience. The ambiance and decor are nice, increasing your expectations for great service or some great food.
All the dishes I've had here are plain, not to mention extremely pricey. Portion sizes aren't huge either, albeit they are not small. Service is okay, but it's never great or with enthusiasm. If you're in the mood for pasta, you're better off going to Pasta Pomodoro.
The times I've been there, it has been extremely crowded during lunch since there aren't a lot of places to eat in the area. Also, if you get there late, parking is near impossible to find.
My take - pass on this place and eat somewhere else... the only saving grace is that the ambiance is nice and it is clean. Save your money and appetite for somewhere else.
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The hubster and I went here for a quick dinner on his b-day. We had a really good experience. The food was tasty and at the righ temp. I ordered some beef and asked for medium well (since most places tend to over cook their meat). Well, of course this is one of those times when the place makes it perfectly medium well, which is a little too bloody for my liking. So I asked th waitress if they would mind cooking it for minute more and with no problem she took the plate away. The thing that really stands out in my mind is that instead of recooking my meat (hahaha that sounds funny in my head) they made me an entirely new plate. (Sorry I can't remember exactly what my dish was called so that's why I keep referring to it as my piece of meat.) I also had the almond cake thing for dessert and it was amazing. His meal was wonderful as well. Hubster didn't like the chocolate torte dessert. It tasted like a flourless chocolate cake and those never taste good. The only thing that I would suggest is that they should have a couple more 'regular' food options, for regular people like me.
My gf hates that I strongly like this place!
I can see that it's hit and miss, though. I've gone twice and both times, the carpaccio (pan fried capers = awesome), appetizer bread (YUM! CRISP!), espresso and house white wine have been fantastic.
As for the pizza... I had the margarita pizza both times and the first time it was pretty good and the second time the cheese was way too salty. Like, send it back salty. I tried pawning it on my garbage disposal friend and even he didn't want it.
The service was always good.
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Okay so we had a large party at the last minute... Between Red Robbin and Baja Fresh this was the best choice... Also, I got 100 pt on opentable.com.... However, I'll never go back here or recommend anyone to go there. If their food was to die for, it's a different store.. But you can't really go wrong with sandwiches, pizza, and pasta.
We had a party of 10 people for co-workers birthday. It was the worst service we had... When one of my engineer said she wasn't ready to order, she just walked away ... WTF, shouldn't she just move on to the next person? We ended up flagging another wait staff to get our waitress for us.... When she was taking our order, I told her we had to hurry as we had to go back to work... In to her one ear, and out the other... She never even came back to check up on us.... We had to ask for the bill, and I had to walk our check to the hostess... Good thing she had the large party so 18% tax was already added on to our bill... What a joke... If it was for her performance, we would have given her 5%....
I love their dipping sauce.
The menu selection isn't that great so based on what I had to choose from, my dishes were average.
Okay place to go for a lunch as long as you are not paying.
Nice decor inside, packed with people at lunch. Food is decent but way overpriced. Salads were $7.50-12.50, sandwiches were $10-$13, main entrees incl pizza were $12-20. My spicy chicken panini sandwich was a small sandwich and came with a small side salad. Bread and olive oil with vinegar were tasty. Service was good and friendly when the waitress came by but on occasion she was hard to find.
Parking is a nightmare in the Rivermark plaza around lunch.
Bottom line: Okay place with nice decor to go on a company lunch on someone else's dime but the food is nothing extraordinary. For these prices I could have a much better food at a place like Birk's for lunch.
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The decor is good, the menu seems great but the food is never as good as you hope. Often bland and just plain bad. On a positive note, the bread and oil spread is very good!
Overpriced below average Italian food. I think they try to mask it with the nicer atmosphere and white tablecloths. Just go down the way to Tomatina instead if you want a good meal, but they do have a better ambiance here.
I give this restaurant a FIVE. To me, it is the best Italian food ever
I would recommend Piatti's to anyone. The service is good. the food is good. everything is good!
A definite YES!
I just had lunch here and it was so horrible, I had to write a review.
The restaurant's ambiance is ok: they have wood tables, no tableclothes - although this goes with their theme, they should really take the time to wipe the tables. My table was so sticky that when I accidently brushed my nail against it, I had a fingernail full of black grease.
POSITIVES: The service and food came out timely because there were only 2 other tables in there. The free bread w/ oil & vinegar was delicious.
NEGATIVES: I had the meatball & chicken w/ pasta. This huge plate came out but the portion was kids' size. The pasta was ONE LAYER! The meat was tasteless and the whole dish was bland with only the taste of creme. My bf had the risotto which came out looking like porridge. Although it had a little more flavor, it was only salt that I could taste. My friends had a sandwich and pizza. The portobello mushroom pizza consisted of: a crust so thin that it was falling apart, no chesse, burnt crust, and a few 4" slices of mushroom - they couldn't even cut it so that it would be spread evenly.
None of us finished our meals even though we were hungry because the food was THAT BAD. We spent the whole lunch time trying to keep our food down and wanting to get burgers from the McDonald's around the corner. 4 terrible items = $66
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Yikes! ... claims to use organic produce ...
... another american italian restaurant chain with super sized servings ... i noticed this is a favorite among Silicon Valley Sales Reps, where they take their SEs and techie customers ...
i have been dragged to this grease_bomb_joint by a few of my Sales Reps in the past ..
i guess this restaurant does perfectly match the stereotypical Sales Rep ..(note, competent Sales Reps, are not included in this generalization) ... loud-mouthed, greased-ball hair, sleak talk and walk, talks a lot, breaths a lot, but says really nothin' ...
buon apetito, guido!
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It gets two stars only because it is really nice inside and clean. If they could actually cook Italian food, that would help. I was only there once, and never going back.
I had a seafood pasta, my companion some veal. Pasta and sauce just did not taste good. Veal was like leather. What kind of Italians are these?
Service was ok, nothing great. That about sums it up.
Since it is a chain, I wonder if the managers ever come in and see what junk they are serving. Needs major help in the kitchen.
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Only good thing about this restaurant is its interior.
Food was terrible. Service was also terrible. Pork chop was very small, and dry. Steak was not even steak - it's a chewy cheap meat, and they put weired sauce all over to hide the meat. The bread was not even an Italian bread. I thought they ran to Safeway next door and bought the meat and bread. Worst experience. DO NOT EAT THERE, if you want to be safe.
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An all around disappointing experience. We probably should have guessed from the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, but we chalked that up to it still being early in the evening. We chose the restaurant because we had just moved to the bay area and looking for a restaurant that makes good Ossobucco (a favorite dish of ours from Boston). While the restaurant's online menu and menu by their door indicated they served Ossobucco, we were disappointed to discover no Ossobussco on the menu when we sat down. The server attempted to assure us they had an alternate dish that was prepared the same way but with short rib instead of veal. Sounded reasonable, but the meat was dry and tasteless and was yet another disappointment. My fiancee had the lasagna whose description was elaborate and sounded intriguing but in reality tasted worse than microwavable lasagna. The description included beef, spinach, mushrooms, and grilled prosciutto. In the actual dish, the only thing recognizable was some bland beef. Mushrooms, prosciutto, and spinach (no greens whatsoever) were nowhere to be found. To add insult to injury, we found their water to be disgusting. Tasted metallic and was undrinkable. This is definitely a restaurant we will not be returning to again.
