Scopello

 

0

4

michael s.

Brooklyn, NY

$40 for two edible but entirely unremarkable pasta entrees and an airplane meal level mixed green salad. Mediocre would be generous in describing the food and when you add to that the extreme over-pricing the whole experience left me feeling ripped off and a bit queasy. There are five restaurants within a stones throw of it that have better food at better prices (including the deli next door.)

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Elite '08

57

74

Tina M.

Brooklyn, NY

A friend and I stumbled in here by accident and I couldn't have been more happily surprised by what a great meal and overall experience we had.
First of all, my friend is a wine expert, and he immediately spotted a great white wine he'd had before on the list. Yay for having a good wine list!
We shared the grilled squid salad to start with, and I wasn't even in the MOOD for squid. In fact I was kind of dreading it. It was amazing! So much so that my friend and I played the polite game of "no, YOU can have the last bite."
The bread is obviously freshly made, still warm from the oven, yummy, with a nice good quality olive oil for dipping. The entrees were great - I got the linguine with white clam sauce. The clams were fresh and plump, I was so happy.
The other awesome thing is the service. Hilariously they speak in a quiet mumble so you can never hear what they're saying and you have to just guess at it. "Cheese? Oh pepper! I see, no thank you."
HOWEVER  - they are awesome. The refill your wine and water without fail, you will never go thirsty here. They don't try to speak to you, they don't even look you in the eye. They do NOT clear your dining companion's plate when he's finished if you have not yet finished yourself (pet peeve, that clearing plates at different times is terrible etiquette). They do not bother you with the check. We were there for close to three hours on a Sunday evening.
The decor is lovely and inviting. I couldn't say what the bill ended up being as my friend is a gentleman, but the people below who complained about the prices crack me up! The entrees are all around the $20 price point, certainly not expensive by any stretch, especially for a place that uses fresh made pastas and high quality ingredients.

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0

9

Don M.

New York, NY

This place has a very weird slot- it seems like a new restaurant with some promise that may (but hasn't yet) find its footing.  Its a place with dishes that don't work quite right, and decor that seems still out of place.

I didn't like my meal, but my friend's fish was very nice.  However, it was twice the price it should've been, the service was lacking, and the lamp with a $1,200 price tag next to our table was less impressive given our paper napkins.

Just wasn't a great experience, and for half the price it may have been reasonable but not at what I paid.

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Elite '08

37

59

Michelle G.

Brooklyn, NY

The first time I went to Scopello, it was about 11 pm on the Saturday before Easter. We went for drinks, and my friend goes there all the time, so the owner knows him. My friend also speaks Italian, and brought a pretty Italian girl with him, so the owner likes him.

At midnight, we were the only people left in the restaurant. The owner gets out a fruitcake that is apparently what Italian people eat to celebrate Easter. He shared it with all of us. It was very nice of him.

I walk by Scopello every day. And from that night, the owner has ALWAYS said hi to me, even though I didn't go back to his restaurant for a good 9 or 10 months. I thought that was really awesome.

Therefore, I think Scopello is really awesome.

Also, the food is pretty good (it probably helps that they are legit Italians), but I definitely agree with the other reviewers--go for the atmosphere and the super nice people.

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Elite '08

123

312

Arthur O.

Brooklyn, NY

Lil' Frankie's of Fort Greene?

Well, maybe not.  They don't play Baller's Eve podcast and their waiters don't don oversized Brian Westbrook jerseys.  

But the pasta comes close.  Among Il Torchio (the new comer), Graziella's (the old Don) http://www.yelp.com/bi... and Scopello, the area's got Italian covered like Nirvana on The Vaselines.  Hmmm, does that, like, date me?  It's okay, I've now stayed up until nearly 4am compiling a my90s playlist, a comprehensive collection of all of my favorite 90s music.  

Anyway, I went to Scopello with my friend and her family on a weekend night and I quiet enjoyed it.  The atmosphere was on the sophisticated by not high-nosy, thanks to the friendly staff.  The food was delicious and well-portioned.

If I had to rank the three . . . I don't know, Scopello would get the nod for being more atmospheric than Graziella's, but Il Torchio may be my new favorite.  So I guess I'm not really willing to rank them, since they all have their distinct place on my tongue (unlike the neighborhood's Thai Food offerings).

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24

138

Toastface Grillah X.

New York, NY

My compliments to Chef Boyardee... ah, I kid.  That's an unfair exaggeration although the Chef's canned Beefaroni WAS the first thing that came to mind after my first taste of the gnocchi with ragu sauce.  But that's not necessarily a bad thing; I grew up loving the Chef (http://www.youtube.com...).  

So, I think the food's just ok but the atmosphere of the restaurant is very warm and inviting; it's right next to BAM; and last but not least, the price is right, bitch.

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7

45

tal r.

Bellingham, WA

One dish stands out: the pasta with ragu sauce. Best in the depths of a cold dark winter. Now that spring is coming, perhaps one of their lighter pastas will fit the bill. Beware, however: the ravioli portions are appetizer-sized. Great if you're heading to BAM, but also worthwhile just for the food and atmosphere. Main space is a bit airy even as tables can be rather close, but usually you don't have to listen to other people's conversations (unless you really want to). Front bar area can sometimes be a bit loud, which is suprising as the vibe inside is pretty civilized.

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Elite '08

18

102

katie n.

Brooklyn, NY

this is my pennance for bugging my boyfriend that i was craving italian food.  he usually boycotts paying for italian cuisine, because he feels like it's cheap to make and it's a ripoff to get it in a restaurant.  he also generally does not like to try new restaurants unless they have been personally referred by a friend/colleague.  While i dont 100% agree with the former statement, the latter I find to be overwhelmingly a good rule of thumb.  Scopello proved to be lackluster and overpriced, and nothing guided us there but a page on the BAM website listing nearby restaurants (we were going to see a show at BAM later that evening).

We were seated promptly and brought waters, and then sat for about 10 minutes without further service.  seeing as we had plenty of time to speculate over the menu, we placed our entire order, drinks/apps/main course, in one fell swoop when the server finally appeared.  my boyfriend asked our server to describe two dishes in a bit deeper detail than what the menu offered, because the descriptions were a bit ambiguous.  our server literally repeated the descriptions back to us.  way to sell your product....

the bread and caesar salad came out relatively quickly ( caesar = lettuce was too wilty), but then once that was done...the waiting.  the endless, frustrating, hunger filled waiting.  finally, our food arrived, and i can wholeheartedly say it was not worth the wait.  my penne with artichoke and pancetta was about a 5 out of 10.  it wasn't bad, not terrible - just not exciting.  not worth the price.  not noteworthy.   my boyfriend's steak was cooked to temp, yet it was cold.  the mashed potatoes were flavorless and an odd lumpy texture (were they instant?  maybe....who knows...), and again, the entire dish was NOT worth the price.  the bill came to almost $70 - 2 glasses of wine, 1 salad, 2 entrees.  i'm not cheap when it comes to eating out, but i at least expect my meal to be better than a 5 out of 10 if i'm paying $70 for it.  or if the food is not that good, for the service to make up for it.  neither scenarios transpired here.  i will defintiely not be going back here, not even if it's recommended by a friend....

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6

32

Josh H.

Brooklyn, NY

Very uninspired food. With so many great restaurants in Ft Greene, couldn't we have a better Italian place?

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Elite '08

44

174

Jasmine M.

Brooklyn, NY

As I live in the area, it's a good standby for a nice night out without breaking the bank, going to another French bistro on Dekalb, or to the Slope.  Always feel comfortable there-whether with my dad, a visiting friend, or a date.  The service is laidback (sometimes too laidback it can take a while to get served), but it's all in the atmosphere.  The staff and owners couldn't be nicer and are quite charming. In the summers, there is always at least one group lingering with their wine at one of the tables.  Outside is great for peopel watching and mingling. Inside, there are beautiful coral walls, nice warm tones, and plaenty of space with high ceilings. It seems like the owners and staff really know people in the neighborhood, and are really welcoming.  During the World cup, it was a bit of a scene with lots of people watcing the game both inside and out.
I almost always get the gnocchi.  It's not the absolute best I've had, but pretty darn good.  Prices are pretty decent. I also really like the bread. Also the ragu sauce is awesome. The wine list is pretty good.  Last time we went, we got 4 extra glasses of wine each for free. The owner just kept on refilling our glasses until we had to protest on account of drunkeness and needing to get up the next day.   Will be back many a time though for a good neighborhood standby or for an excellent caipirinha.

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