Zach "Zach  S." S.'s Profile

When visiting the area this spring, I had a craving for Italian. Unluckily for me, my phone had died earlier in the day and I hadn't made it back to the hotel to change it. Wandering down University Ave, I found La Strada. It looked perfect.

However, after I indicated that I did not have a reservation, I was directed to the bar seating. Fine; I understand wanting to leave tables for parties of more than one, but there were quite a few available and the hostess could have worded things more politely (think "Would you like to sit at the bar?" versus something along the lines of "I'll show you to your seat at the bar.").

When I indicated that I would be happy with tap water, the disappointment was not-so-subtle. The water arrived promptly and the server returned quickly to take my order. Usually a good thing, but I hadn't quite decided. I asked for a few more minutes, the server acknowledged and returned when I set down my menu. I asked for her opinion when trying to decide between two dishes, but got a rather unhelpful "it really depends on preference" response. I picked a dish and ordered.

Like the water, it arrived promptly, which I took to be a good sign. It was food. It was what I ordered. However, while there was, strictly speaking, nothing wrong with it, there was also nothing particularly right about it either. It wasn't quite bland, but it wasn't particularly flavorful. It wasn't quite hot, but it was still above room temperature. Goldilocks would have been thrilled.

So far, ignoring price, everything felt firmly "A-OK". Considering price, it was borderline "meh."; I've had significantly better for less in the North End.

I finish the meal (more or less cleaning the plate), and the server is chatting with the patrons a few seats a way (about dogs, as far as I could tell). Unluckily for me, she's facing away from me, but I eventually flag her down and get the bill. I stick my credit card in the folder, planning to hand it back immediately, but before I could, she vanishes. She reappears 5 or so minutes later, collects the card, returns it, and I'm out of there, but the 15-or-so minute wait between when I'm ready to pay and split and when I actually can is just enough to push a borderline "meh" over the line.

I dined here with a coworker when I visited this area earlier this year.

We arrived late on a weekday evening and were seated promptly. The server was attentive and helpful, happy to provide suggestions as neither of us had eaten there previously.

The food was good, especially considering the price. Water glasses stayed filled and food arrived in a timely manner.

If I find myself in the area again, I'll probably return.

I dined at Junnoon when visiting the area this spring.

The food was good (certainly not traditional, but still delicious). The service was excellent (which is more impressive when considering that the place was busy and I was a college-aged person dining alone). While an entirely positive experience, I'm not quite a fan; while I'm glad I ate here, I probably wouldn't visit next time I find myself in the area.

When I visited the area this spring, I grabbed dinner at coconut's. The food was good. The ginger beer was amazing. The staff were friendly. As I was alone, I ate at the bar, where the service was great (the computer the staff used to enter orders and such was a few chairs down from me, so there were always waitstaff walking by in addition to the bartender).

I ate here back in March, but never got around to posting a review.

I ate dinner here (alone) on a Sunday evening. It wasn't too busy and the food arrived reasonably quickly (you order at a counter, but they bring the food to your table). I ordered the California Crepe and Safari Cooler, both of which were good.

I'm glad a came and might eat here again if I'm in the area.

After dining here again, this time for dinner, my opinion has shifted towards "meh". There were, again, some minor service hiccups and the hostess seemed extremely confused about where to seat us despite the place being less than half-full. The bread, which was alright when I visited for brunch, was both stale-tasting and cold. (Not a good start to a meal.) On this visit, I tried the lamb entree (I can't recall the exact name of the dish), which was not particularly impressive. All-in-all, entirely underwhelming.

(One note, not included in my rating, is that, despite an offer for free fries being listed in the 2011 Charlie Card discount book with no expiration date, the staff stated only that "[the offer] is no longer available", without offering any sort of explanation.)

I've eaten here twice (once around lunch time, once around dinner). The pizza is good, but the service isn't great and the space is tiny. It's hard to make sure you actually get the right slices in the right order; the processes of ordering and receiving your food seem to be completely disconnected and there really isn't anywhere for the people waiting on slices to line up.

If the service were a little better, I'd be a fan. If the pizza weren't quite as good, it'd be just another pizza place.

After eating here a few more times, I feel much more "meh." about the place.

I've been eating here less frequently, but as a other reviewers have mentioned, the food is simple and the pasta dishes (which I don't believe I had tried when I wrote my original review) are bland.

I've eaten lunch here on a few occasions and it has always been a positive experience. The food is good, the service is polite and fast, and the price and location are right.

Personal favorites are the meatball sub and the grilled chicken sandwich with pesto and mozzarella.

Perhaps my experience was unusual (the only reason I was here was for Barcraft), but I really don't have any complaints. We were on the third floor, which was mobbed (but, if anything, that's an organizational issue, not the venue's fault).

The staff was polite and helpful, but busy. It was too loud/busy to ask for recommendations, but they took orders, got drinks promptly, and got the food out when it was ready, which is really all I'm looking for in a place like this.