Italian

Cocorico Neo Rustic Kitchen, Ashland, OR., 5/17/25

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exterior – 15 N 1st St, Ashland, OR 97520

Cocorico was a medium sized place serving Mediterranean cuisine.  Chef Nat Borsi and his wife Grace dreamed of owning their own place for years.  His experience came from many fine kitchens and hers was in hospitality.  Named for the French translation of ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ it was to be French but not too much.   Opening in August 2022 it seems to be a local favorite drawing a steady stream of customers the night we were there.  Open Tues to Sat they have both indoor and patio seating.  At first they didn’t take phone reservations, but now the website refers you to tock  The room we were in had some art on the walls, windows to the street, music in the background and bench seating along the walls.  The lights were lowered and the medium sized bare wood tables were fairly close.  They have a full bar and street parking is your option if you can’t walk there.  Service was good and the hostess at the door made you feel most welcome.  The food was great, the portions large and I’d easily recommend the place and go back if I’m ever back in the area. Continue reading →

George’s Little Rock, Little Rock, AR., 12/13/24

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building – 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd, Little Rock, AR 72207

George’s is named for George who represents “the perfect night out; the experience of a restaurant with all the comforts of feeling at home.”  It’s the product of Little Rock natives and friends, John Stephens, David Hesselbein and Greg Baber who’ve partnered with Chef Wes Mickel to offer a menu of Italian classics.  Opening in August of 2023, it was in the works for 2 years before opening in the 1930s bungalow (previously housing Cafe Prego).  Having the capacity for 93, guests are seated in a traditional dining room, casual porch, an outdoor patio or in the hidden speakeasy named “Barnaby.”  The main dining room has tables set with white clothes and some bench seating along the walls whereas the porch had bare tables and wicker furniture.  It was more lit than the main dining room which also had art on the walls.  The service was good and helpful and portions were large.  It was a good meal and one I’d recommend you try when in town.  Reservations can be difficult but the speakeasy and bar seating are all first come, first served. Continue reading →

Nīna June, Rockport, ME., 9/25/24

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exterior – 24 Central St, Rockport, ME 04856

Nīna June is the nickname of  Chef Sara Jenkins, who was born in Camden, Maine but raised in the Mediterranean.  She uses the background of both places to highlight the products of Maine’s farms and ocean coastal waters with a regularly changing menu.  She is the author of 2 cookbooks and previously cooked for kitchens in NYC.  This is a long place with the back patio seats overlooking the Rockport Harbor.  The open kitchen was on one side and the chef was there to greet the customers and show them to their table.  The walls had bench seating with lots of pillows which matched up with small closely placed small wooden tables that were set with paper placemats and cloth napkins.  Music was in the background, the lights were fairly dim and art was on the walls.  It was a cozy feel and it easily facilitated conversations with your neighbors.  The menu was very intriguing and thus we ordered way more than we could eat but we wanted to try so many things.  As you’d guess, some items were better than others and appealed differently to esch of us.  I’m not sure if any would get a “lick the bowl” rating but I certainly would recommend this place and go back if I’m in the area.  The food is very fresh and well done without dots, smears or added micro-greens and really focused on local.  Let me know what you think when you visit! Continue reading →

BOSA Food & Drink, Bend, OR., 5/3/24

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exterior at night – 1005 NW Galveston Ave, Bend, OR 97703

BOSA owned and operated by chefs Bill Dockter and Nate King, offers regional Italian and French specialties including housemade pasta.  They opened in August of 2021 in the historic Bakery Building, just before Covid hit.  The restaurant is named for a town in the Sardinia region of Italy that the owners felt resembled Bend.  It’s a long space with counter seating running the length of the place divided by a low wall with the table area.  The open ceiling is decorated with cloth ‘flowers’ probably for sound absorption as the rest of it is hard surfaces.  Opposite the counter seating are numerous windows that offer views of the street.  The other walls have mirrors or art.  The noise level was significant as it was packed with tables changing out regularly, but it did get better when one large group left and was replaced with 2 or 4 person groups.  The plates are served family style and meant to be shared.  Our server wanted our entire order in at one time and said he would course it out.  He did, it was well paced and the small table did not get overwhelmed.  It was really tasty food and I would recommend this place be on your schedule when you visit. Continue reading →

Campione Roman Kitchen, Livingston, MT, 10/25/23

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exterior – 101 N Main St, Livingston, MT 59047

Campione was a small place that resulted from the partnership of Joshua Adams, Jeffrey Galli and Anthony Sferra and opened in August 2020.  It’s in an historic building that was first used to house a mercantile business – groceries and clothing.  Later it was filled with a variety of eateries.  The space is small with at least half taken up with the counter seating that goes around the kitchen.  These stools are available for walk-ins, for which they suggest getting there right when they open as there’s most always a line.  We were fortunate to get a reservation, probably because of cancellations due to a threatening snow storm.  It’s a stylish place with a high tin ceiling, tile floor, tiny wood tables, music in the background and friendly servers.  In addition to the small menu they had a number of specials and we ordered a lot of them.  It’s worth checking out if you get to this part of the country. Continue reading →

Via Triozzi, Dallas, 10/16/23

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exterior – 1806 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206

Via Triozzi was opened a couple of months ago on lower Greenville by Chef Leigh Hutchinson.  It’s named for a street in the small town near Florence where she lived and got inspired by the food and culture.  It helped that her grandmother added some Sicilian into her heritage and memories of all-day Sunday dinners at her house.  It’s a fairly large place with an upstairs that I understand will someday house a rooftop bar.  The beautiful high ceiling is opposite a terrazzo-like floor and surrounded by distressed brick walls and paintings.  You can’t help but notice the pasta-making room that first greets you when you enter.  Fresh pasta drys in there, but the semi-open kitchen is in the back of the room.  A full bar takes up another portion of the room and bench seating lines the long walls.  It’s quite stylish and attractive and even with music in the background the noise level was good but I could see where it could get out of hand.   It’s pretty new so still finding its stride, but already quite popular.  I  hope there will be seasonal specials added to the menu. Continue reading →

Acquerello (update), San Francisco, 7/6/23

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entrance – 1722 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94109

We last visited Acquerello in 2018 and you can read that one here.  It is in Nob Hill in a building that had housed many businesses but the main was a chapel which you can recognize by the high peaked ceiling. For 3 decades they have offered Italian-inspired cuisine and have been recognized with 2 Michelin stars.  It’s a good-sized room with music in the background and friendly yet very professional service, including purse stools.  Executive Chef Suzette Gresham still co-owns the place and runs the kitchen.  Co-owner Giancarlo Paterlini was at another of his restaurants that evening but his most capable sommelier son was on site.  They offer 2 tasting menus, one seasonal and one where you select 3-5 courses from several choices.  We specified the seasonal tasting on our reservation so didn’t even see the other menu but their website has it online.  Wine pairings are available as are some supplemental courses of caviar and cheese.  We opted for our own wines and no supplements.  It is a lovely place but should I go back I’d pick the menu with choices because although the plates were gorgeous they didn’t pack the flavor punch I remembered. Continue reading →

D.O.P., Calgary, 6/14/23

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exterior – 1005A 1 St SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0T8, Canada

D.O.P. is a small place that merited the number 23 spot on the 2023 list of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.  In the next few months, around Sept. they are moving a couple blocks away to the Grain Exchange Building because their current building is being demolished.  This will allow them to have a bigger kitchen and add about 10 seats.  The name roughly translates to “Protected Designation of Origin” meaning that its products are locally grown or made, as much as possible.  The narrow place had small tables running the length of the room opposite the bar/counter seating.  The end with the entrance had windows to the street and a couple of side-by-side tables and the other end houses the 6′ x 8′ kitchen.  The server said they have a room downstairs for some prep work and storage but this was about the smallest kitchen ever.   The room’s long wall is decorated with posters and art, has a high ceiling, music in the background and the small bare wood tables are set with cloth napkins.  It filled up quickly and was quite noisy, with reservations being a must unless you’re a singleton for the bar seating.  Service was friendly and helpful and the food started with a flourish but then fizzled slightly. Continue reading →

Groceria Merante, Pittsburgh, 5/4/23

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entrance –3454 Bates St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Groceria Merante is an Italian grocery store selling supplies and sandwiches.  It started in the late 1950s and moved to its present location in 1979.   The family had seven children and some of them still take part in this family run business.  We were on our way to visit Falling Water, the Frank Lloyd Wright designed home about an hour and a half from Pittsburgh.  We wanted something we could keep in the car and eat before going in and this was perfect.  The little corner store had wonderful products and a deli counter in back.  Some sandwiches were ready made and in the cooler.  At check out she gave me napkins and mayo for our meal.  The sandwiches were well stuffed but did want the mayo for extra moistness.  If you need Italian supplies I highly recommend this place and if you want a sandwich to go it’s a fine choice.  There is no place to eat at the store. Continue reading →

Ranelli’s Deli & Cafe, Birmingham, 3/17/23

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exterior – 1225 20th St S, Birmingham, AL 35205

Ranelli’s Deli has been on the southside of Birmingham serving sandwiches, salads and pastas since 1971.  It is family owned and operated and has live music some nights.  The place was a former gas station so there is parking on 2 sides.  Inside you approach the counter and make your order from the sign above and pay.  They will call out your name when it’s ready.  In the meantime, you can look around at the jam-packed room filled with music memorabilia and other things.  In the back of the room is a small stage where live bands can play.  There is an assortment of small tables crowded into the room with soft music in the background.  Their Italian dinners looked like quite a deal and they were served all day.  I’d go back and try those but we just wanted a sandwich midway through the day.  We should have split one – they are large and packed with ingredients.  Nothing outlandish here, just good solid plain food. Continue reading →

Via Emilia Mystic, Mystic, CT., 11/7/22

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exterior – 24 W Main St, Mystic, CT 06355

Via Emilia is an Italian restaurant on the main street of Mystic.  It has 2 stories and we got a table on the second level by the window looking out on the street. It was a nice view.  Music was in the background for the small bare wood tables set with armless chairs.  A bar is on the first level and lights are lowered.   In addition to the menu there were several daily specials orally presented to us, but when we tried to order one it turned out they were out of it.  Service was spotty and our server was a bit manic that carried over to the diner.  We got our cocktails fairly quickly but the timing of the rest of the meal was uneven.  I understand small tables but restaurants need to understand you need room to eat without fear of pushing a dish onto the floor.  That said, the food was varied in quality.  If you’re in need of an Italian fix, this would be where to go but I’d recommend seafood in this town. Continue reading →

Al Forno, Providence, 5/25/22

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exterior –  577 South Water Street, Providence, RI

Al Forno Restaurant was opened in 1980 by Johanne Killeen and George Germon to use New England’s farms and waters to produce renditions of Italian food.   Al Forno means “from the oven”  and they use wood burning ovens and open flame grills to incorporate that concept into their dishes.  It is where the concept of grilled pizza was first used, which is served as an appetizer.  It’s a larger place with a dedicated parking lot.  Inside there are 2 floors for eating and a bar area that also serves food.  Small white cloth covered tables are quickly turned for the constant flow of people.  The downstairs room we were in had a wall of windows to the parking lot with the opposite wall’s windows being mirrored.  The lighting is lowered and no music was in the background.   Service was very friendly but not well coordinated.  Restaurants need to learn that if you provide very small tables you can’t bring too many dishes to the table at the same time.  Our pizza came out first following the bread bowl and then quickly followed by clams.  Food was piled to an uncomfortable mess.  I asked the server to slow down a bit and then it was 30 minutes after we finished that before anything else came.  It was good food but timing can really make me less fond of a place. Continue reading →

Nicola’s Restaurant, Cincinnati, 4/22/22

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exterior – 1420 Sycamore St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Nicola’s Restaurant is in the building that once was a barn for the city’s 19th century incline trollies.  It was established in 1996 by owner Nicola Pietoso and after 20 years his son Cristian now is in charge. He added some new second floor seating and expanded the wine cellar.  In addition to seating downstairs there is also a bar with seating.  The brick walls are punctuated by the structural beams and high ceilings.    Downstairs a giant chandelier hangs overheard and windows to the outside let in light and look out onto the patio tables.  White tablecloths and napkins are on all tables and music is in the background.  Valet parking is available out front.  The place is really popular so a reservation is a must and even with a reservation we still had to wait in the bar until out table was ready.  They serve Italian cuisine and offer a chef crafted 5 course tasting menu.  We happened to be there during restaurant week and so a 3 course menu was also available as well as the a la carte selections.  We ordered a la carte. Continue reading →

Garozzo’s Ristorante, Kansas City, 12/10/21

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building

In 1989 Michael Garozzo opened Garozzo’s Ristorante in the historic Columbus Park Italian neighborhood near downtown Kansas City.  He now has 2 locations and a catering business which is known for Chicken Spiedini, a signature dish that he created.  In 1991 he created his private label Chianti Classico after getting inspired during a visit to Italy. (You can order this by the glass or bottle for $10/$40).   Garozzo was named Restauranteur of the Year in 2001 by the KC Restaurant Association and several local magazines named Garozzo’s the Best Italian Restaurant in 2021.  Numerous celebrities have dined there and many are pictured in the photos that cover the walls.  We visited the original location in the corner of a 3 story building.  The small dark wood tables are spread throughout 3 different rooms all enjoying Frank Sinatra and that genre of music in the background.  Lights are lowered but at a good mid-range.  Service was helpful and extremely friendly and welcoming.  The food is old school with lots of flavor.  Portions are generous.  I would eat there regularly if I was local. Continue reading →

MoMo Italian Kitchen, Dallas, 11/2/21

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building

MoMo Italian Kitchen originated over 35 years ago and in 2017 Wende Stevenson and Aaron Gross bought it from a member of the Gattini family to carry on the tradition of Fernanda Gosetti’s (the Julia Child of Northern Italy) recipes.  Actually Wende worked at the original MoMo in 1988, but both have much experience working/managing wonderful restaurants in Dallas.  Now they have their own piece of history and continue to serve tasty Italian food in a comfortable, welcoming setting.  I have to admit, I’ve known Aaron through a number of restaurants where he’s worked and enjoy his humor and commitment to quality.  I ate a number of times at the previous MoMo and was glad to enjoy a lunch at the present day incarnation.  Service was excellent and there is a large patio out front. Continue reading →

Trattoria Stella, Traverse City, 9/30/21

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building

Trattoria Stella opened in 2004 in the basement of a refurbished and re-purposed mental hospital.  An upscale restaurant, it offers a farm to table concept with Italian overtones through a changing menu supplemented with daily specials offered.  The kitchen makes pasta, bread and cheese and a full bar is available.  The large place has lots of brick arches and cozy spots with lowered lighting throughout.  The white cloth covered tables are nicely sized and set with black napkins with music in the background.  They have a large wine list with lots of local wines.  We ordered some of their nightly specials for our meal. Continue reading →

Chef’s Restaurant of Buffalo NY, Buffalo, 9/3/21

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building

Chef’s Restaurant opened in Buffalo in 1923.  One of the neighborhood busboys worked his way up to restaurant manager and became the owner in 1954.  They started with a limited menu of Italian options which has expanded over the years, most notably to include ‘Chef’s Spaghetti Parm’.  A second dining room was added in 1966 with another addition 3 years later making their current capacity 325 persons and a banquet room for 125.  The owner’s daughter and her son now run the business.  The several bright rooms are filled with photos of notables who have eaten there and red-checkered cloth covered tables.  Music is in the background there are some windows to the street outside.  There is even a dedicated parking lot across from the building.  In addition to the regular menu there is a menu of specials for the lunch hour.  An announcer calls out numbers over the sound system, probably to alert the servers to pick up trays to serve.  Service was amazingly efficient and super friendly. Continue reading →

Catelli’s Restaurant, Geyserville, CA., 7/22/21

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exterior

Catelli’s has been around since the 1930s in Geyserville, CA.  Opened by Italian immigrants, it is now run by third-generation siblings in the Catelli family.  They feature local ingredients, hand-craft their ravioli and have many local wines.  They currently offer patio and indoor seating as well as takeout on Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Located in a two-story brick building on the main drag of Geyserville, it is a large place.  The entry room contains a long bar and the other 2 rooms have bench seating around the walls with bare wood tables  and some center tables and chairs.  Tables are set with a cloth napkin that contains the flatware.  Music is in the background, acoustic tiles are in the ceiling and windows are uncovered to the street.  Some decorations and art are placed about as well as historic photos.  Service was friendly and efficient, but be aware of numerous upcharges on innocently offered personalizations. Continue reading →

Lucia at Macellaio (re-visit), Dallas, 11/21/20

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We visited and wrote this one up just a couple weeks ago but were fortunate to get back and try again.  In Dallas we finally have the perfect weather to eat outside and the Lucia folks do such a nice job of distancing and masking that it feels almost like a bit of normal in what has been a crazy restaurant blogging year.   Tasting menus are not for all but I sincerely urge all to give this one a chance, especially because during pre-Covid times you could hardly get a reservation to Lucia.  This is the opportunity to eat the fabulous Lucia food only on the patio of their sister restaurant Macellaio.  The menu really changes weekly as you’ll see below but the portions are generous and tasty.  I even enjoyed the wine pairings.  Frankie slept through the meal but urges her followers to check this one out.

menu

Continue reading →

Glorietta, Jackson, WY., 9/9/20

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old entrance (now go through the side door)

Glorietta is an Italian Trattoria with a focus on housemade pasta and wood-fired cooking.  Located in the Anvil Hotel they offer both indoor and patio seating.  Inside the medium room the tables have a lot of space between them, which is good for slowing the spread of virus but leaves the room feeling empty.  The focal point of the room is the large bar with the kitchen and wood burning fire behind it and another seating bar in front of it.  They finally seated someone at the front bar but without much overhang it looked pretty uncomfortable.  The floor is tiled, the ceiling is painted wood and bench seating is on many walls to match up with chairs on the other side of the good sized tables.  The bare wood tables are set with a large cloth napkin and lighting is lowered, but there are a number of windows in the room so that is only an issue after the sun sets.  Service was friendly but rushed.  We wanted to try a number of things and I specifically asked that it not be served on top of the last one but it was.  In fact the main plates came out before all the appetizer plates were cleared.  I realized with limited seating they want to turn the tables quickly but in these times we must find a way to make the experience pleasurable for the diner and profitable for the restaurant. Continue reading →

Via Carota, New York, 10/15/19

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IMG_8111
exterior

Via Carota is a good sized place that takes no reservations so be prepared to wait.  When you arrive check in with the front person to get on the list.  They have some outdoor seating but that was surrounded by scaffolding while we were there. There are a lot of seats at the long inside bar/counter as well as a couple other rooms off the main one which can also accommodate larger groups.  Inside are brick walls, steel columns, wood flooring, tin ceiling and bare wood tables set with paper runners and cloth napkins.  The wood chairs at the closely set small tables have an opening on the back where the menus are stored.  Some interesting light fixtures add light to the well lit room which has one wall of windows to the street.   Wine bottles serve as decorations and a long center table shows off dessert options.  Despite the room being packed and many hard surfaces the noise level was not a big problem.   They have 2 uni-sex bathrooms.  The menu was supplemented by a couple daily specials presented by the server.  The name comes from the name of the street where one of the chefs was born.  Don’t be deterred by the wait – the food it well worth it! Continue reading →