On May 8 we visited Bar Corallini on Atwood Ave. to celebrate our middle daughter's graduation from UWisconsin-Madison. It was a terrific experience and made for a great evening. Bar Corallini was extremely accommodating to the dietary restrictions (vegan) of a couple of our family members. Our server, Elena, was fabulous. The restaurant seemed packed with locals and had a very nice vibe. My middle daughter, who graduated from UWisconsin-Madison, enjoyed a vegan muffuletta (sandwich with marinated zucchini eggplant red peppers and artichokes and vegan tofu ricotta) on homemade pizza bread and kale salad with vegan crunch. Like the other main dishes, it was a very generous portion The four course, prix fixe meals were all very good. Hats off to Chef Pedro Caldera Herrera. My wife and oldest daughter loved perfectly cooked scallops. My youngest daughter praised her pasta dish and said the vodka sauce was light and not heavy at all. My rigatoni was a delight. The desserts were impressive too. Bar Corallini's general manager, Carlos Espinosa, stopped by to see how things were going and was very gracious. Overall I know we were a bit difficult with some things and Carlos and Elena were very accommodating. By the way, another vegan place, the Green Owl, is around the corner. We ate there one night too and it also was a good dinner. Our middle daughter is off to new things. But the outstanding experience we had at Bar Corallini is a good reason to go back to Madison if the opportunity materializes. read more

Bar Corallini - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Solid Italian food in Madison, Wisconsin. I thought the Rigatoni ala Bolognese was the best dish I've eaten in Wisconsin and if you served me that in the West Village I'd be impressed with it as well. Pasta cooked very nicely and a fantastic flavor profile on the sauce & meat. Pizza is also decent; I'd get it again although I I much prefer the Novanta in the area. I didn't like sauce on the pizza and the cheese & crust were only okay. I'd come back again. read more

Bar Corallini - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Excellent food, service and atmosphere. It is a very cozy Italian restaurant setting with an open kitchen concept, where you can also see them cooking the personal pizzas in a brick oven. I also love being in restaurants where they really bring in the traditions of the cuisine. For apps, we shared the eggplant fritters (which were amazing!), burrata and salad. Must get the eggplant fritters, they were little balls of eggplant delight! And I am a huge eggplant parm fan so this was right up my alley. For my main, I opted for the shrimp scampi with homemade pasta! I loved the homemade pasta! However, I felt the sauce was very light. I wish I could've ordered this pasta dish with the san marzano sauce. I think that would've made the flavor pop more for me. And for desserts, they were also incredible. Tiramisu, cannoli and the lemon sorbet! Highly recommend the lemon sorbet, was such a strong lemon flavor. Overall, definitely recommend in the Madison area, one of my favs so far! read more

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For years, I have heard how wonderful this restaurant is. Last night I got to experience firsthand what all the hype is about. It does not disappoint at all. The drinks are fabulous. They have a blackberry infused Tito's vodka that we asked the bartender to make something fun with. He did not disappoint. The warm olives are a great appetizer as you're sipping some delicious drinks. The ravioli was very tasty. One thing to note about this restaurant is that they were very accommodating to my husband who has a dairy allergy. They even have a vegan menu. The setting is perfect for date night or drink drinks with friends. We will be back. read more

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This is such a cute Italian restaurant! I would recommend making reservations ahead of time as it was even packed on a Thursday night. There is a happy hour drink selection and the rest of their drink selection is huge! The food here is excellent! The staff here are very friendly and accommodating. Definitely will be back! read more

Bar Corallini - Salmon - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great food, cocktails, wine and outstanding service. My wife and I had just lost our little dog. Still in mourning we chose not to go home, but rather grab a glass of wine and some Apps at the Bar Corallini. Turns out to be the perfect therapy. Bartender Dee was amazingly empathetic and really helped lift our mood. Way above all expectations. Thank you Dee!! read more

Our son said it was like being back in Milan. Very tranquil atmosphere, with cool vibes! Beautiful shells, coral & plant greenery. Food is excellent! Pizza crust amazing & noodles freshly made. Definitely a real treat! read more

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I try to eat here with friends once a month because it's that good! Always feels like a treat. Takeout is a great option, too, if you can't get a reservation. I usually order the Bolongese - but everything here is fresh & delicious! Servers are always charming too! And they offer bottles of house-made limoncello...! read more

Bar Corallini - Examples of fab food! - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We dined here on a Saturday night and had a larger party (4 adults and 4 kids) and the food, service and ambiance were all great. We got seated in a nice booth by the window. My husband and I split these pasta entrees and enjoyed them both: RIGATONI ALLA BOLOGNESE TAGLIATELLE They have an "unofficial" kids meal when we inquired which included pasta with red sauce or butter. Our kids enjoyed those and the server brought them out first. Overall we had a great dining experience and I recommend this place if you like Italian food. read more

Bar Corallini - Rigatoni alla Bolognese* - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I joined a group of four for a Saturday night dinner at Bar Corallini. While the rest of the group took a while to review the menu (like way longer than an average group), I ordered the Insalata di Cavolo and Tricolore for sharing -- each proving salads can be scrumptious and a solid choice. I had the Rigatoni Alla Bolognese for entree seeking that meat and sauce option for my first time to this Madison mainstay. The service was patient and attentive, and the ambience was pleasant. A reliable spot for classic Italian fare in a comfortable setting. read more

Had dinner there last night and it was a nice experience. Busy but still managed to get a bar table for 2. Server was training another staff so we have extra attention for the evening. Watch out for those anti-pasta. It is big! We had the roasted octopus anti-pasta and two other entrees, a pasta and a piatti and it was a lot. Had to to pack the pasta to go and we shared the piatti for dinner. I had the striped bass and server was very accommodating. Since I don't want carbs, they substitute that with arugula salad. It was a nice complement to the dish. Had the homemade fraglittale parts. The fraglittale was chewy and thick. Taste good too. We were seated next to the kitchen so that was fun too. Overall good vibes, had an enjoyable dinner and had good conversations. read more

Bar Corallini - Striped bass - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I made reservations two weeks in advance which are highly suggested! We scored some convenient street parking nearby the restaurant. Ambiance is loud, modern, spacious - ideal for a hang out with a group of friends/casual outing. Dates - highly recommend. A bit of sweet and salty. I enjoyed the flavors of the muffleta sandwich. Easily could be shared amongst two people. Disappointment was from the pera pizza. Crust was good and had a nice cheese pull. The pear sweetness I was expecting didn't exist and they were VERY bland. Would come back to try the pasta. Drinks are made well. read more

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I'll be honest--I'm not an Italian food person. But this spot? Total game-changer. We ordered eggplant fritters (crispy perfection), sausage pizza (savory and satisfying), a summer salad with shrimp (light and zesty), and octopus. Now, I usually go for grilled octopus and steer clear of cold preparations, but this one was a surprise hit: cool, refreshing, and had a satisfying crunch that totally won me over. Every dish felt thoughtful and elevated without being fussy. Can't wait to come back next time I'm in town. If this place can convert a non-Italian foodie like me, it's doing something very right. We sat outside which was super cute ! They have string lights hanging. The only down were the little nats flying around everywhere. Wish they had candles to try and keep them away. Shout out to Anna ! She was great. read more

Bar Corallini - Eggplant fritters - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Beautiful place! Staff was awesome. Food was even better than I thought it could be. Pizza was simply delicious. Perfect red sauce. The pasta was so clearly fresh, incredible! The ragu was delightful! read more

Bar Corallini - Rigatoni alla Bolognese - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Deelicious!!! Couldn't decide between pasta and pizza so got both! The vegetarian was amazingly delicious with the perfect crust in a brick oven! No sauce on the pizza surprisingly so when I asked for a small amount of sauce they charged me $3? What? The bolognese pasta sauce was also sparingly but good enough for the dryer side. Service was good and love the bottle of water on the table read more

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We did not make a reservation ahead of time. We were offered sitting in the bar area so we did not have to wait. As it turned out that it was perfect because the bar also serves full menu. The ambiance was very nice, service was prompt and accommodating. The three servers were very professional and friendly. The wine, salad, pizza, shrimp scampi and vanilla ice cream were all delicious. read more

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I'll admit that when Bar Corallini first opened, I didn't love it. Because we were not initially wow'd, we hadn't been back for a few years. Our opinion has officially been changed, and it has suddenly been launched to the top of our favorite restaurants list. The antipasti platter is what did it for us, paired with the phenomenal service we have received the past two visits. Top tip - order a side of pizza bread with your antipasti platter. You won't be disappointed. We also can't get enough of the Bergamot Spritz, and the 8 Finger Cavatelli. Visit soon - you won't be disappointed. read more

Bar Corallini - Antipasti Board, Warm Olives, and an Aperol Spritz - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We had the eggplant fritters. They were so amazing that we ordered a second one. I had the kale salad or Insalate di Cavolo. Also amazing. I even put an eggplant fritters in my salad. What a wonderful taste combination. My husband had Pizza with Pepperoni and picked jalapeños. It is also a winner. We tipped off his birthday dinner with their fantastic Tiramisu and he also had a complimentary cannoli. What a wonderful dinner. We will repeat this again for sure. read more

Bar Corallini was delish as always! Our sever was very kind and helpful. The restaurant was beautiful and we loved the vibe! read more

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Wow what a great restaurant! I was lucky to get a seat at the bar on a busy Saturday night. I was taken care of by Dee and she is a gem! From the negroni to the tiramsu just perfection.!!La Dolce Vita! read more

Bar Corallini - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Bar Corallini is my favorite place to go in Madison for a special occasion. I love the aquatic decor and the romantic lighting. It can get noisy but the atmosphere always feels intimate. It's a popular place so you'll want to make a reservation--ideally about 2 weeks out. Any vegans looking for an extensive and thoughtful vegan menu need to come here. I don't think there's another Italian restaurant in Madison with so many wonderful vegan dishes. I love the warm olives, antipasti board, farinata fries, and bean dip with pizza bread when they have it. The muffaletta is delicious, as are the pizzas. The pastas change with the season but they always seem to have cacio e pepe and it has yet to let me down. They also have vegan affogato and sorbet. I highly recommend Bar Corallini! read more

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This is my second time back after my first review two years ago. Another amazing dinner experience here. I live in the bay area where there is no shortage of excellent restaurants and i really think this makes my top 3 favorite restaurants. In my humble opinion, it strikes the perfect balance between fancy and unique without being pretentious or wildly over-priced. We started with the braised octopus which I think was my favorite dish of the night. The combination of flavors was so special: green olives, oranges, capers, sun dried tomatoes, celery sauce with fingerling potatoes and crispy chickpeas soaking up the sauce. Just perfect, and I would never have thought of it. My brother who is not as adventurous of an eater as me also loved it. In total we got 2 appetizers, 2 pastas and 2 entrees to split (3 of us total). We didnt end up eating one of the pasta dishes because we were so full so we took it home for leftovers (i cant wait). The chicken piccata was my second favorite dish of the night. do not skip dessert!!! Tiramisu with the orange sorbetto and chocolate sorbetto was divine. They also gave us a quiet table to accommodate my dad who is hard of hearing, again. Great service and experience. Thank you Bar Corrallini! read more

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Great spot for a special occasion! I thought the paccheri was phenomenal, and it was something out of the ordinary for me. I liked it so much that I plan on trying to recreate it at home. Also, our server was attentive and friendly. She brought us a cannoli on the house because we were celebrating a birthday. read more

I've been here a few times, once for happy hour and then two more times for dinner. I've always liked the vibes of the restaurant so I decided to come here more recently for date night for me and my husband. We had reservations for 6:30 pm on a Friday and I ordered the somewhere in velaris (mezcal based) cocktail. We also ordered the finocchio, pepperoni and pickled pepper pizza, and the rigatoni to share. The cocktail was alright, and the finocchio's description sounded like something that would have been right up my alley, but I felt like the proportions were off. There was a LOT of dressing and then the fennel I felt could have been in thinner pieces. The pasta was alright, definitely more al dente and I felt like the flavor was a little bland. The pizza was my favorite overall, but for the price, I felt that you could get similar quality elsewhere for cheaper. Overall, I felt I was paying premium for ambiance and not for food quality. Not sure if I'll be back for dinner but might come back for happy hour again. read more

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We had Bar Corallini cater our son's rehearsal dinner and were EXTREMELY pleased with their food, service, and communication. Highly recommend Bar Corallini! read more

What an amazing spot! All the decor is so on point to the theme and vibe of the restaurant. We were greeted right away and asked about drinks. Had some help picking out delicious cocktails. Our waitress made excellent suggestions. We started off with an antipasto board and WOW that's A LOT of food. Everything on the board is delectable. Bread is a MUST! The rigatoni was AMAZING! Such a huge portion and the flavor is outstanding. One of my favorites only rivaled by Cento. For dessert we got a canolli and their special dessert chocolate sausage. Both were sooooo delicious. I wouldn't have that chocolate sausage could be could be so amazing. HIGHLY recommend if on the menu. The cannoli was great quality too. One of the best I've had!! We finished with a lemon cello shot and it was ok but not my cup of tea. VERY strong! Overall a very inviting atmosphere and a wonderful dining experience! Will be back :) read more

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Service was good. We waited quite a while for our sodas, was a problem with the carbonation. They took those off the bill without my asking. Started off with the eggplant i fritters. These were very tasty. Tasted like eggplant Parmesan. My wife had the rigatoni bollagnese, which she said was undercooked and not very flavorful. I had the Paccheri which I thought was very good, and would definitely order again. My son had the Muffaleta, which he thought was the best sandwich he had had in Madison. My son's girlfriend had gluten free pizza which she enjoyed. Overall pleased with our meals, and would return. read more

Amazing pizza and great atmosphere!!! Absolutely loved the muffaletta also, one of the best sandwiches I've had in Madison. read more

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We stopped in for a snack and drink on a Saturday evening and the staff was super helpful. We didn't think we would get a table but they squeezed us in and we had a great appetizer special and cocktail. The restaurant is really nice on the inside. We will be back. read more

Bar Corallini catered my party and it was amazing! The pasta was so fresh and delicious. The antipasto and salad were the same. The portions were very generous! Working with Carlos was so easy. He was thoughtful, patient and so helpful. I would not hesitate to use them again! read more

3.5 stars. Overall the experience was nice and our server was fine. We went for brunch on Sunday at 12:30. It was fairly busy, but not crazy. I appreciated the expansive menu, but it definitely is not somewhere I would go if I'm in the mood for a robust brunch. I was surprised by this because it was a top rated selection for brunch by Madison Mag. I actually ended up not choosing brunch because the main menu items sounded more interesting. I got the Bucatini and it was very good. As was the appetizer of Burrata. Weird to me was the lack of coffee drinks. If that's not their thing, all good, but it seemed like they had the equipment and for a place like this I was surprised to not see it on the menu. Also a big bummer was that at 1:30 when I asked for a refill of my coffee what I got was a half filled cup? Were they out of coffee? During brunch? Seemed weird for a server to give you a half filled refill and not offer an explanation. Ambiance is top notch. The place is gorgeous and the location is great. The bathrooms are beautifully decorated and are goals. I'd return, but it just didn't live up to the hype. Seems like more of a dinner place in my book. read more

I FINALLY got to try Bar Corallini and it did not disappoint. We made reservations for a Wednesday evening during their happy hour, and got seated in one of their lovely booths by the kitchen. Our server Katie was wonderful, and was extremely helpful throughout the evening! Their $6 aperol spritz was pretty good, but the star of the show was their kale salad we ordered for an appetizer. For our mains, we got a margherita pizza and the gnocchi. The pizza was fine, nothing to write home about, but the gnocchi was a huge hit. The mushroom ragout was mouthwatering, and the leftovers were still delicious the next day. Overall, as far as their menu goes, I would not recommend the $6 ciabatta bread appetizer, but I would order the kale salad a million times over. The next time we go, I'm excited to try another entree. read more

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We had an amazing visit for dinner! Drinks were excellent, especially their Calm before the storm! Wow. Amazingly different flavors! We got 3 different pastas and their chicken piccata. All were excellent and nice portions. The mushroom house made tagliatelle and tagliatelle special with prosciutto... delicious. As was Shrimp scampi in house made spaghetti... Service was great. Location and interior very nice! Would love to return to try more!!! read more

I've ate at Bar Corallini a hand full of times and have enjoyed every experience I've had. But my experience last night was worth documenting because I am still thinking about it 24 hours later. I believe it was our server, Lily, who made this my favorite meal I've had here. We wanted to try the braised octopus to start and she convinced us of its deliciousness. The dish came out and it was beautifully presented with lots of color and texture. The octopus wasn't even the star of the show-- it was everything else that made me want to lick the plate clean. The smashed fingerling potato's, crunchy and thin celery slices, crispy roasted chickpeas, salty capers, combined with olives, sun dried tomatoes and the lemon vinaigrette was such a delightful combination of flavors and textures. I didn't want it to end and I was sad when we finished it. I hadn't decided on my entree when Lily came by next. I let her know I was feeling pasta but didn't want anything dense. She recommended the paccheri, and trusting her with my life, I of course ordered that. My boyfriend ordered the salmon which was recently added to the menu. I sipped my pieropan (amazing and also recommended by Lily) while we waited. Our dishes came out quick and hot, and delivered the same feeling as our starter. Pasta was perfect; the ingredients where perfectly sized and cooked just right. To me, soggy vegetables in pasta ruin the dish and this was so far from that. The salmon was grilled and then baked, which made for a crisp crust and perfect flake. The avocado cubes that topped it were beautifully green and just the right amount ripe! Again, something that can quickly ruin a dish if it's too ripe or not ripe enough. We ordered tiramisu to go (the only thing we ordered independently) and were pleasantly surprised to get home and see how big the slice was. Dessert for the next day, thank you very much! Goes without saying that too was delicious, even out of the card board to-go box. The check came delivered on a Bar Corallini post card which I quickly claimed as my own. When our card was returned, a postcard replaced the one I took, so I did walk away with my doggy bag of dessert and two post cards. Hands down my favorite meal in a long time. Thank you Lily for being so sweet, entertaining all my indecisiveness, and steering me towards some of my new favorite dishes. No pictures because it was just that good. read more

My favorite place to visit when I'm in Madison I went for the first time with one of my best friends and I still go there with her and also frequently visit with my partner. The cocktails are top-notch. The service is amazing especially when Carlos is there to greet us and Double D (IYKYK) team is on barThe food is fabulous with options for all diet types including vegetarian and vegan- I'm always looking for these options. The way that the Corallini culture and story is woven into the restaurant, including the outdoor patio, is so intentional! I can't rave about this place enough! 10 stars if I could read more

Bar Corallini - The first time I ever visited this restaurant and I feel in love with everything! The staff, cocktails, food and ambiance! - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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She had the bolognese and I had ravioli - both were excellent. Service was top notch, the drink menu was extensive and the old fashioneds were tasty. Tiramisu was the best ever. Limoncello was not the best, but acceptable. Entire check was under $100 before the tip - we will absolutely be back. read more

Excellent aperol spritz and a great vibe. Such a cool restaurant in the heart of the Atwood neighborhood. Well decorated, clean, views of the kitchen and big pizza oven, different seating options, and a great menu. We met friends here for dinner and sat up at the bar. A table wait time for Saturday night at 6pm was 30-45 minutes (it's hard to get reservations unless you make them way in advance). We love sitting up at the bar so it worked out. The bar area is awesome. Great decor, big city bar vibes, cool glasses, backlight, etc. The bartenders are so nice and very helpful and knowledgeable. We started off with cocktails and the eggplant fritters. The eggplant fritters were amazing! Flavorful and delicious. The dish comes with 5 fritters so after that we decided splitting a pizza would be plenty of food for us. We split the pepperoni and pickled pepper. We have had this pizza before and loved it. This time it wasn't as good. The pizza was under cooked so the crust was a little doughy but the flavor was amazing. I love the hot honey on top. We had a glass of true Italian red wine which paired perfectly. Great wine list! It's always a fun night out at Bar Corallini! read more

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I feel like this place is a little too overhyped for what it is. I've been twice now and I've felt like there has been a lot to be desired after both my visits. The first time I went, I got the pizza, which was good, but nothing spectacular. I told my coworker what I got and she told me that I missed out on the pasta and that's what they are known for. I went back the second time, and I got the 8 finger cavatelli. Don't get me wrong, it was good, I was just expecting it to be amazing for that price point. Both times I had great service from the bartenders. The place itself is also really nice and modern, I just wish the actual food would attract me to come back. read more

Bar Corallini - 8 Finger Cavatelli* - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Always a pleasant time at BC. My fiancee loves this place - it's his most requested restaurant if we ever need somewhere to go. Food is top-notch. Love the modern Italian flare. We usually sit at the bar but the layout is open and quite bright. Just had brunch for the first time and it was quite good, and not super busy, especially for graduation/Mothers Day. Would recommend getting a reservation just in case. read more

Bar Corallini - Pasta special (gnocch/osso bucco pork) and chianti. - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I do not understand the hype in terms of reviews on this place. We went on a Wednesday night and it was pretty busy, so we thought that was a good sign. We sat at the bar and even though the staff are literally in your face 24/7 behind the bar, they still somehow don't see and/or ignore you. So the service was pretty slow, we had to wait a long time to get the bartenders attention so we could place our entree orders, get boxes, and finally the check. Next, the food was just so average. For the price, this was a huge disappointment. We had to pay for painfully average ciabatta bread. I could easily get bread like this from literally any grocery store. Nothing special at all. We tried the braised octopus appetizer. Some parts of the octopus were tender but other parts were chewy. The accompaniments are super random and non-cohesive. Chick peas, olives, sun dried tomatoes, oranges, celery? The dish felt disjointed. I love vodka sauce so I got the cavatelli as an entree. The sauce was so thin and runny with a consistency like water. The pasta had shrimp on top (not throughout and in the sauce itself) but the entire dish smelled and tasted fishy. The pasta was mushy and dough-y. My stomach was uneasy for the entire night afterwards. My boyfriend had the bolognese which really lacked depth of flavor. His pasta was verrrrrry al dente, almost slightly undercooked. I tried a Turkish coffee flavored gelato for dessert which may have been the best thing I ate all evening, but it was $8 for one scoop which is pretty hefty pricing. Overall, a very average meal for 2 people was $100 without drinks. This really sealed the 2/5 review for me. It is so average to be paying that much. I actually think that the Italian food at Olive Garden is better. Sorely disappointed! Maybe we tried all the wrong things, but I can't sugar coat it! We won't be back. read more

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