We had the good luck of stumbling across Gambi's for a date night out, seeking fancy cocktails and…read moresmall bites. It's so close to us in Sparks, we've driven by it literally *thousands* of times on the freeway not knowing the genuine ~treasure~ that lies within the unassuming hotel frontage. Bonus: DJ Trivia happens here on out date night Thursdays! Howeverrrr, we were here for the food & drinks. Absolutely captivating cocktails & a nice menu of pasta dishes, standard fare like burgers/sandwiches/salads, pizzas etc but also truly elevated dishes like premium steaks & seafood. Great selection of apps too! We loved the calamari (some of the best I've had outside of wharfside Monterey!) juicy sliders, a lovely little bread basket, and their beet salad & sausage stuffed mushrooms are perfection. Every cockatkl weve tried was delsih, and they just added some new ones to keep us on our toes. Stop the press! I just learned they have breakfast too! Makes sense being the onsite restaurant for a hotel. The ambiance is what hooked us! Think the sexy love-child of the Goonies & Pirates of the Caribbean. Its fun, kitchy and you'll spot something eclectic every time you come back. Kids menu, small plates, brekkies, late night menu...you name it, Gambi's has it on lock. Don't drive by wondering what's inside, when you don't need to pillage or pirate your way to this gem!

This is difficult for me to give this place two stars. The service, the furniture, and dedication…read moreto their theme was excellent. The food on the other hand, was not. We really wanted to like all of the food items that we got, but it was not good at all. The only thing we really liked were the French fries and what seemed to be house made ranch. The appetizer we chose were the mozzarella sticks which were not great, the warm marinara was good though. So then I had high hopes for my lunch item, the chicken parmesan sandwich, and it couldn't have been more of a let down. Maybe it was the type of breading used to coat the chicken, but it was soggy and became a texture issue for me. My fiancée had the fish and chips, not the most horrible fish in the world, but definitely not the best, and not worth the price. And then lastly the "chocolate cake" which is more like a spongy brownie, will not be something i choose again. I guess it was another textural thing, but I couldn't take more than a couple of small bites. I'm also really not a fan of fudgy brownies. I was hoping for a chocolate cake, and this was not it at all. I'm disappointed with our visit especially for the price we paid. Again this sucks to give such a terrible review for this place. We really wanted to like it. Our server was great, super nice, and accommodating. Everything was nice and clean. I absolutely love the theme and decor! I would bring my friends and come back here for a few drinks, but definitely not the food again.

We had a fantastic evening with Pietro's. Such a nice quiet evening with outstanding food and…read morestaff! I had the scallops with pasta and Kathy had salmon and shrimp we both enjoyed the house salad and a lovely bottle of J Lohr merlot! This is a place that we will definitely be going back to!!!

Came here for my daughter's birthday on a busy Friday night and was seated right away since we have…read morea reservation. The host in the front was really nice, greeted us as soon as we entered and walked us straight to our seat. The food was great! All pasta we had tasted great. Just a little disappointed with the ribeye because they're overcooked, kind of tough/hard to chew. The tiramisu is the best we ever had! I ordered 2 to share but since it's so good ordered more for each one of us . Will definitely come back and try their other food on the menu.

What a lovely dining experience fitting of the old school charm in the space, with delicious food…read moreand fantastic personalized service to boot. Walking in you're immediately transformed to the dining era of yesteryear. Warm woods adorn the walls, an iconic and historic bar welcomes, friendly suited up servers smile and greet you, and that's all before your host seats you! Reservations are almost a must, but don't hesitate to call and see because they will always try to get you in! We did just that and got seated in the large private dining room and started with an app special of fried artichoke hearts, lightly breaded in a gluten free flour, a great idea so more could enjoy it! For dinner I had the veal piccata with a lovely linguine with garlic and oil. I loved every bite and mopped the plate. The mussels were delicious. The artichoke salmon excellent. Honestly all of it was spectacular. I'll def be back.

A friend of mine asked me to join them for dinner. We had a reservation in which we were seated…read morepromptly. We took a few min to decide on what to order. We decided and the waitress happily took our order They accommodated my friend as she asked for muscles instead of clams. She enjoyed her dinner. Another friend ordered Caesar salad with salmon. I must say the Caesar was a side salad portion normally it would be a larger size when adding a hunk of protein. It literally was a sm soup bowl size. The salmon was a decent size. I asked how was the salad dressing was. And she mentioned she makes a better one at home with a little more anchovy forward. I mentioned I hope it's not from a bottle. 2 of us ordered chicken Parmesan. This is where it went screwy! Instead of the big pasta noodles it came with, we asked of we could sub it for angel hair with Alfredo sauce. Sure she said. Let me ask the cook though. She came back and it was a go. As we waited for our dinner, my friends chicken parm came back with no marinara just mozzarella on her chicken which looked a little dry and her angel hair ( or capillini pasta) had little Alfredo sauce on it I told her that not traditional chicken parm. When I ordered I said I'll have the same as her. When I received mine, the Alfredo sauce was on the side in a dish. I can live with that. The chicken parm was just a fried piece of chicken. Everyone said it looked dry. No sauce no mozzarella. I wish I would have taken a pic of that. So I send it back and ask them to add marinara sauce and mozzarella and pop it under the broiler briefly to melt cheese. I could hardly cut the thin piece of chicken that looked like it was deep fried. It was dry by that time. I hate sending things back to the kitchen cause you never know what's going on now with your dinner She said there must have been a miscommunication. I guess there was.!! Needless to say I didn't eat but a couple of bites, since it was pretty dry. The Alfredo sauce had no flavor. I definitely could have done better myself. When you go out to dinner the point is not having to cook at home. I spent 39.00 with tax and top for a meal I didn't enjoy. Boo! And uneventful and disappointing to say the least. Ok ... So they ordered dessert. The espresso crunch gelato was tasty as I tried that and their tiramisu was very well done. I didn't try the cannoli as I didn't want to take from my friend's medium size cannoli. Not enough to share. Here's my final take away... I'm not sure if I'll ever go back as I had been there once before for happy hour and it was SPENDY for a happy hour. We all could have ordered a meal for the price of half hour. Needless to say they don't do HH anymore. I have to wonder why. ? I think I can guess. Im really surprised the owner didn't check in when I didn't receive my dinner and that they had all received theirs and then when it was sent back, he didn't check. I'm not sure if it will be a long term establishment in the long run Anyway thats my review the good, the bad, the unsavory! I think I'll stick with Mario's ( basically a block or 2 over or Johnnie's. May e even Zozo's.

There's something about good Italian food that just feels like comfort, and this place definitely…read moredelivered. The food came out hot, fresh, and full of flavor, with generous portions that actually felt worth the price. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce tasted rich without being overwhelming, and everything had that warm, homemade feel you want from an Italian restaurant. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere made it a great spot to sit down, relax, and enjoy a meal without feeling rushed. Definitely a place I'd come back to when I'm craving some good Italian comfort food. Overall it was $77 and there was so much food !

I came here not really knowing what to expect. It's a small dining area and bar area. They do take…read morereservations, please note. We didn't have one so we ended up pretty tight at the bar, but we made do. While waiting to order I did check a few yelp reviews about it. Michael had it right that the lasagna is the star item here. Don't doubt it. Just order the lasagna and then the tiramisu (not made in house, but very good). Lasagna was 5/5 flavorful and unique. Love that it's baked in this boat dish and overflowing with bubbled cheese. I really like that the salad seemed to be non bagged lettuce and hand grated carrot and the vinegar dressing was excellent for us health minded folks. The salad was just that though. Lettuce and carrots. Fine by me! If you read my reviews, you will know I'm a bread stick/ garlic cheese bread, cheese bread fanatic. I go around town trying them all. The appetizer serving here was PLENTY, but it didn't really stand out in any way for me. I didn't want to waste my carb cals on it, and just ate a few. The sauce is very spice heavy (not heat) with plenty of Italian seasonings in there. If you're interested in trying it, stick to the 1$ add on to your meal. I appreciate you can order half order and side orders and combos for people who can't decide. We also had the beef ravioli, cheese ravioli and spaghetti and meatball. None of those really stood out for me and I passed on most of them and focused on my dates lasagna. Lol The story about the family immigrating from Italy and using their own ravioli press from Italy is what really is the charm here. I really liked that story. Make sure to read it. It's on the back of the menu. They had a cool old cash register, but you could barely notice it with all the clutter around the bar area. I'd like to see more of that and the story of it. All in all, this was a fun place to experience and try since it's a local spot. I'd 100% only order the lasagna if I came back and maybe try a pizza. As a person who is indecisive, I also appreciated a limited menu (it saves minutes in my life). I'd love to see chicken parm on the menuuuu!

Came here per recommendations from a friend. My friend's family used to eat here frequently years…read moreago. It has a hometown feel. The staff was friendly. We made reservations prior and we were seated immediately. The food had good flavor and was a decent portion for the price. You get served complementary garlic bread, which was served hot and was delicious. I got a small Caesar salad with my meal with a dressing on the side. I ordered the cioppino which was served with pasta. I liked the flavor. My friends got the spaghetti with meatballs and chicken Parmesan. We all finished our foods. We ended our meal with the tiramisu which was a large portion and was delicious.

Really nice cozy homey environment, and super friendly staff…read more Unfortunately, nothing that we had was palatable. The starter minestrone was too salty, beany, and garlicky; the garlic bread was way too buttery and salty; and the main courses (polenta with prawns--more like shrimp--and linguine with clams--seemingly canned clams) were both overly garlicky, salty or otherwise problematic: not enough pasta, huge wedges of garlicky polenta, etc. Happy to give them another try and update my review, as the menu had some really good variety, including some nice healthy-sounding dishes like grilled eggplant and cioppino, and the desert menu had some nice -sounding options.

Italian fare served in a quaint yet modern dining room with small outdoor heated patio…read more Menu is a mixture of Italian Classics and more progressive creations. Extensive wine list at typical prices. Full bar. Ravioli Uvo appetizer is as good as everyone says. Make sure to get bread to dip in the egg yolk and oil. Homemade pasta dishes are excellent and although the prices are pushing the ceiling for pasta in Reno, they are actually reasonably priced for the quality you are getting. If you're really hungry some dishes the portion size could be a bit more generous. I got the spaghetti with mushrooms and wished there was about 50% more when someone else got the Paparadelle with brisket which seemed like significantly more food. Service was overall good but a bit uneven at the end due to server swap. Being that the ambiance is excellent (not too stuffy not too casual), service is acceptable, food was excellent and prices are neither bargain or overpriced, this is a borderline 5 stars for Reno. Maybe a 4 if you are used to dining in larger cities with a larger, more competitive gourmet dining scene.

My first visit to this Italian Restaurant and I really enjoyed coming here. Our server was…read moreknowledgeable of the menu and took time answering questions we had about some of the food selections. The food was exceptional. Great place for celebrating special occasions or date nights. Reservations Accepted and recommended.

I found this place on Yelp and you did not disappoint! Great…read morebartenders, helped me choose a perfect wine. Place is a hit loud but super fun and hip. The pizza is amazing - crust was perfection. Ordered a salad with strawberries and ??? sorry BUT it was great. I've already been back with other friends! Shout out to Nicci at the bar.

I really wanted to love this place after reading some great reviews!…read more However, we felt it was overrated and disappointing. First, we showed up on a Friday evening around 7pm, and was told there was a 25 min wait. We said no problem and went for a little walk. We even walked all the way to another restaurant called The Shore to see the menu and then decided to try the pizza place. It is a huge restaurant with an inside bar and outdoor patio with lots of seating. The outside looks amazing, but the inside was cramped and super stuffy and hot. We tried to order some drinks inside but the bartender was super busy and then a server came up and basically told us to wait until we got seated before ordering drinks. After another 10-15 min, we finally got seated. I looked around, and there were a lot of people sitting and waiting for food at tables. The waitress was nice, and we ordered our food right away. After waiting an extraordinarily long time with no food or service, we waved the waitress over and she went to check on our order. Came back and said it would be 10 more minutes. Can she offer us some nuts and olives? We were starving so we ate all that was given to us. Finally, our food came out! We only ordered marinara pasta with chicken&mushrooms (since the meatballs were already gone) and one Cherrypicker pizza. The homemade pasta tasted good, but chicken and mushroom was skimpy. Then the pizza had great crust, but the middle was soggy and wet probably from the cherry tomatoes. It took us about 2 hours to get fed that night. I think many other people had the same level of service that night. The place has potential, but I think they need more staff.

I met a friend here for a light dinner and a drink . I ordered an Argentina red wine that was sweet…read moreand perfect. I also ordered the Cashell Salad that had mixed greens, apples, Gorgonzola , candied pecans and dried cherries. I added chicken with that and it was delicious! It was a large salad. The service was spot on. Loved the relaxing vibe!

This may be owned by the same owner's as Johnny's but there is NO resemblance in the high quality…read morecaliber. I would describe this restaurant as "business casual". When you walk into the restaurant you walk down the center of the building between two dining areas which makes it feel more like a takeout place rather than formal dining. I also agree with another review I read that said this Italian food didn't taste particularly special. Everything we tried tasted like something that your standard grocery store/home cook could make. Even the chicken Parmesan was disappointing! I was especially disappointed because we came to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary and the waiter didn't even have any recommendations of wine pairings to go with the different entrées. The bread that was served at the table had little burnt pieces of garlic and was flavorless. The oil and balsamic blend provided had little balsamic in it and every time I dipped my bread I usually got only oil and no balsamic. The outdoor patio was nice until the loud noise from a car wash(?) turned in every 5-10minutes. In short, lesson learned, never try a new restaurant for a special occasion even if it's rumored to be related to a restaurant you love.

What an Excellent restaurant! Character everywhere you look, comfortable seating and atmosphere,…read moreand the food is SO good, no matter what you may order. We came in for lunch on Wednesday, July 22, and enjoyed the spaghetti with meatball and a Prime rib sandwich. Jamie took SUCH good care of us, as ALWAYS. Not sure what we enjoy more, the entrées, the lunch specials, the delicious cocktails, or Jamie! She is the perfect Ambassador for Pinocchio's, and every time we visit we immediately look forward to our next!!

Date night at Pinocchio's! Hadn't been here in a few years and decided to go back in. Place is cute…read morecrowded with a bunch of antique things ! Service was good our waitress was nice ! Food not soo much big portions but was disappointed in our order! Hubby got steak well done and we had to send it back once to be cooked more. Pasta was ok not as seasoned as I thought with all the different foods they had in it. We ordered the polenta and I was not happy thought it was gunna be something different I had in the past. Overall we had a good night but probably wouldn't come back.

Absolutely amazing place! I work in the industry and had some guests at my restaurant recommend La…read moreFamiglia, so I decided to stop by on my night off. The ambiance here is top tier, almost feels like you're transported to Little Italy. I chose to sit in the bar area being a party of one and it was the perfect, cozy space. The bartender was my server and he did an amazing job. I ordered the escargot style lobster first -- and it was INCREDIBLE. Easily one of the top 10 best things I've ever had. For my entree, I chose the truffle mushrooms with chicken and it was phenomenal. Cannot wait to go back -- and absolutely will be putting this on my short list of fav places in Reno.

I've been past this restaurant many times and I always wanted to try it. I finally got to and I was…read moreable to enjoy a delicious dinner. Very happy to find a good lasagna where you can choose from having simple marinara or a bolognese sauce. We chose the bolognese and it was a perfect addition to the cheese lasagna. Plenty of cheese and sauce, the cheese pull was crazy. The veal Marsala was delicious, tender, and had great flavor. The sauce was rich in flavor somewhat lemony with plenty of mushrooms and coated the pasta perfectly. The pasta seemed to be very fresh and had great texture. We arrived 20 minutes after their 5 pm opening without reservations on a Friday and we had the option to choose the bar area which was great for us. The drinks were delicious. The basil mojito was very refreshing. The old fashioned was perfect and traditional. Great waiter and attentive. Helped me choose and offered me a good drink. Good Italian restaurant with a semi casual atmosphere.