I picked up easter dinner from you, and it was INSANELY GREAT! The grilled meats/veggies platter would be my go-to order every time! The eggplant parmigiana was also splendid and packed with flavor, as was the salad (those sautéed onions were LIT!) and house-made focaccia. For desert, the tiramisu was delightful, but the cannolis were simply sublime. All in all, a fantastic meal! I'm really looking forward to your next location's opening! read more

C'era Una Volta - Grilled meats and veggies are insanely great! - Italian Near Me - Alameda, California

We ordered a few dishes to celebrate our daughter's birthday with a few friends across the street at Almanac. There was a slight mix-up with the order, but they made up for it very generously, and the food was prepared on time and ready for pick up. Everyone was shocked by the tastiness of the food- we got a Ragu Lasagna and Goronzola Penne, and everyone came back for seconds if not thirds and fourths. There was plenty of food left over. We are hosting another party this weekend and plan on ordering from here again. read more

Very helpful! Priced well. Made my daughter's birthday gathering successful. Thanks. read more

I've had the delight of eating C'era Una Volta's meal at a couple of events. They arrived on time and we had an abundance of food for 50+ people. It was all delicious, from the chicken to the breads. It's authentic Northern Italian. The staff is hard working and it's evident they are eager to please. read more

We hired this caterer for a very important city event. They were prompt, helpful, reasonably priced, easy to work with and the food was delicious. I have managed hundreds of events over the last thirty years and there are not too many times I could say that even the vegetables were delicious. The appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, and salad, were all yummy! Thank you Chef Rudy and Cheryl for making me look good!!! read more

Not the worst service, but it's pretty bad even with reservations. Everyone in front, behind, and next to me have been waiting for as long as 30 minutes with visible tables that are open. It seems like the place is understaffed as multiple waitresses told us to "wait a moment" 15 minutes ago. Intolerable in a sense that it took an hour for to seat us, that's about how far we got with the dinner. No water, no service. read more

We came here as our friend wanted Italian for his birthday and since we waited til the last minute, like two days ahead, the place we wanted to go to was booked at the times we wanted so we decided to give this place a try. We haven't been here in years and we weren't disappointed. I made reservations online and indicated it was a birthday. When we arrived they noted that it was a birthday celebration but our friend, said he wasn't expecting any fanfare and sure enough, they did not acknowledge his birthday, even when we ordered dessert. My friends and spouse ordered pasta while I ordered sausage mushroom pizza and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Dessert we wanted something light so spouse and I ordered gelato and our friend ordered Affogato and liked it very much. Service was good and food was good. read more

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My gf and I came here because we had a gift card. Side note: Google, Yelp and this place's website have different operating hours listed so that's a bit confusing. But when we finally came, on a Wednesday at 6pm, we were the only ones there.... Service was average. The food was just not great. Had it not been for the drinks that we actually did like, I'd be giving it 2 stars. My gf ordered lasagna and it was such a small piece considering it comes with no side. I got a sausage pizza and it was okay. It was served on a cutting board... a used cutting board! So tacky and possibly a code violation? Idk but it didn't leave a great impression. That along with the fact that fruit flies kept hovering our table as we tried to eat. I won't be coming here again. read more

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I found this restaurant on yelp. Took my mom for Mother's Day there. They had a special brunch menu. I ordered the frittata for mom and the toast with ham and eggs. Very healthy and tasty. Mimosa, coffee and bread basket included. Service with a smile. read more

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#12 What an amazing little date night spot in Alameda. Five marvelous stars from me. We planned a tiny date night Sunday and wanted something local, but something new--enter C'era Una Volta. My fiancé told me he had an experience with this place not long ago wherein the chef welcomed him in as they were closing and told him he could not let him leave hungry--how Italian of the chef! I knew it was almost 9 (I think they either close at 9 or 9:30) so I always feel like a bother, but not him, he will go anywhere at anytime. Anyway, they welcomed us in about 8:45 last night and I could tell they may be close to closing, but they treated us like we were the first guests to arrive--that's true hospitality. We were led through a little area to a quaint little table with such a true Mediterranean feel. We sat and our service professional offered a wine list and the menu. She spoke with us at length telling us about the specials and what they had run out of by then, as business was busy earlier, before we arrived. We chose a starter plate with some delicious sheep's milk cheese, pickled veggies and beautiful meat selection. We also selected a bottle of rose to share as we began. Then I chose the gnocchi and my partner wanted the risotto. We completed our meals with an amazing cake made from olive oil. Everything was spectacular. The food, the service and the ambiance. I am most definitely putting C'era Una Volta on our list for local favorites. Thank you for the welcoming service and attention. It was most appreciated. read more

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We decided to try this quaint Lower Italian restaurant yesterday. We really enjoyed the experience. I ordered a bit off menu, and got fresh pasta with a red meat sauce. It was good, but the noodles were more like egg noodles and the sauce was good but not nuanced. My husband got the lasagna and said it was excellent. It had a lot of Unami meat flavors, he said. My son ordered the Gorgonzola Gnocchi, it was super tasty. We got the tiramisu, and it was really perfect. The service was excellent. We were surprised by a impromptu concert of Lower Italian music and some dancing. We felt like we had traveled to the Pulia Region, (the boot heel), of Italy! read more

For Mother's Day, my daughter and husband brought me here for lunch - mmm, it's Italiano and what a treat on this special day. Reservations at 12:45 pm - check. Seated immediately - check. Bread basket filled with bread and croissant served without the long wait - check. Fresh little mound of mozzarella, basil and cherry tomato with light virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar whetted the appetite - delizioso. Husband also ordered a bottle of Prosecco for the occasion and it was my first time having an Italian sparkling wine - dry, but went well with the filet of salmon, pasta and vegetable medley. The salmon was absolutely perfect - fresh, moist and with the squeeze of lemon, it's buon appetito all the way around. The fresh vegetable medley of green beans, baby carrots and brussel sprouts were great (not overcooked and had its crunchiness). I finished my veggies like a good little girl, so I could have dessert. However, the pasta was a tad too spicy (the pepperoncinos) for me, my mouth was slightly on fire and I knew the result would be "heartburn city". I had to pass on the spicy pasta. Maybe I should have asked for the pasta with the mushroom sauce. Daughter and husband suggested drinking the sparkling wine or water to cool me off. Finally, to conclude my meal and customarily in an Italian restaurant, I have to indulge in a piece of my favorite dessert, tiramisu. Cera Una Volta certainly holds it own with this dessert in presentation and taste - 5 stars!!! Because it is such a sinfully rich dessert, I shared it with my daughter and I know one thing - I don't want to hear her tell me..."awww, you holdin' out on me. Now why you wanna be like that...naw, naw, naw that ain't even right to be holdin' out...LOL. Besides sharing is caring. The waitstaff was very attentive...filling our water glasses and asking if the food was fine. The ambience was nice, and hearing Santa Lucia being sung brought to my mind the three tenors...Spaniards Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, and Italian (the late) Luciano Pavarotti. Next I heard La Donna e Mobile and O Sole Mio playing in the background (not loud), but so serene and subtle - lending to a perfect Mother's Day lunch and an enjoyable afternoon. Second day at the Park Street Spring Festival...here I come to walk off the food. Next stop will be the Motown Revue at the Alameda Elks Lodge - 5:00 PM. read more

C'era Una Volta - Italian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Review is for the food not service. Ordered delivery via Caviar which came fairly quick. Ordered rigatoni with walnut basil pesto and the margherita pizza. I'll make this short and quick. Pasta was over cooked and flavors just weren't there. I'd like to have more basil and maybe offer pine nuts as an option to keep it traditional. It was just lacking. Not sure if they make their pasta in house but it didn't seem like it. Pizza gods would be ashamed if they saw this. It's more like a frozen pizza you find in safeway. Ingredients didn't taste fresh and I'd like to see a bit of a char on the bottom or edges. Dough is just to airy and fluffy for my taste. Looks like they cut a lot of their items from their menu by looking at old yelp pics. Not sure if they're cutting costs but I hope they find a way to fix it. read more

C'era Una Volta - Margherita pizza - Italian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Great italian spot in Alameda. It's down an alley from Park St and the restaurant itself has a nice cozy vibe. Service and food were great. We ordered a pizza to share and individual pastas. Both were incredible. The pasta sauce was fresh but had to throw on a little bit of pepper and salt for taste. Definitely worth checking out! read more

C'era Una Volta - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Simply said, the food is always delicious and the owners are delightful to visit whenever I pick up a meal. I do miss dining at the old place on Park Street, but their new location in the Bladium building is convenient and near the temptations of Spirits Alley at Alameda Point. Most importantly, the food is the same hearty and tasty meal we love. We have had takeout often since the Covid shutdowns began, and these meals have provided a special kind of comfort in these strange times. Over the years, they have catered many client and family events for us, all with happy results. Thank you, Cheryl and Rudy! read more

My wife and I dropped in after the movie. This is a little hidden away. We like this place particularly since they have gluten free pasta options. The food came out slow mainly because they messed up one of the orders and caught it just as they were about to serve us. It was nice for them to correct the order but as a result we sat there for 10 minutes longer. The portion sizes were good so we ended up taking part of the GF pasta home. I should had completed this review right after our meal but oh well. We would go back there. When the weather is nice there is outdoor seating which would be nice. read more

We loved Cera Una Volta when they had their resturant. They now are doing catering and the food is the same quality and selection. I used them for an event the presentation and food was incredible. Everything was different not something I could whip up in my kitchen ! Thank You Cheryl and Rudy your new venture is going to be a HUGE Success ! read more

I really like this place. Just off of park street down a bricked lane. Real Italian food done just right This is not the checkered tablecloth and red sauce type of Italian. Contemporary upscale food with a reallly good wine selection. The staff is good with their wine pairing as well. read more

The place is definitely quaint and local. I've been wanting to go to their wine pairing dinner for quite a while so I was looking forward to it. Their heart is in the right place but there are things they need to work on when people are on their 2nd floor - it needed AC immensely. It was very uncomfortable to the point you had to go downstairs to cool off. The pairing of the food and wine was nice but I don't know if it was hard to hear them in guidance or should just already know as there were 3 wines given. I assumed the first was for the first dish. Then as we went along I had no idea what the other two were meant to go with. I'm not Italian so I had a hard time translating the Italian words on the food pairing to what I had like I know prosciutto & cannoli but pork chop or a certain type of pasta in Italian I don't. They did a nice presentation on the wines and their regions, but it was a struggle to hear clearly. As with the 3 wines we had which one tied to which part of the presentation. For wine is subjective, so it was nice exploring these new one's. They gave you a lot of food but it was just ok in taste. Like it was a huge breaded pork chop but I can make a breaded pork chop. This could have been overcome if the food was guided with the wine. Like which red wine was to go with the pasta vs the pork chop? Or try it one way then this way and see what you sense. The service was hard on me in the end as I was ready to go and was the last one to get the check. I kept asking but they just weren't organized to get my check to me which was baffling as I was just the wine pairing dinner; nothing additional (and I was sweating profusely as it was so hot up there). Everybody up there was for the pairing dinner so checks should have been ready then add anything additional for each customer when it was time. I'd go again as the people we were all with were wonderful. So that part was a great experience overall. And maybe it would turn out better than this one. I struggled with the 3 stars but that was my experience for this visit. read more

The family and I came here for lunch this past Saturday to celebrate my parent's 39th Wedding Anniversary. We had good weather so we all decided to seat outside. Our main server was friendly... unfortunately I don't remember her name but the other two that was assisting her were like robots... no charm or personable at all... Since we were a party of 8... I'll just review what I tasted: 1. bread with olive oil and mustard = What? Really? Is it too hard to just keep it simple with just the vinaigrette and pepper and call it a day? The family liked it but the S.O. and I didn't... for me it was trying to hard to be "different." 2. traditional caprese = Presentation was creative (tower like) but that's about it. The mozzarella wasn't creamy... it was bland and chewy in a bad way. The tomatoes weren't sweet and it was all broken up so eating it was messy and so was the rest of the dish. 3. Cozze alla Ghiotta (Sautéed mussels in a spicy tomato sauce) = presentation of this reminded me of the baked mussels you would get at dim sums. Yah... the spicy tomato sauce was on top of the mussels. I didn't dare try some b/c it just didn't look appetizing at all. Most of the familia got the lunch special that came with pasta and salad. Folks, remember this... pasta and salad. 4. Chicken Parmigiana (like) = its not on their online menu anymore but so I got this... and I asked the server if I could have a penne pesto pasta. She didn't bother asking me what salad I want. Here's where I'll go off folks: I have never, ever, seen the way they presented their dishes like them. EVER. The pasta came first... it wasn't hot... it was borderline cold. You could see the grease/oil building up ... yah, it cold. It was bland and the pasta was chewy. I thought my meal would come anytime now... since chicken parmigiana are commons served with pasta on the side. BUT NO. We waited... consumed our cold pasta and then our main entrees came. It came with the salad. Yah. What?! Not only was my dish soggy from the juices of the salad... the main dish itself wasn't edible (for me at least) at all. It's not that hard to mess a traditional chicken parmigiana. But apparently, they did. I was so turned off that after a couple of bites... I stopped eating. I just couldn't do it anymore. The cherry on top: the S.O. asked for more Coke and he was given a tiny carafe of Coke to pour onto his glass that had no ice left and he said upon his first sip: the Coke was hot. Awesome! Pasta was cold. Soda was hot. Something is wrong with that picture -- eh? Overall... probably won't be coming back here. Family (believe it or not) enjoyed their meals. I don't know if they're just that hungry since most of them were diabetic and old and just wanted to eat... It pained me to pay half for this unspeakable lunch. I was really bothered. Please reconsider before going... you're better off just going to Tomatina's. read more

C'era Una Volta is tucked away in a charming little alley off of Park Street, and is easily distinguishable at night by the pretty hanging lights extending out over the entrance and the outdoor patio. My boyfriend and I came for an impromptu dinner on a Friday night, and were happy to see that there was plenty of seating, no wait for a table. The space has really high ceilings and a warm, intimate interior that's perfect for a date night, special occasion, or like us, a spur-of-the-moment decision to treat ourselves to something nice. Our waitress was very knowledgable and rattled off the specials like a pro, one of which - the artichoke ravioli - my boyfriend ended up getting. I ordered the porcini ravioli and we got the bruschetta as an appetizer. The bruschetta was a really generous portion, with three large pieces cut into halves and topped with a LOT of delicious, juicy, well-flavored tomatoes. Our entrees came and I was in ravioli heaven, with quite a few large ravioli in a delicious cream sauce with lots of fresh mushrooms. I generally don't have a problem finishing pasta but ended up sharing a couple with my boyfriend because I getting full. I don't usually like artichoke, but my boyfriend's ravioli was very delicious and fresh. My only complaint was that everything was a bit pricey. My ravioli alone was $20, my boyfriend's was about the same price, and if you want more bread it's $1 for 2 slices - while I can understand that perhaps it's in an effort to combat waste by people who ask for more and then don't eat it, I've never been to a place that charged for more bread. I will say that everything was delicious and made very well, so I at least didn't feel I was getting reamed. Very lovely restaurant and a pleasant, quiet place for a meal. I would like to come back. read more

Another gem thanks to restaurant.com. While the address is for Park Street, the entrance is actually down the small cute alleyway. They have warm wheat bread which was delicious. We shared the caprese - which they split into 2 plates for us. Also got the cream of broccoli soup - which is as good as broccoli can be. Fred had the gnocchi - which I really enjoyed. The piccolo size was plenty. I had the Petti di Pollo alla Milanese - which was like chicken fried steak. Tasty, but not amazing. I didn't realize it would be so thin. read more

Amazing! Their pizza's tasted better than other places and we plan on coming again soon! read more

C'era Una Volta - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Alameda, California

If you want an authentic Italian dinner come visit this place. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. Both owners came out and introduced themselves and made me feel very welcomed. I visited with two other friends and we all were very pleased with our entrees and appetizers. read more

I want to love this restaurant, but I'm just giving it the A-OK. The things I really like about it are the service, the ambiance (although I agree with the other writer who said that the kids running around screaming out front do not make for a pleasant outdoor dining experience), and the wine list. The food is very high quality and the presentation is nice. I just feel they need to turn the volume up on the "Italian". Being Italian myself, I think it's odd to serve olive oil with mustard as a condiment. I've never seen that in Italy, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work for some people. They need to add more garlic, wine, perhaps more pungent cheeses/and or a bit of anchovy. and just basically kick everything up a couple of notches. Maybe they are trying to please an American palate, but I think most people who are well versed in Italian food are going to wonder where the flavor is. I ate there twice before writing this review, because I thought maybe it was just what I ordered the first time around, If you like mild flavors and fresh Northern Italian-style food, I think you will like it. read more

I was curious about why an Italian restaurant was showing up as being inside Bladium so I had to see! Was really glad I did, they do delivery and takeout and cater as well. Picked up an order to-go and got raviolis and a pizza with some profiteroles as dessert. I didn't have to wait long and the staff were so kind. They explained they had lost their main location on Park St. during Covid. Everything was delicious and the Gorgonzola pizza was especially tasty!! It was great to pick up some beers from Almanac to go with the meal too, very convenient. Will definitely be back! read more

Best Italian restaurant in the east bay The food is delicious and well presented, selection of wine is large and of high level Fresh ingredients and perfect combination of them make this place a must go read more

We had been to this neighborhood restaurant a few times but not since I went vegan last year. But...in May when we began to plan our wedding we gave it another shot because it's very cozy and the food is good. Thankfully Rudy, the chef, was quite amenable to making a vegan gnocchi dish and vegan appetizers. Our wedding reception was perfect! Everyone loved the food -- we had 3 entree choices: fish, eggplant parmigiana, and the gnocchi -- plus appetizers and salad. We brought our own wine in and the restaurant supplied sparkling water and a lovely pomegranate iced tea at each table. The staff was perfect -- very accommodating with a microphone and speaker for the head table, a dessert table for our wedding cake, and great service. I can also highly recommend their brunch offerings -- pre-vegan -- as it's probably one of the only nice brunch places on the island. read more

Cheryl and Rudy have created a beautiful place that reminds me of restaurants in Europe. You know, a place that is open almost all day and night, a good hang-out, always something interesting going on, a place to run into friends and have an espresso. I mostly visit for Sunday brunch, always a nice place to be on a sunny day...live music...both breakfast and lunch entrees served. Crepes, pasta, salads, panini, pizetta. GREAT COFFEE. Good wine list with lots of Italiano varietals, naturally. Everything we have had here is delicious and fresh tasting. The kitchen sometimes run out of ingredients (last time it was shrimp), but this lets me know they are shopping and cooking fresh, not having a massive frozen backlog of food. I am dying to get to one of their flamenco nights soon - sounds like fun! read more

I'm half Italian (my mom is from Umbria) and it's very rare that I find an Italian restaurant serving food that tastes just like the one my Nonna used to make! C'era une volta is super authentic with delicious homemade pasta, pizza, and friendly staff. On top of that the decoration is spot on! It's a little bit of Europe in Alameda. I highly recommend it! read more

Tried this place for the first time for Restaurant Week. Was unimpressed. Service was nice, but server forgot some of the orders several times. Appetizers were adequate, but the entree was unforgivable. I ordered the ribs and they were dry, tasteless, and honestly something I would have done better at home. Again, not trying to be mean, but hope they would improve on this dish. read more

I came here for a office lunch. It's in the walkway where the post office is. Service: The service here was excellent! They were friendly and professional. And I was amazed at one of the workers who had her arm in a cast but she was still working like she had both arms! The only little thing was that they forgot one of our dessert orders, but they gave us a free dessert to make up for it! Food: The food here was great! I forgot what I had because I just stole little bits of pieces of everyone's plate. Each dish was wonderful! Although, I wished I could of had my entree with my pasta. The way it works here is that they bring you a salad, then the pasta, then the entree. But the dishes were wonderful nonetheless. Overall: This place is a little pricey and the portions were on the lighter side. But I would still recommend this place. read more

We started off with the scallops appetizer. Continued with mixed grill, rib eye, and some full fish deal. By the end of our meal, we were so turned off we didn't even look at the dessert menu. So the scallops... When they arrived they had such a fishy aroma, they couldn't POSSIBLY be fresh. We tried a bite anyways... Spit it out. Asked them to take it away because the smell was nauseating, then asked them to remove it from our tab, which they politely complied with. The mixed grill was dry, but decent flavor... Lamb was the best. The fish deal was probably the best dish any of us ordered. The chef prepared it at our table... Perfect execution followed by perfect flavor and texture. My rib eye, which I ordered medium, came out well done... No pink at all and extremely dry. I asked them to redo it and get it to go since we were ready to leave (yeah, my plate came out 15 minutes later than everyone else's... Who does that???). when they brought out the new steak in a box, I checked it... It was just shy of RAW!!! Puh lease people... Are you serious? As we were taking care of the check, this lady (owner/manager?) came out and asked about our meal. We shared our disappointment and know what she said??? She said, "oh, well the scallops were fresh, but the sage can be an overpowering herb to some people." HA!!! That's funny! I keep up an herb garden including beloved sage and my dear, sage does NOT have a sour fishy taste! But wait, it gets better... When discussing the steak she said, "yeah, I keep telling them (referring to the wait staff) to ask what the customer means by medium or well done as people can have such different interpretations." Man, this lady is a friggin RIOT! Sorry lady, those term are pretty damn universal... If you're going to be in the restaurant business, you might want to learn them! Curtain closing... One star for the superb fish... And that's where our love ends. read more

So, I was was planning a wedding dinner for my son and his new bride and they live in the Oakland area. I find C'era Una Volta and call them up and the lady that answers their phone is just nice from the start and is very attentive to what i am looking for and size of our reception. The restaurant is cozy and beautiful inside... Cheryl is wonderful and Chef Rudy.. what can you say! Awesome! We had the most wonderful experience there and the attentive staff were fantastic! They truly made the day perfect! The food was mind blowing from the gnocchi to the eggplant! I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart! Thank you! You are wonderful and food is second to none! Staff is professional and courteous to no end! Wish I could give you 6 stars! We will be back! read more

Wow, why you people hating on Cera Una Volta though?! Those negative reviews definitely would've scared me off had I been yelping before we came to this place. I didn't think it was nearly as bad as people are making it out to be, but then again I guess I got lucky :) We had the Special Dinner for 2, at the time, it was for salad, small pasta, humongous roasted steak and veggies, and a dessert. Far as I know we didn't get charged for asking for extra bread... The salad was so-so, nothing that I would be tempted to order on its own. The pesto pasta was yummy! Pasta a little al dente and the pesto was flavorful without being overpowering! Now time for the steak, it was delicious. Warm all around and pink in the middle. The bones and fat it was soaking in gave it great flavor! We could only stuff in two slices each because it was so big! We had to take the rest of it home. I absolutely adored our steak! Our server was also perfect, he would talk to us, crack jokes with us, and wasn't the least bit snobby about the food or drinks. My complaint though is that there were a good amount of substitutions for things they didn't have at the time... A little worrisome for a full restaurant, right? Try it out! Can't hurt ya, especially if they have running deals on discount sites. PS- I remember nothing of dessert, is it obvious? read more

C'era Una Volta - Pesto Pasta and delicious Roasted Steak! - Italian Near Me - Alameda, California

Great service. This time around my ratings went down, because I didn't really like the food soo much! The shrimp appetizer had some tasty marinated shrimp, but it was served over a bed of cheap lettuce. The eggplant parmesan entree tasted more like lasagna, and wasn't well breaded with not much cheese on top like you would imagine. The chicken piccata was decent, but lacked any sauce. Sooo dry! I'd stick to the pork and steak entrees :P read more

Host looked at me and my daughters like we were crazy for walking in? Weird, but shrugged it off since I wanted the girls to have authentic Italian food. The bread was just okay. Food was authentic, but authentic doesn't mean tasty. In my book, it was just okay. The prices were a bit more than I expected. Atmosphere was nice, waitstaff nice. I just expected more from a restaurant that offers authentic Italian cuisine. read more

This place is so nice. I really liked the service atmosphere. Our server was really nice Italian woman Elizabetha. She was so helpful and so cute we really loved here. Wines are good food is so good. read more

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C'er Una Volta is such a quandary to me. I've had nights here where the stars and moon were aligned, the food was magical and the servers were beyond accommodating. I've also had nights where the service was amazing and the food just so-so and vice versa. Tonight was one of those night where the heavens sort of opened, but the angels sang off-key. We kept it simple because we didn't have time to think; so we asked the owner to bring us whatever he thought was good with spaghetti pasta as one parameter and salad being the other. For the salad starter, he brought us burrata drizzled with authentic modena balsamic vinegar and truffle oil and set on a bed of tomatoes and romaine lettuce sprinkled with basil chiffonade. Truffle oil is kind of like cheating because that makes almost anything edible, but everything still work elegantly well in this antipasti. The burrata was creamy on the inside with a just enough give on the outside, and the balsamic vinegar was thick, tangy and sweet. For our entree Rudy made us spaghetti boscaiola. He made it a little different than described on the menu (for the better). It was filled with nice pieces of porcini mushrooms, and tasty whole olives, seasoned with fresh cracked pepper, Italian parsley, a little bit of scallions, and home made tomato sauce. It was absolutely simple, yet deliciously complex. So, the food tonight was the part of the evening where we could see a peek into the heavens. That being said, the service was all discombobulated tonight - from waiting almost 20 min. for someone to take our order, to water not being refilled and not being filled after requesting it, to dinner plates for sharing not being brought out when the family-style pasta was served (without serving utensil I might add). Table service was was quite chaotic tonight. When you average out tonight's experience, 3 stars makes sense. Taking the other times I've been here into account, 3 star still makes sense just for lack of consistency in both food quality and service. Still, I recommend it and encourage you to it judge for yourself, especially if you're an Alamedan. It's still probably one on the best Italian restaurants on the island. read more

C'era Una Volta - Burrata drizzled with truffle oil and real balsamic vinegar - Italian Near Me - Alameda, California

The lasagna tasted like tomato flavor gum paste and old pasta microwaved for 5 minutes. Yuk