My husband and I are fans of Cristian Petroni. We were excited to try his restaurant and he did not disappoint. This was the best breakfast we had on this trip. The parsley sausage was delicious and the blueberry ricotta pancakes were also delicious, we also enjoyed some excellent tasting coffee. The service was outstanding Thank you for a very enjoyable experience and delicious breakfast. The restaurant and ambiance was lovely. The decor was so pretty. We're planning on eating dinner at Ella's tonight. read more

We had dinner here our first night in Nashville. It has a quiet elegance and great for an intimate conversation over dinner. Service was excellent. It was walking distance from our hotel and a couple of blocks to Broadway so great location. I chose the halibut and it was delicious. It was tender inside but had a nice sauted crisp on the outside. Unfortunately, I did not like the veggies that came with it and I pretty much love all veggies. It was listed as summer squash escabeche. Not something for my palate in taste or texture. Husband had the Lumache alla vodka pasta and it was very good. We started with the meatball appetizer. Loved that. We finished with the affogato which is one of my favs. read more

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A friend recommended Ella's to us while in downtown Nashville. We arrived and were seated right away. Our waiter was very friendly and provided great service throughout our meal. He recommended the homemade mozzarella sticks with their marinara sauce as an appetizer. They were very good. I enjoyed the sauce so much that I ordered the chicken parm with spaghetti. My wife ordered the halibut over spinach. Both of us enjoyed our meal. We ended up ordering cannolis for dessert. Both of us enjoyed the whole meal. The restaurant is very modern and a bright place. You can see your meal being prepared by the chefs with an open concept. read more

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Went for a solo breakfast since I was a guest at the hotel. The staff is friendly and the place is really nice. Great for a quiet breakfast. The pancake was amazing, the texture, the butter - just perfect. The Prosciutto Benedict, is truly amazing. I finished up the whole plate. The focaccia was freshly made, paired with the prosciutto, eggs and the salad, it was a true delight. The potatoes and the cheese sprinkled on top added a nice kick... this was truly amazing breakfast. read more

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Located on the ground level of the Hyatt Centric Hotel, Ella's has options for those who are lodging there, stopping by solo or with friends. Bar seating or table seating for small to large groups. We didn't need reservations but if you are in a large group, it'd be recommended. There is a hostess in the middle of the space. Based on where you enter, you may not notice. It seemed like a longer than usual wait for the food to come out but we were both happy with the presentation, portion and flavor of the dishes we chose. The price point for some hotel restaurants can be higher but based on portion size they were appropriate. Our hostess was accommodating and made the effort to ensure she checked on us, we were happy and that she was there if needed. She answered any questions I had and was pleasant. My spaghetti with shrimp was spicier than I'd imagined but I like it. It arrived hot, the amount of shrimp in the dish was plentiful. The decorating and ambiance was chill. Plenty of windows to allow natural light and well decorated. I am open to returning and exploring other items from the menu. read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Blueberry ricotta pancakes with a side of bacon. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Good breakfast place. The blueberry pancakes were my favorite. Nice ambiance for a cozy breakfast. Would definitely come back read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Blueberry RICOTTA PANCAKES - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Hidden gem located in the lobby of the Hyatt Centric. Atmosphere offers several great sitting spaces. I chose the patio and had a great experience with service and the food was incredible. Beyond expectations, I was thrilled to have chosen Ella's. read more

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Had a simple lunch, arugula salad and margherita pizza, both excellent! Perfect amount of cheese on top, lots of toasted pistachios, and just the right amount of lemon vinegarette! The pizza equally good, w tasty San Marzano tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella and perfect chew on a nicely charred pizza! Bravo read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The service was very prompt. We started with fried meatballs with sauce and prosciutto with Parmesan and fresh mozzarella, both were very good. Our entrees were spaghetti with clams and chicken Parmesan. The spaghetti with clams was excellent. The only negative was it had a lot of fresh garlic. Overall though it was very good. The chicken Parmesan came out on spaghetti abs was huge. Easily 2 meals. I would definitely recommend prices were reasonable. read more

Ella’s on 2nd - SPAGHETTI & CLAMS - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Ella's chef's kiss! This was a date night for myself and my husband. He picked it and what a good pick it was. The service is amazing and the food was excellent. This is a must go to restaurant. read more

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Great place to stop by for happy hour or brunch. The staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is really pretty. My meal was delicious--especially the potatoes, which were my favorite part. Our waitress even let us choose orange juice and pineapple juice for our mimosas, and we loved both flavors. Would definitely come back! read more

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Checked this place out for a post-thanksgiving family dinner. We ordered family style and started with the meatballs, shrimp scampi, eggplant parm, and mozzarella sticks. The meatballs were delicious and not too salty, the mozzarella sticks could have been a little meltier but were still good, eggplant parm was delicious as was the shrimp scampi. For dinner, we got the chicken Parmesan (my favorite , esp when eaten with the chicken ragu rigatoni), the mushroom pizza (not our favorite), and the spicy papardelle, which was also really enjoyable. Things changed for dessert - the tiramisu was fine, but the chocolate budino was way too hard and not mousse like and the gelato was more like ice cream than gelato and was way gummy. Would definitely recommend for mains and apps but not for dessert! read more

My husband and I had a great experience here at Ella's. We had our anniversary dinner here and loved it. We started with the mozzarella sticks and oh my they were perfect. The cheese was amazing and the cheese pull was exquisite. I order the pappardelle with tomato sauce and my husband got the chicken parm. The portions are huge so you can go with a larger group and share everything or have enough for lunch the next day. Our server was super friendly and helpful with recommendations off of the menu. The restaurant is great for a date with dim and vibey lighting. This is located in the lobby of the Hyatt Centric hotel so if you're staying in the hotel this is convenient for dinner while in town. I would go back for the mozzarella sticks alone but everything we order was delicious. There is a paid parking lot across the street or you could valet your car with the hotel if you wanted. read more

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TikTok led us here for the dining experience. We made reservations in advance but arrived early and were pleasantly seated 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The restaurant's ambiance was perfect for a date night, offering an intimate setting with dim lighting. Our waiter was fantastic--despite managing multiple tables, he remained attentive to our requests and needs. For appetizers, we started with mozzarella sticks and steak fries. Both came out hot, fresh, and satisfying, easing our hunger. For the main course: * Chicken Rigatoni and Ragu: 6.5/10 * Lemon Ravioli with Salmon: 7.5/10 The pasta was clearly Italian-inspired, featuring al dente noodles and a bright lemon zest. The salmon was seared to perfection on both sides, complementing the dish. Though we were too full for dessert, our waiter surprised us with a rich dark chocolate fudge cake with strawberries and whipped cream in celebration of our friend's engagement. The tiramisu also seemed like a popular choice--nearly every table had one! Pro tip: Valet parking is recommended. It's $10 after applying the restaurant's discount code. We're not locals, but the area seems to offer some exciting nightlife options nearby--definitely worth exploring after dinner! read more

Ella’s on 2nd - RIGATONI & ROASTED CHICKEN RAGU and Lemon RAVIOLI with salmon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Ella's has quickly become one of our favorite restaurants in Nashville! We came here for the first time at the beginning of February and we had a fantastic meal with great service from our waiter, Matt. We had great cocktails and delicious fresh ricotta to start. My wife had the salmon picatta and she loved it and I had the margherita pie, which I loved. We finished our meal with a chocolate budino and chocolate cake and the whole meal was just outstanding. We were able to come back the past month for a dinner by Chef Christian Petroni himself and it was an even better meal; the food throughout the meal was cooked to perfection and everything was just absolutely delicious. It was so much fun as well to talk with Chef Petroni and he's just a great guy. Service was excellent with this dinner as well and the manager, Bill, is very kind. They have a great thing going on here and we can't wait to come back again! read more

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We ordered a couple happy hour pizzas to share, along with some ice cold beers. Sitting on the patio to enjoy this with our travel companions made for a perfect late afternoon. The bartender/server was very sweet & accommodating. read more

Ella's is such a cool spot inside the Hyatt, really well decorated inside and the staff couldn't have been nicer. We had a big group of about 25 they kept us happy the whole night. We went with the Famiglia Menu (Medio option) and wow, the food just kept coming. Two favorites for me, the hand made mozzarella sticks were amazing, and the Fusilli alla Vodka was excellent. Portions were huge, luckily one of the gentleman is from Nashville and took the leftovers home to his family, they will probably eat for a week. read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

We had reservations and had the place almost all to ourselves. The place was bright with lots of greenery. Everyone was super friendly. Our server was great and attentive. My husband got the steak and it was cooked to a perfect med rare! I did the chicken parm, I'm not supposed to have gluten but that's what I wanted. Our server suggested subbing the gluten free pasta and I will say it was the best gluten free pasta I have ever had. My husband couldn't even tell it was gluten free! Overall great experience and great meal. read more

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A Ceasars salad with iceberg lettuce and mushy pasta 2 times. I sent the first pasta dish back and the same mushy pasta again. Won't be back. Service was sub par. read more

I had a decent dining experience. The service was exceptional. Our waiter, Jay, was great. However, the food was subpar. The meatballs were average. My Pizzeria salad was small for $15. Just "meh" food. read more

Ella’s on 2nd - PIZZERIA SALAD - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I loved this place. Dimly lit. The shrimp scampi was buttery and flavorful. I went by myself and the waiters at the bar high boy tables were attentive and friendly. If I visit Nashville ask. I'll be back! read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Mocktail - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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We got lucky cause this restaurant was near our hotel in downtown Nashville. It's in the Hyatt Centric hotel. We had two awesome experiences here. The first was just the bar, as the restaurant wasn't open in the afternoon. The second was for a weeknight dinner in the dining room. At the bar we enjoyed two appetizers and a couple drinks. Found a red from Puglia that I really liked. Husband was very happy with his Dirty Martini, plus he found a bourbon he liked that he hadn't had before. We shared the Mozzarella Sticks (not on the bar menu but she got them to make them for us...score!)...plus the Ricotta with Broccoli. The Mozzarella Sticks have got to be the best ones we've ever had, and the sauce with it is rich topped with fresh basil. Highly recommend. The Ricotta was very good also. Came with a lot of nicely charred broccoli. Would have preferred the broccoli to be warm, not cold, but it was still tasty. Also thought it could have used a touch of balsamic, or maybe just more lemon. A few days later we stopped for dinner and got lucky without reservations to get a table. Loved the Shrimp Scampi, and the Linguine with Clams. Husband enjoyed his fresh pappardelle & spicy tomato sauce with added meat. Both times we enjoyed very good service. Would have loved to run into Christian Petroni to let him know we really enjoyed our experiences, but no such luck. We were told he isn't in very often, so the odds were not in our favor for that. read more

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We went for the Christmas buffet so that's all I'm reviewing today. Price was on the high end, so I was expecting good quality. For the most part, everything tasted good. Standouts for me were the polenta (sooo creamy and cheesy), the meatballs with gravy (marinara), and the broccoli with whipped ricotta. The tiramisu was also delicious. The lows here would be the crab claws which I was sad about because crab is my favorite. But these were very watery and tasted bland. Our server was quick and courteous, as well as the bartender who helped us figure out where to check in. The cooks behind the counter though weren't very friendly. They stared at me awkwardly when I went to grab food. I felt really weird and self conscious with that! The ambience was nice - the restaurant is off the lobby of the hotel and not too large. It was decorated for the holidays so I felt very festive. I'd love to come here again, but maybe not for the buffets. read more

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I had a great experience here! I sat at a high top table which was cool to be able to see into the kitchen. I got the fig and goat cheese pizza which was delicious! It's a great size, not too big for a personal sized pizza. The staff was really friendly and helpful and the ambiance is just lovely! read more

We stopped in for breakfast because we only had about 45 minutes before we had to leave. Before being seated, we asked if we'd have enough time, and we were assured that we would. We ordered our breakfast and drinks right away, but after waiting the entire 45 minutes, our food never arrived. During that time, the restaurant wasn't busy, in fact, it continued to empty out rather than fill up. Our server was friendly, but he only came to our table twice: once to take our order and once to bring our drinks. He never checked in on us or gave us an update on the delay. If you're looking for a quick breakfast before work, travel, or another commitment, I wouldn't recommend coming here. Even when the restaurant wasn't crowded, the service was far too slow for a simple breakfast. read more

Modern boho take, with dark moody colors, incorporating light neutral colors, very comfortable casual vibes. Opening dinning area, with bar and high top chairs. The food is classic Italian style cuisine with a flair. Tonight I ordered simple Cesar salad, with a side of eggplant Parmesan. For my taste, the salad has a little too much Parmesan, however the taste is incredibly rich, hits all the right flavor profile. Definitely taste the anchovies. The salad is huge!!!!! Enough for 3 people. The eggplant Parmesan is fresh, layered with red sauce and sprinkle of cheese. I would have loved for it to be more warmer type of dish, with a little more crispness to it. My dish was room temperature. The service is very attentive, my server extremely polite, checked up on myself and refilled the my water without asking. Managers did the same as well. End the evening with a warm cup of tea. Hit the spot. On a side note, ask for a bigger plate for the salad. It's enormous for the size of plate it arrives in. If you're attending Nashville Symphony for an event, definitely eat here. They will comp your parking fee with proof of event show for that evening. Besides these few small suggestions, I highly suggest this restaurant and I will be back. read more

I was in town for the weekend to run a half marathon, and I was looking for a place to do some last bit of carb loading on Friday night. I saw Ella's on Yelp, and was familiar with Christian Petroni's name from his appearances on Food Network. It also happened to be a block from my hotel, so it was a no brainer to give it a try. I got there about 8pm, and there were no tables available. I was by myself though and asked if I could sit in the bar area, and they were more than happy to oblige that request. My server, Brittany was great! She answered all my questions and recommended a wine for me. I ordered cacio e Pepe and fusilli alla vodka, along with a glass of white wine. Both pastas were fantastic, and were just what I need to top off my carb loading! The ambiance was good, and would serve as a great place for a casual dinner, a date night, or a special occasion. read more

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Here's the good aspects. The server and hostess were fantastic. The honey drizzled pepperoni pizza and the meatballs were excellent. And our table was ready upon our arrival. Here's the not so good. The martini was room temperature and kinda expensive for nothing more than a double shot of gin for $24. The $25 reservation fee is bizarre. And as for my dinner....i had the chicken parmigiana. It was massive it's as if 3 large chicken breasts were pounded into a single plate size chicken. It was overcooked and dry. The marinara was over cooked. Not burnt, just too thick, it had the consistency of peanut butter. And no Parmesan was to be found. The only cheese were 3 small squares of mozzarella partially melted onto the chicken. I won't be back read more

Only had cocktails but the food menu looked exceptional. Would come back for food when next in town. Beautiful space. Great, friendly and attentive bartender on a Saturday afternoon post 4th of July. Make it a stop when you're in town and looking for authentic New York style American Italian food. read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Amalfi SPRITZ - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I really had a great experience here. I forgot to actually take a photo but I can tell you that Chicken Parmesan is incredible. The service is great in the location is very convenient in downtown if you're staying in one of the area hotels and are looking for a good place that offers a mix of breakfast and lunch. This place is a serious contender for one of the better experiences. read more

The food was amazing! I loved the Alla Vodka Pasta and my friend truly enjoyed the Chicken Parm. We also both enjoyed our drinks. The rose wine was so refreshing! While it is on the pricier side the portion size and taste totally match up to price. Service was great, waiter was attentive, kind and great at answering our questions. Nice place to enjoy catching up with a friend or to enjoy with a group. Highly recommend you try Ella's! read more

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We ate there Thursday the 07/11/2025 . We have seen Christian Petroni on Guys Grocery Games Many Times so we thought we woulkd give it a try . We started off with the Mozzerella Stick , my wife couldnt get enough of the marinara. There was 1/2 pound of cheese in our 3 sticks. They were Fantastic. The Specal that night was lemon Ravioli. OMG!!! Delicious!!!The Food was Great !! Our Waitress that night was Savanah, She made the dining experiance Great!! The service was fantastic !!! Food was Great ! Definetly would go Back!! 5 stars for us! read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Mozzarella Sticks - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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My partner and I ate at Ella's while visiting Nashville for a few days. Having seen Christian Petroni on various Food Network shows, we were excited to check out his restaurant. We went on a Tuesday evening around 8pm and were seated immediately without a reservation. You might need one for a busier Friday or Saturday night, but we were staying at the hotel in which the restaurant is located for 4 days and it was never packed. The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated. Feels very upscale and modern, while cozy and intimate at the same time. For food, we started with the Housemade Mozzarella Sticks and an order of the Steak Fries. Both were fantastic. This is the mozzarella stick to beat all other mozzarella sticks - they were thick, gooey, and had the perfect crunch. The fries were equally impressive. So crispy and so delicious. It was an excellent start to the meal. For mains, I got the Chicken Parm and my partner got the Fresh Pappardelle with Spicy Tomato Sauce. He added on meatballs too. I really enjoyed the bites I had from my partners dish, but felt indifferent about my Chicken Parm. The menu description says "crispy cutlets" but there was nothing crispy about them. They were so completely swamped in marinara that they were actually kind of soggy. Additionally, with the amount of marinara on the chicken, combined with the same marinara on the spaghetti which comes on the side - it was a marinara overload for me. I like marinara (and this is a good one) but the entire dish just started to taste the same after a few bites in. I'd recommend this place and would come back without hesitation. But I wouldn't order the Chicken Parm again. I would absolutely order the mozzarella sticks though! read more

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As a Food Network fan, I was very excited to try this restaurant. The decor was very simple, nondescript, sterile, and on theme with the location in a hotel lobby. I thought the ambiance could benefit from a little character from Chef Petroni. The service was average, and our server seemed to be phoning it in, which was disappointing given the reviews we saw about amazing service. A restaurant at this price point should have friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable servers, it makes a huge difference for the overall dining experience. Also, the restaurant was empty when we arrived, but the hostess chose to seat us next to the bathrooms and service station. We started with the meatball appetizer. The Sunday sauce was delicious, and I could make a meal of that and a loaf of bread. The meatballs on their own were average, had a good texture, but we expected them to be more flavorful. Also, most of our bread had parts that were over toasted to the point of having an acrid burnt flavor. For my entree, the truffle risotto was delicious, perfectly seasoned, and the breadcrumb topper was a nice touch for texture. My wife got the salmon and the first time it came out it was overcooked. When she sent it back, it basically came out raw. She was very disappointed, and left dinner still hungry since the fish was inedible. To their credit, the server did make it right and took the entree off the tab. At the end of the day, there are other, better places for Italian food in Nashville. read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Truffle risotto - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Christian Petroni has been someone I've followed for a long time. I love his Italian roots being brought to life. His meals have new ideas with classic traditions. Being from the north east I was super pumped to see he had an Italian restaurant being put up in Nashville. We constantly crave Italian from back home so this was a huge deal for all of us as a family. I was a bit let down by this place though, I'm not sure if I put it on a pedestal or not before even trying it but was expecting to be absolutely blown away. I'm not saying it was bad but just was expecting that WOW factor. The Sauce was phenomenal, only element that reminded me of home and saved the entire experience as a whole. I ordered margarita pizza and the pappardelle with meatballs. Pizza was a stereotypical Neapolitan style pie, I enjoyed it. Pasta dish was good but the pasta itself seemed a bit sticky instead of that silky smooth pasta I've had before at high end Italian restaurants. Almost like they left the pasta out to dry first and it got all sticky. The meatballs had good flavor but I was confused by the style. Meatballs were a bit dry, had a harder outer shell with no moisture inside. The chicken parm was the biggest let down of all the dishes unfortunately. Knowing how passionate Christian is of his authentic Italian I was surprised how the chicken cutlet of the chicken parm was so underwhelming. My wife described it as similar to something she would get at Olive Garden. No crisp to the cutlet whatsoever, it was a soggy piece of chicken parm. It was like rubber. Very sad because we love chicken parm from back home. The fries on the side of chicken parm is something we've never seen before and was a huge throw off, fries were very good just a strange choice. Ella's is a great place with a well educated staff. Be sure to know you are going to drop some money here as well, this is not a place to get Italian on a budget. We spend around 300 on 4 ppl. The sauce stole the show, and really put the whole meal on its back. read more

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We started with two non-alcoholic drinks: the NA-Groni and the Dry Spritz. Both super refreshing, but tasted similarly bitter. Then we ordered the four dishes our server recommended. First up: the Housemade Mozzarella Sticks. When they told us the mozzarella is freshly pulled every morning, they were not lying. These were huge, perfectly cheesy, and paired with their 8-hour marinara... gone in seconds. Next, the Fried Meatballs, which were good with their freshly baked focaccia. For entrées, we got the Salmon Piccata which was light, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. The Pork Chop Scarpariello, which came with crispy potato croquettes, was a hearty dish The restaurant isn't too crowded with their tables spaced out, so I was able to enjoy the conversations I had. All in all, Ella's stays incredibly true to the taste of their ingredients and their dishes are simple. And bonus: despite being downtown, parking is easy because they offer free valet. read more

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Far too expensive for a hotel meal. Pitiful portion size. Also don't try paying in cash because they don't have change.... My husband had the chicken parm which had a good flavor but was very thin, not much meat to it. I tried the meatballs with ricotta app which was really good. For dessert I chose the panna cotta to go. We also had a bottle of spring water. Without a tip, the bill was $90 for one entree, one app, one dessert and water. To add to that, the panna cotta was pathetically small. It tasted delicious but the portion was pitiful. Paid with cash, the server came back and said they didn't have any coins so we were shorted $.37 ... read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Pitifully sized panna cotta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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I was able to finally try this spot tonight and it did not disappoint. We started with the shrimp scampi that surprisingly had a nice level of spice to it. Then i ordered the pappardelle which was also a little spicy. I added meatballs. As someone who isn't normally a meatball fan this dish was really good. I also tasted the salmon. The sauce that it sits on took the salmon up a notch. We didn't make it to dessert however I highly recommend this Italian spot. The restaurant was really cute, our waiter was very nice and walked us through the highlights of the menu. I wish I could remember his name because he was great! The restaurant is downtown inside of the Hyatt Centric. We parked in the lot right across from the restaurant which was very pricey. I didn't see an option to valet nor did I ask if the restaurant validates parking in their lot which I would ask next time as parking in the open lot was the only negative for the night. read more

Ella’s on 2nd - Shrimp Scampi - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Third time trying this spot and I've gotta say, it's disappointing. Three times in a row the food has come out lukewarm. There's no way the eggplant parm is cooked to order. It's just re-heated (and barely). The meatballs are way too dense and also taste like they're a day old (and not in that way your Nonna's food tastes the next day). This is what happens when a corporate restaurant uses a celebrity chef's name, but the chef is never there. I really wish this spot was better. Such a bummer. The bartenders are nice, though, I'll give 'em that. read more

I don't recommend Ella's by Christian Petroni. Food Burnt baked clams, mixology was off on the cocktails where you only tasted the mixers and no alcohol. They were out of 3 types of whiskey we tried to order. Risotto was just OK but missing seasoning. 2 steaks at the table requested for the same doneness, but one ended up being medium rare and the other medium well. Service Prompt, friendly, knowledgeable Ambiance Didn't feel like you were actually downtown, so that was nice. Wide open area inside, so felt airy. read more

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