Five courses, seventy dollars, BYOB... SOLD! I recently celebrated a birthday at Fascino and was impressed on all accounts. Nice atmosphere, great service, and quality food. The tasting menu is definitely the way to go here. There is a full 5 course tasting menu for $70, or vegetarian option for $45. Portions were generous, presented nicely, and the timing between dishes was perfect. First course (PER LA TAVOLA) - peekytoe crab crostini, meyer lemon aioli, red fresno chili. Great start to the meal. Crab was delicate and flavors complemented one another. 4/5. Second course (ANTIPASTI) - crispy pork belly, romesco, asian pear, arugula, goat cheese & toasted pinenut vinaigrette. Good dish, however the pork belly was a little too fatty. Flavors were nice. 3/5. Third course (PASTA) - spaghetti alla chitarra, english peas & lobster fra diavolo, citrus crumbs. This was my least favorite dish of the evening. Spaghetti was undercooked and lobster was overcooked. Dish was a little fishy and just didn't do it for me. The best thing on the plate was the peas. 2/5. Skip this dish and go for the gnocchi (which I tried and immediately wished I ordered). Fourth course (PIATTO) - marsala glazed duck breast, pistachio puree, swiss chard, cippolini, & sweet potato finger lings. Delicious! Definitely my favorite dish of the night. Everything was cooked perfectly and the flavors were fantastic. 5/5. Fifth course (DESSERT) - Trio of desserts consisting of lemon cake, parfait, and cookie. Cake was my favorite and the cookie was also excellent. Wasn't a fan of the parfait. 3/5. Bottom line was a very good experience and I look forward to my next time here. Montclair has so many great restaurants to choose from and I would definitely recommend trying Fascino. read more

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Been at the restaurant multiple time Always had a good experience Food is very good along with good service Besides it's a byob read more

This place hits the nail on the head for homemade authentic Italian! It is very unassuming from the outside but very warm and comfortable on the inside. Now the food was outrageous. If you love pasta you need to try any of their pasta dishes since the pasta is all homemade! The fish was super fresh! The desserts were top notch too. And for being an upscale Italian restaurant the prices are very affordable!! Cannot wait to go back!!! read more

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I had been hearing positive feedback on Fascino for years and finally had a chance to try it recently. My brother and I arrived for their last 10:30 pm seating on a Saturday night. While there were a few other diners in the restaurant at the time, we were still a bit nervous about experiencing the skills of the kitchen at the end of their workday. Our server was extremely refined and polished, so his greeting eased our fears a bit. We placed our order and quickly attacked the large bread basket, full of focaccia and semolina slices. While the accompanying olive oil was packed with herbal and floral undertones, the bread was completely dried out, probably due to the late hour. We had ordered an appetizer size portion of the Truffle Scented Rigatoni to share as our starter course. The kitchen staff thoughtfully divided the portion into two bowls prior to delivering it to our table. The pasta was perfectly cooked and topped with a forest mushroom ragu and a sprinkle of castelmagno cheese. The flavorful sauce was rich and slightly creamy, though I did not detect much truffle. My Sea Scallop entrée came next. The 4 large pieces were dusted with a hint of cumin and were served over a sunchoke puree and a warm salad of beluga lentils and cippolini onions. An aromatic shellfish foam infused the essence of the sea into each component on the plate. It was a skilled and beautiful dish. My brother's Australian Barramundi, on the other hand, arrived extremely charred and dried out to the point where I was shocked that it was even permitted to leave the kitchen. He requested a re-fire, and the corrected version was much more tender and flavorful. It was served over some caramelized fennel and Tuscan kale. The aromatic coconut-spring onion broth was a very original and creative addition. Our Fascino experience was very good, but there were a few hiccups, as I mentioned. However, we felt that these were likely due to our late night dining time, so we both agreed that we would likely to revisit the space at a more normal hour. read more

For the month of January Fascino is Rosie's Rustico, at tribute to Chef Ryan's maternal grandmother. They are serving traditional Italian fare and it is spectacular! We came with friends who were equally impressed with the new menu items. We started with the grilled Romaine Wedge and Isolate Di Mare (seafood salad to die for). For entrees we enjoyed the Lasagna Rotolo, Branzino Livornese, Pei Mussels and the Shrimp Piccata. Dessert was the morellos cherry compote and limoncello gelato. Everything was delicious. The fact that the entire Depersio family was on hand to make ensure the evening went smoothly was a very nice touch. While we very much enjoy Fascino's usual fare, this evening was a real treat. We are already planning to return next week to try some of the other traditional dishes. read more

Had an outstanding dinner with a beautiful woman. Life is fabulous and so was this restaurant. Service was top shelf, the presentation was spectacular. The hard part about dining at this joint was finding parking. I paid a dude 20 bucks to let me park in the YMCA lot during an event. The pasta was fresh house made and perfectly cooked. My date had the cod dish that I sampled and it too was outstanding. I can't understand the bad reviews but I do understand everyone has a unique experience however visit tonight was excellent. I will definitely recommend this restaurant and would definitely return. Just make reservations before you go. The dining areas are small and there is no bar to wait at. read more

Very good gnocchi. Light and pillowy. Sausage and sauce was great too! Make sure to bring your own bottle!

I came here to celebrate my birthday and the food was pretty delicious as the other reviews stated. Bread was a bit stale but not a deal breaker. I had the sea bass and my husband had the scallops and both were cooked well and presented nicely. Service was also very attentive. Only thing that irked us was that we were initially given the worst seats in the restaurant (by the coat check) when other 2-seater tables were available. We had reservations, too. The host was able to accommodate our table change thankfully. Fascino's is worth checking out for a special occasion. read more

We took my Mom for her 79th birthday. My Mom is infamous for always preparing meals and never eating. I've never seen her eat much of anything until last night. Several appetizers were ordered, oysters, foie gras, and mortadella with whipped ricotta. All delicious and amazing. Our second plates were bucatini, gnocchi and papardelle. All mouth watering. The pasta was made in house and was light and cooked to perfection. Dessert was a blueberry bread pudding, chocolate molten cake and zeppoles. Nice interior decor too, modern and well lit. The service was top notch and friendly. Hopefully, we will be going back sooner rather than later. Thoroughly enjoyable dining experience. read more

This place was simply amazing-the staff is so accommodating and Chris-the manager-absolutely professional and thorough. I can not say enough as to how wonderful the service was-I planned a surprise party of 30 ppl in their back room for my husband and this restaurant was simply stellar in communication and diligence for providing excellent service. They let me bring in decor and store it in their office, the cake, balloons, table decor. The bottle service was great-would have been stupendous had they served alcohol but on the plus side it is a BYOB and they do provide drinkware; staff will store and pour wine/beer. The food? Oh my goodness-have you ever watched a room full of 30 Latinos fall quiet? It's a thing of wizardry-their food made it happen. So good! All dishes across the board were this delicious. Thank you, Fascino, for helping me give my husband a wonderful birthday!! Special thank you to the manager, Chris! read more

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We visited Fascino when it first opened years ago and loved it, but then moved out of the area. Last night we, along with another couple, went back. The wait staff was very attentive, the menu remarkably innovative, the food was artfully prepared and presented, and everything was, in a word, fabulous. It is a bit pricey, but the BYOB feature tempered the bill considerably. Go. Go often. Enjoy having such excellence right here in our own backyards. BRAVO! read more

This was our first visit to Gioia Mia and the experience was a disappointment. There are three main issues to be aware of - 1) The service is incredibly slow, with unacceptably long wait times between courses and the server disappeared, making it necessary for us to ask a staff member to get the check for us. We were never offered dessert, as the cumulative wait times put us right at the end of the service and they needed to cash us out. 2) Prices are generally much too high for what you get food-wise and they have a ridiculous 3% "convenience fee" if you pay by credit card. I realize that this has become a trend in many restaurants, but come on, who carries $200+ in cash to pay for dinner? I just took the fee off the tip, which was already reduced due to the slow service. 3) The food was nothing exceptional and again, high-priced. One appetizer (crab tortellini) had such a dominant saltiness, it was difficult to eat. I will say that the Heritage pork chop was cooked perfectly and of all of the things on the menu, this is one entree that delivered in terms of price/quality. Would I return to this restaurant?...most likely not, as there are far better options such as La Rocca if you are looking for great Italian food and better service. I cannot recommend Gioia Mia based on this experience. read more

Went to Fascino last night with another couple and have nothing but great things to say! We were greeted with smiles and right away took our bottles of wine to open. Our waiter Chris was very attentive! We ordered the special fettuccine app, the octopus which was done to perfection, and also the polenta fries (the cheese dip is the best you'll ever have). Our dinners were delicious as well! We ordered the tuna special, the pork dish, and the scallops, all seasoned and cooked to perfection! The prices were a little on the higher side but definitely worth it for a splurge! We will for sure be coming back! read more

We went on a Friday night, group of 3. We ordered appetizers, wine delivery (they facilitate delivery from a wine store), and dinner. We waited 25 minutes for appetizers, which was not pleasant but we chalked it up to being a Friday evening. After appetizers, we waited about 30 minutes for dinner and saw adjacent tables waiting upwards of that for food. We had to ask the server for an update and others were complaining more directly. Even around 10:30, when the restaurant was not busy, people were waiting long periods for food. The food was good and we were generally pleased with the pasta and pork chops, but it did not justify such long waiting periods. read more

I was there Sat. Night with a group of 6. My chicken dish was outstanding and so was the apple dessert. Three people at the table ordered the Hangar Steak. Neil ordered his medium rare and thought it was excellent, while Renee and Stan ordered theirs medium well. Renee did not think much of it and Stan though it was just okay. Linda ordered the Sea Bass dish and loved it. Melanie had the scallops and felt it was average. So six people with 3 excellents, 2 goods and 1 not so good. Service was the best I have seen anywhere. read more

One of my favorite restaurants. Fine dining Italian food at its best. This place never disappoints. Chef RD is an artist with the plating of the dishes on the menu. It's the perfect date night spot. Remember to bring a bottle of wine to this BYOB read more

Gioia Mia - #myinnerfatkidisout - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This is so worth going to. Be sure to make reservations in advance. The food is unique Italian with a delightful flair. Our appetizers were delicious, the grilled octopus was my favorite; very tender with great flavor. My Gnocchi was so good...dessert Our waiter couldn't have served us any better! BYOB read more

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This new owner Chef Ryan has ruined this once great place! To begin Ridiculous hour's and shortening serving times? Then the worst thing is he took off A delicacy that was only served by two restaurants in Monclair the other still serves it! RYAN will tell you go to Burger King that way you can have it your way! It's RYAN'S way or the Highway! NO FOIE GRAS RYAN????? It cannot be only YOUR WAY! You have lost us as customers after over a decade! read more

Upgraded to 4 stars from 3 after reflection. 3.5 is more accurate) Fascino's food is pretty good and reasonably priced: similar entrees at, say, Laurel & Sage would be 25-30% more expensive. But there were some lapses that really shouldn't be accepted at a place with aspirations like this one. I think some of the rave reviews are due to there not being any true fine dining options in the area--the kinds of places that don't slack off when it comes to details. Uniformly good things: Buttermilk baked chicken ($28), especially the dark meat. Good quality espresso. And the service was great all around. Mixed bag: Mushroom agnolotti ($15) tasted good, but the filling was gritty, and the pasta too thick and chewy. Needed salt. Tuna crudo ($15) was a good sized portion and fresh. Needed salt. Celery root/parsnip soup ($14) had a wonderful silky texture, but tasted like chicken stock and potato, not celery root and parsnip. Needed salt! Everything needed 10% more salt. The bread selection was a cheap, airy store-bought hoagie roll and an odd sundried tomato selection that seemed like cornbread. If you're going to put that out, don't bother. But the real rookie mistake was that the hanger steak ($29) was sliced with the grain, making it so chewy as to be borderline inedible. Sad, because hanger can be as tender as NY steak if you just cut it properly. Between that and the poor seasoning, it makes me think that the chef/owner has branched out to 4 other restaurants and probably not set foot in this kitchen for a while. All that said, I would come back here with relaxed expectations for an entrée sized pasta ($25) sometime. read more

New Year's Eve dinner Wonderfully expansive four course dinner - pay one price. BYO wine - else delivered at very reasonable prices from wine store across the street. Service was impeccable, Thank you and happy new year! read more

My expectations for this place were high given the many positive reviews I read and the impressive menu which boasted authentic Italian dishes. I came here on Sunday evening around 6'oclock with my fiance for our anniversary dinner and I must say from the very beginning of our time here to the very end, I felt like there was no warmth and friendly service. We made reservations and met with the host who quickly asked us if we brought wine with us, which we said we did not, and then he seemed to not care whether we dined or not, but still proceeded to fumble to find us a seat in a pretty empty restaurant. There were a few larger parties placed around the restaurant and it seemed like they were getting all of the attention and unfortunately, a higher quality of service. They all had copious bottles of wine, so I'm not sure if that is what made them instantly the focus of service. Nonetheless, we sat, waiterless, drinkless, and menuless for roughly five minutes before the host arrived again to give us menus and then the waitress asked if we wanted anything to drink. We said we would just like water for now. Again, we waited another five/six minutes for our water to actually be filled and for us to put in our dinner orders. All other tables had both water and bread out in front of them and we felt like we were being isolated for whatever the reason. When our waitress came to bring us water, she quickly left to another table, so my fiance had to flag down one of the other staff members and in an Oliver Twist-esque way ask if we could get bread. He said "of course" and then brought us back a basket of pretty low quality/tough to chew bread. No oil. No vinegar. No butter. Just stale bread. This wasn't a great start to our anniversary celebration. Thankfully, not soon after, our first course of pasta came out which was a small order of ricotta gnocchi and I must say that was my second-favorite item we ordered. It was not very thick and creamy which I am used to, but more on the light and airy side with a very robust sausage bolognese accompanying the gnocchi. It was a nice, surprising balance of flavors. Once we finished our gnocchi, our main dishes came out almost instantly. I ordered the buttermilk baked chicken, which I was under the impression would be more flaky/breaded, but it came out with very hard skin and very dry. The side of creamy fontina polenta made up for the lackluster chicken and was easily my favorite item at the restaurant. My partner, who has never had polenta, was an instant fan. The broccolini was also delicious with a wonderful black truffle jus coating. My partner ordered the black hanger flank steak, which was wonderfully sized and cooked to his medium rare expectations. It was juicy and flavorful and had me regretting my chicken decision. Halfway through our meal, we noticed the waitress didn't ask us how we were doing and also didn't refill our water, so we had to flag her down again to get her attention and ask for more water. As a previous member of the service industry, that is one of my biggest pet peeves. There is no need to forget about a table and have them thirsty for the duration of their meal, particularly if the restaurant isn't even near full in capacity. For dessert, we ordered scoops of the housemade sherbet and also the vanilla gelato, but unfortunately, again, were not impressed with our choices and ate just a quick spoonful and then asked for our check. I would like to say I would come back and try other items, but for all of the hype surrounding this place and the $$$ price for subpar service, I rather dine elsewhere. I honestly am giving this place 3-stars because the polenta was out-of-this-world delicious, the music playing was old-school rock which we did enjoy, although the service really makes for a 2.5. Try harder, Fascino's. read more

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What a great place! My husband and I went Wednesday night for our 26th anniversary. I'd heard good things about Fascino, and decided to try it out. We made reservations and I'm glad we did. The place is small and was packed for a Wednesday night. We ordered the calamari appetizer, and it was divine. The calamari was perfect, lightly breaded with corn flour, and the tomato basil sauce was incredible. We skipped the pasta course and ordered our entrees: my husband had duck breast and I had sirloin. The menu is a bit limited, and I would have chosen the fish, but the sirloin sounded too good to pass up. I like my beef rare, and it arrived the way I like it. It was perfectly seasoned and served with polenta and broccoli rabe. My husband's duck was great! I couldn't help tasting it. We ordered a side of the marscapone polenta fries with gorgonzola fonduta. OMG, that was incredible! We didn't order off of the summer specials until dessert. We shared a blueberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream, and it was great. This is BYOB. The service was above and beyond, and very courteous. I would definitely recommend visiting Fascino, and I'm very glad we went. It was a very nice way to spend our anniversary. read more

I've heard wonderful things about Fascino. Luckily, I was able to dine here recently and enjoyed the entire experience. We started of with a generous portion of seared foie gras which was devoured in a few seconds. It was so rich, buttery and delicate.. *swoooon* My entree of cod over risotto was tasty but I couldn't avoid myself from attacking the braised rib with polenta that Jennifer R. aka Jro ordered. She could've slapped my hand and I would still take more of it. It was that good! Note: It's BYOB read more

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Where do I begin. We brought my partner here for his birthday. The attention to detail was just 5 star. If there was a model for a restaurant adapting to COVID, then this is it. The food was incredible. Our sever was professional and knowledgeable. I would hate to misspell her name, but I think it was Pasquillina. We had to leave early because our sitter needed to leave. It was just one of the best experiences I've had dining out. The sealed, sanitized utensils and napkin were a plus. Can't wait to go back! read more

I was really looking forward to having dinner at Fascino. I've walked by on my commute every day, and have seen the window lined with awards and plaques touting their Zagat ratings. My wife and I ordered the vegetarian tasting menu, while my son ordered an appetizer special, fried calamari, and the squid ink rigatoni. Service was initially attentive, and the bread basket at least interesting. The first course my wife and I received was burrata, supposedly with heirloom tomatoes and a basil and peach vinaigrette. Unfortunately the tomatoes were flavorless racquetballs. That might be understandable in January, but in the middle of August when great tomatoes are everywhere it was inexcusable. We expressed our disappointment and sent the plates back. They came back out of the kitchen with one out of four tomato wedges replaced with something that looked different, the other three being replaced with flavorless lumps exactly matching the originals. A manager came out to explain there had been a mistake in the kitchen, and we expressed disbelief that they had actually even tried to fix the issue. We again expressed our disappointment, and told our waiter just to take them away, and not try to fix the issue again. At the same time, my son's calamari was mediocre at best. It definitely lacked seasoning. Salting the breading would have been a nice idea. The second course my wife and I received, the local mushroom agnolotti, was fine, though also a bit underseasoned. Maybe they're trying to manage the sodium of their generally elderly clientele, but food being underseasoned was a recurring theme of the evening. My wife and I had both ordered the acquerello risotto with charred gold bar squash for our entrees. The dishes were again lacking in flavor and seasoning. I scooped away the pile of greens and shaved fennel the risotto came buried under to reach the rice and squash and try to salt them, but there was just so little to be gained that I gave up. Meanwhile, my son took two bites of his pasta and decided to push the plate away as well. We sent it all away and asked for the check to cut our losses. Having actually eaten a grand total of three out of eight courses we ordered, the restaurant took a whopping $10 off our bill; $5 for each of the burrata and tomato salads. There are so many great restaurants in Montclair, there is absolutely no reason to waste your time and money at Fascino. They are clearly just mailing it in at this point. read more

We always have a wonderful experience here. This time wasn't as good. Our dinner was very bland, and it certainly lacked seasoning. Our appetizers were pretty good (Filet Mignon Carpaccio and the Octopus). On previous visits we ordered the cheese plate for dessert and it was always a good size plate with a variety of fruit and the truffle honey was always great, the cheese nice and fresh. This time our cheese plate was a true disappointment, the cheese we got looked and smelled awful, we got like 5 grapes and it was simply not what we usually get, for $16 it was so not worth it. We have had better for sure. read more

The service was incredibly slow on Friday, took an hour to get our entree. The pappardelle was also in a watery broth of tomato sauce and the steak order next to us asked for medium rare and got well done. Maybe the kitchen was off but at this price point it's not worth trying again. read more

Great food, awesome atmosphere. My boyfriend and I went with the "tasting", it was a great way to try a bit of everything. Fascino is definitely a wonderful date night. read more

We have been here many times before. Hopefully this was as an off night. Lackluster is the only word that comes to mind. Zucchini flower app was tasteless. Pork saltimbocco was average. Agnolotti was swimming in a salty broth of I'm not sure what. Service also didn't check in at all. Very sad. read more

This is one of our absolute favorite places. The food is absolutely impeccable. The portions are perfect and even with four courses we don't leave feeling overstuffed. We've been before, but chose Fascino for our anniversary celebration this year. We got oysters and bruschetta for appetizers and were so pleased - even discussed planting our own fig tree to try and replicate! I got the scallops and he got the short ribs - both perfect. For dessert, the molten chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream: I'm not a sweets person, but this had me hooked! We love Fascino and can't wait for another occasion to return! read more

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Food was just okay .... wasn't anything special, very small menu they definitely need to add a few more things , nice place & the prices were fair for the quality , staff was pretty on top of things , but I must say they did have a fairly big liquor menu they grab whatever you want from liquor store up the street . Overall I had a good time I mostly liked how quite it was haha . read more

I wish Fascino was better than it was. This was my first time visiting and I have heard nothing but great things. The menu on paper looks incredible but is not as good as it looks. The polenta fries and the squid ink seafood pasta were the best things on the table. The rigatoni was really gummy. It was a mediocre experience considering how exciting we all were to try them. Hopefully we will them another chance and it will be better next time. read more

What a gem in Montclair! The restaurant is beautiful, the service was great and it's always wonderful when a place is BYOB. We had a few meals and all of them were delicious, I was so impressed. To start we had the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio followed by the Ricotta Gnocchi both were excellent! For my main course I had the Buttermilk Baked Chicken and for dessert I had the Passionfruit Ice Cream, I walked out very full and so happy to say the least. read more

What a night! Everything about Fascino was wonderful and I will definitely be coming back in the near future. Our waiter Michael was very accommodating and friendly, and the food was out of this world. I had the squid ink Pappardelle as my entree, and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert. They're making the most out of their outdoor dining space and the interior looked stunning, can't wait to be able to sit inside. Thank you to everyone at Fascino who made our night wonderful read more

Gioia Mia - Squid Ink Pappardelle - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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My husband & I came here for his birthday! We left stuffed & satisfied! Food is amazing.. Lots of interesting dishes! Great customer service! We also ordered food when the state first got shut down due to COVID... Food was GREAT! Will definitely be ordering soon! read more

Reservation was easy to get on a Saturday which is great. I felt bad because I changed the number of our party twice but they were very accommodating. Hostess and the waiters were very professional. The waiter was knowledgeable and friendly. Food portions were small and not that tasty. My friends had oysters and said they tasted ok (but not great for the price). I had the Long Island duck with squash puree and it was meh, ok. Other friends had pasta and said it was really good. *Side comment- don't leave any valuables in your coat pockets when checking in your coat. read more

Everything was very fresh, and delicious. We had Sergio as a waiter and he was excellent!! He was patient and accommodating while we asked him a million questions about the menu. The hanger steak, and ricotta gnocchi stood out from the rest. read more

It's my 2nd time here. BYOB is a treat, when your bill comes it's refreshing seeing the total. Food may be a bit pricey but all for the right reasons. I reserved through open table; requesting the BEST table to celebrate my friends birthday. They called me earlier in the day just to assure me they were honoring my request. On that call i also asked them to entertain us by asking the chef to give us a blind tasting menu of the chefs top favorites- when we got there we were seated in the back room which was secluded and intimate, perfectly quiet and cozy large booth...we also had no need for menus they didn't even give us menus because that's what we requested earlier. Our server Michael was very humble and pleasant. The chefs choice tasting menu was fabulous! We had a very long and satisfying 2.5/3 hour dining experience. They served and delivered - we will be back! Thank you Fascino Chef and staff. read more

Gioia Mia - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Finally managed to go to Fascino, a restaurant that has been on my radar during the holidays. Requested a table away from the center area for privacy and that is exactly what was provided. Chris was very welcoming and gracious. The service was very professional attending to our needs. The food was excellent. I had braised beef short ribs which was very tender and delicious. So was desserts. Prices were slightly higher than other restaurant in Montclair charge but it was worth it. Highly recommend Fascino. read more

Had curbside takeout during quarantine, dinner for two $65. Everything very tasty but portions pretty small for two and we were still hungry. Literally 1.5 chix breast cut up (brick chix) for two ppl. The biscotti were heaven. read more