If I could give 10 stars I would, our meal was INCREDIBLE. We asked our server Chloe to pick two pastas and a wine to go with because everything on the menu sounded delicious. She knocked it out of the park. The patio was beautiful and very comfortable. Started with burrata, focaccia and Caesar salads. Chloe brought us the lobster fusilli & carbonara which were both unbelievably flavorful. Our favorite was the lobster fusilli. Ended with tiramisu and Chloe suggested the orange & toasted coconut gelato. Truly one of the best dining experiences we have had in a while. We will be back! read more

I wasn't sure what to expect for brunch but whoa this was a top notch experience! The ambiance is bright and full of beautiful green plants and clean decor, service was excellent and the food was great. I want to go back for dinner! I got the mushroom frittata (fresh greens and a yummy creamy sauce on top were a great touch) and my friends got the classic breakfasts and we got the focaccia to share. Excellent. read more

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Lovely environment! I have been there for most of the special occasions in the family. Good spot for office gathering. Loved the ambiance! Pretty expensive but worth for the pure Italian flavours! Must try focaccia bread in the town! read more

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Dined on NYE and it was full but well organized. We started with drinks at the bar and their Manhattan and Old Fashioned's are fantastic. Watch out for their wine prices as we only saw two bottles of red under $100. The focaccia bread was the best deal and tasted amazing! We also had the prawns with Burrata cheese to start and they were great. We each ordered a different pasta to share bites and none of us were disappointed. The butternut squash was killer, not too sweet. Don't expect big chunks of lamb as the meat is pretty subtle. We were in the bar area and served by a bartender but he did a great job of getting to our table regularly. We'll definitely be back, maybe sit at the pizza bar next time for a lower-cost option. read more

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We loved this place. The focaccia was the best thing we had. It's deceptively underwhelming to look at, but it's crispy on the outside, rich and soft in the center and goes well with the pasta sauce. Definitely order the pasta over the pizza. Arrancini was great too. read more

Josefina - Italian Near Me - Wayzata, Minnesota

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Delicious food and lovely restaurant. I had fusilli Neri with lobster and it was amazing. The bread, Brussels sprouts, mussels, and burrata fig appetizer were also wonderful. Great service too. read more

4.5 stars! Have been meaning to get to Josefina for a long time. My girlfriend and I went last night for our last date of the summer before school starts. We got lucky getting a reservation, they fill up long in advance. We did however have a 8:30 pm reservation at the pizza bar seating. While it's not as romantic as the tables and booths in the main dining section the pizza bar had plenty of room for food and drinks and you got to watch them make the pizzas! We started our meal with two glasses of white wine. The "Dragon" sauv blanc was delicious and I will be ordering it again when i go back. We later got two cocktails off the menu. One Waka Waka which was very smokey from the mezcal. La Casa Carina was very pretty and pink. Overall the cocktails didn't wow us, but we are more of wine drinkers anyways. We enjoyed the Focaccia and Crispy Brussel Sprouts as an appetizer. Pictured is 2/4 pieces of Focaccia and 1/3 of the Brussels. Each of them were so good, I could've left satisfied with just that. For our main course we both got pasta. My girlfriend got the Rigatoni Diavolo and our server recommended I get the Radiatore. I'm glad I trusted the server because they were both spectacular. To complete the night we ordered the Cannolis. They aren't listed on the menu but they have them! Couldn't get a picture in time because we were so excited they had them. I would give it a 5 stars however we waited a little long to get our order at the start. read more

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We tried Josefina for the first time per a tiktok recommendation. It was AMAZING. First- it is stunning inside the restaurant. Second- our server, Sarah was amazing. Great service and she had a great personality. The food was divine. We had the focaccia with the butter- SOOOO good. We had pizzas, and ended with gelato- recommend half coconut, half chocolate. Will be returning for sure! read more

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Can't get enough of this place! The food and service is amazing. Came here to celebrate some birthdays and the server brought us out cannolis for the table which was such a special touch. Always recommending this place to all my friends and family. read more

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This was wonderful. We came with a group of 7 celebrating 5 birthdays. We ordered a few drinks. Waiter offered us focaccia not realizing it was not complimentary. But it was delish so we were not that upset about it. The garlicky and saltiness was . He gave us complimentary desserts which were little cannolis. Also a nice treat. Waiter was super nice and worked with us as one of us was late from her hospital job, God bless our nurses! Ambiance was very relaxed not rushing us out. Just a little loud because we were seated right by the kitchen. read more

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I loved a lot about Josefina. MSP is sadly lacking in authentic Italian food and I was incredibly excited to try this spot out. I sat at the pizza bar (great for solo or date night seating) and tried the beet salad (yum, large portion, nice healthy-ish start to your meal) and then the prosciutto pizza. The wood fired pizza is divine, but the ratio of toppings felt off to me. My pizza was about 80% arugula , 10% cheese and the rest a bit of prosciutto and other toppers. I'm a fan of greens on pizza, but this was enough arugula for a salad and threw the taste off (especially since the greens go on cold after the pizza is cooked). My other critique is that there was no olive oil in sight! I had to ask for some and was brought a tiny little dish of oil. For an Italian restaurant, this shocked me. I don't want to be judged for the excessive (or...just right...) amount of olive oil I need to properly eat my pizza. Leave the oil on the tables, Josefina, and let us Italian food lovers get our fix! Thanks in advance. read more

Restaurant has a clean, modern ambience. It's busy and a little noisy. Service is fairly good but on a busy evening may not check in often enough. Food quality is great, but could benefit from more balanced meals and presentation. read more

Had a great experience here recently including delicious craft cocktails and wonderful pizza! They have so many dining options inside and out and it's great for a date night or group outing. We loved everything that we ordered and will definitely be back! read more

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Amazing food + drinks! Highly recommend to everyone. Didn't get a shot of the pizza but it was also very good. I would definitely make a reservation as it was fully booked on Thursday night! Host stand seemed a bit overwhelmed so to be safe I would preplan your visit read more

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We dined at Josefina for our anniversary. The food was great, the ambience was great, the service was good even though the waiter was a little quirky. We got a few different things: Fungi Pizza: 3.5/5 Pepperoni pizza: 4.5/5 Pappardelle: 4.5/5 Hazelnut cake: 3.5/5 Brussel sprouts: 2/5 (really citrussy) Overall, a great experience! I would go back. read more

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First it all, Wayzata is the best place for a cute date night trip, or an afternoon/night with friends! Plus they have wonderful restaurants, like Josefina! The environment is super cute! They had a wonderful pizza bar that I wish we sat at, and the over all aesthetic of Josefina is wonderful. They had a cute drink menu and wonderful drinks. We started out with the Brussels sprouts. They were so flavorful and yummy, definitely a must have side or starter! I then had Agnolotti Del Pin which was so wonderful. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the meat in the dish was so good. Overall this is a 9/10 dish that I would absolutely get again. This is a wonderful spot for a date night, highly recommend! read more

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Excellent food, drinks and atmosphere. Loved the modern decor with Plants all over, and the menu all looked incredible!! I got the olive and mozzarella app, the rigatoni pasta with the peppers on the side and we shared a prosciutto pizza for our table of 4 as an app! It was all so delicious. I would highly recommend getting the peppers on the side for the rigatoni pasta if you only like mild spice. My husband got the Pepe pasta and it was my favorite by far. Can't wait to come back!! The Fiore drink is so good but definitely has a strong lavander flavor. read more

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Wow!!! That was the best meal I've had in awhile. Josefina is situated in the remains of what was then, Belle Cour. Nothing is more intimate than downtown wayzata with the frozen tundra of our beloved lake Minnetonka. The ambiance of josefina is modern and leafy. Drinks: i went for mocktails tonight and they were memorable. I loved the lavender honey seltzer; Not too sweet but refreshing. The passion fruit was also good but a little on the citrus side. The boys ordered a bottle of the dirty martini. It was hilarious watching them delicately squeeze olive juice out of the pipettes lol. Apps: I loved the arancini (glorified mozzarella sticks) served with a delicious diavolo sauce. Seared scallops with pumpkin sauce (pumpkin and scallops are a dynamite duo). We also ordered the grilled prawns but I don't need to order than ever again; The cheese on top didn't really fuse with my palate. Salad: I definitely recommend the Caesar salad! The Parmesan is finely grated unlike I've ever seen. The croutons are impeccable; deep fried garlic croutons. Mmmmm. Main: FUSILI NEGRA. Say it again and again. Black curly noodles atop hearty chunks of lobster. So good!!! Sides: cauliflower; It's on top of a green sauce with roasted chopped almonds. Nutty, crunchy, and good. Brussel sprouts; sweet and crispy. Dessert. Chocolate mousse. Not too sweet yet not too rich. A scoop of Gelato on the top drizzled with nuts and a chopped chocolate cookie. A decadent way to end the night. read more

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We went here for brunch and it was pretty good! The ambiance was low key and nice! Our server was great! I'm just not sure if I was super excited about anything that we got. I wasn't necessarily wow'ed! The bread was good and I believe home made! I think we will return to try out the dinner menu! read more

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Since we dine here a couple times a year I felt it important to come back and update my review. This is the third time I've reviewed Josefina. The menu seems to undergo small changes every so often and yet they keep some of the favorites on the menu such as the Rigatoni Diavolo, Fussily Negra, and a slightly changing Ravioli (now they are calling it Mezzaluna) course. I fell in love with their Ravioli dish years ago and have yet to find them match the original experience that had small golden raisins and nuts over perfectly cooked pasta. The most recent dish was a somewhat off-putting pink in color with a nice sized portion but nowhere near what it could be. I keep hoping they will add something new that catches my interest but, for good or bad, we both seem to stick to the same old. We do still love the Focaccia, beats, and their wine menu seems to be maturing as you can find good non-Italian selections. The markup is still pretty heafty and they still don't chill most of their reds properly (even their $100+ price point bottles) so we find ourselves bringing our own. I called them out last time for not having a Pinot on the list and this time they had two (new and old world). The back patio doesn't have quite the same atmosphere though it is a bit quieter. You might feel slightly cold to slightly hot as the heater comes on and off but to us it's worth being able to hear ourselves think which is near impossible in the main dining area. They could dim the lights a bit so it feels a bit more intimate. read more

Going to Josefina was a fabulous experience! There is plenty of parking in downtown Wayzata, but the restaurant doesn't have designated parking. We made a reservation and were seated promptly. Our server wore a mask and was very friendly. Great place to meet with friends or for a date. read more

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The cocktails were all amazing! The scallops were to die for! Definitely a great starter. Our server was awesome and a super fun atmosphere read more

Josefina - Italian Near Me - Wayzata, Minnesota

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My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary dinner. It was so sweet, they provided complimentary limoncello & dessert. The food and drinks were incredible. I can not say enough praise for the focaccia & burrata pasta!! Our other favorite dish to recommend is the lobster pasta, the pieces were cut smaller so it made it easier to eat it in ever bite. The drink I ordered was unique as they froze a real rose into the ice cub which was an amazing touch. Highly recommend coming for your next special event for a night to remember! read more

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Our anniversary was on a Tuesday during a hot week in August, and Wayzata has top-tier restaurants to choose from. We decided on Josefina for Italian which we don't indulge in very often. It was easy to make an online reservation, during which it asked if there was a special occasion that was bringing us in, and yes I clicked on anniversary. The service was spectacular from the start. We arrived a little over an hour early, the hostess took our name and said they give a 15 minute grace to arrive for reservations so if there was a table open earlier she would let us know. We were able to have a cocktail at the bar while we waited and during that time the manager approached us to say an earlier table was unlikely, which we expected, but then pleasantly surprised when the hostess came shortly after that to say there was an open table. We typically prefer to sit outside but it was hot and humid and so we choose inside for our meal, so I was pleased to have been seated next to the window that overlooked the patio! Initially walking in I found it to be a very loud atmosphere, the restaurant was full and the tables were close to each other, and the high ceilings made for the conversations to carry across the room so there was a constant buzz of noise. This would have been my only downfall if we would have been seated in the main dining area, it may have been difficult to have a quieter conversation. We started with Arancini and Focaccia bread. The bread was truly delicious, the Arancini was unexpected deep fried mozzarella type balls. The sauce was excellent, hubby liked it more than I did as I just wasn't expecting deep fried. We then had East Coast oysters which were fantastic. Our main dishes were Fusilli Negra and Radiatore, I will admit that I had to google many of the menu items to see what they actually were, since the menu descriptions are short. The Fusilli Negra was very good, the pasta was cooked well and the lobster was large and plentiful. The pasta is black so if visually you like colorful dishes you may be surprised at this plate. The Radiatore was a WOW factor. This dish was incredibly good with the mint flavor and the lamb sauce, but maybe got a little bit too minty towards the end of the dish. We also shared Brussels sprouts as we typically enjoy these as a side. They were a bit too salty and lemony in comparison to other restaurants that we've had these at. Our server was engaging and enjoyable, he answered questions and explained the menu and allowed us to take our time with the food and with ordering so we didn't feel rushed at all which we appreciated. In the end we were too full for dessert but knowing that it was our anniversary he brought out two scoops of gelato and two glasses of champagne, what a sweet end of meal compliment! We were happy to have chosen Josefina. read more

Amazing place for some great pasta and wine! I loved the atmosphere with all the plants and textured walls and how open the kitchen is to guests. I got the Mafaldini and my husband got the pappardelle. 10/10 recommend the mafaldini for how simple and delicious it is - noodles, Cheese and pepper! The pappardelle was good but not as creamy or flavorful as the mafaldini. We also got a glass of Pinot noir and their focaccia bread. Can't wait to go back with a larger group to test out all the things! read more

Josefina - Mafaldini pasta, pappardelle pasta, and Pinot noir wine - Italian Near Me - Wayzata, Minnesota

First time in a long time that I can say everything we had was perfect. I could not shake the feeling that I had been there before, but we decided it was a French restaurant in a similar location in Wayzata lol. Service was great they were knowledgeable about the menu and wines to pair each dish with. The timing of the food was also on point having enough time to enjoy each dish before the next. If you like Italian food this is a must. Absolutely amazing. read more

Josefina - Tiramisu- different than most I've had, but very tasty and fruit was fresh. - Italian Near Me - Wayzata, Minnesota

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Fun ambience, a little airy, beautiful plants and aesthetic. Wasn't super excited about being sat in the middle of the dining room at a table when so many booths were wide open but it ended up being ok. A lot of our food was delicious, unique and flavorful and then a couple of dishes just didn't hit the mark. I don't know that I would go out of my way to go back. Fun trying new things, but some dishes need a little extra oomph. Will probably try again soon to see if things are different! read more

We made a reservation for two the day after Valentines and were seated quick. The service was great, plenty of water refills and follow-ups if our food was good or if we had any questions. The food overall was satisfactory too - there was a good amount of lobster in my pasta. A majority of the brussels sprouts were tender and crisp, but the ones closer to the bottom had more of the sauce, causing them to be soggier. For dessert, we tried ordering something and the waitress came back saying they were out of it, and gave us a different one on the house, which was enough for the both of us. read more

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I've been meaning to come here FOREVERRRR and finally got around to it this weekend. And WOW...it was worth the wait but...man I wish I'd come here sooner. My two favorite items during the meal: the farro salad and the focaccia. If I could recommend anything, it would be those two things. They were phenomenal. The focaccia especially was INCREDIBLE! I would say it's the best focaccia I've ever had. I also ordered the cacio e pepe, which was delicious! The noodles were so fun, I've never had noodles like that before. The inside is stunning, very stylish and chic. I loved the aesthetic. The service was AMAZING! Our waitress was so kind, informative, and helpful. She was amazing on all fronts, definitely some of the best service I've had in a restaurant! I think my main complaint (and only) is that their aperol spritz wasn't great. I'm a big spritz person, but found this one to be verrryyyy heavy on the aperol and not taste like a traditional spritz. Maybe they're trying to have a different take on the spritz, but then I think they shouldn't call it an aperol spritz because it didn't have the taste I'm familiar with. It was still good!!! Just not what I was expecting (if that makes sense). I'd say it tastes more like a Campari spritz than aperol. More bitter than sweet. Just something to note;) Overall I really loved this spot and will definitely want to try to come back in the summer so I can check out their patio. read more

Josefina - Cacio e pepe - Italian Near Me - Wayzata, Minnesota

Incredible food! Loved the space and the ambiance. Reservations are basically required. We went on a Friday night and it was crazy busy. Food was sooo great!!! I'm ready to go back again. Service was good! Jordan was good, I kept calling him drew and he was still nice! Lol read more

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The food was fantastic and has gluten free options clearly labeled on the menu. Staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. I ordered the gluten free carbonara and was so enamored I cleaned my plate. The drink selection and desserts were delicious as well. read more

Josefina - Gluten free carbonara - Italian Near Me - Wayzata, Minnesota

Josephina is amazing. Our reservation for 6 got mixed up, so when we arrived they didn't have a table. The manager and host staff went out of their way to accommodate us. They served us Prosecco while we waited, got us in super quickly and sent the most delicious focaccia to our table when we got seated. Our server was great and the food was beyond delicious. Usually when a restaurant is this popular and busy they don't care as much about the customer - Josephina is the opposite. They go out of their way to provide an exceptional experience. A+ on all counts, my new favorite restaurant! read more

I was pleased with this place. We have never been over in this area before. We were looking for something exactly like this. The vibe is modern with the trendy white, gold, wood, and greenery decor. The food is a little bit more expensive than I hoped but it's hard to judge value in these pandemic times when prices are always going up. The pricing was fair, just not great. Each food dish we had was good. I would definitely go back to this place and recommend it if I was in the area. They were able to accommodate our friend who is GF with both pizza dough and pasta that worked. I have a few rules in life. One of them is that if there is a pasta on the menu with lobster, always order it. The lobster was perfectly cooked and delicious. The Cacio e Pepe is not Hyacinth but it was still very enjoyable. All in all, a much better experience and meal than one typically has outside the city. Stop by if you are near and you won't be disappointed. read more

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This gets 5 stars tonight. Went in for a drink and a light meal. Did the two person $38 martini. Wow! The presentation was phenomenal. The gold Platter presented with olives, twists and a vial of "Dirty" that could be tinctures to taste. The martini was fabulous and definitely with the price for two people. Ordered a simple margarita pizza with extra sauce. Again the flavor and presentation delivered. We sat at the pizza bar. We are four in our group and felt it difficult to converse at "the bar" with that many people. But the atmosphere was great. All in all a fine evening. read more

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Just opened for takeout; dining room opens mid-April. Farro salad - a tangle of pea shoots, radish, sugar snap peas and fresh herbs atop a bed of farro. Lemony and bright. YUM Brussels sprouts - deep, rich flavor nicely punctuated with sticky, sweet, tart agrodolce. Excellent flavor, but quite oily. STILL YUM Arancini - crunchy risotto logs to dip in tomato sauce with a touch of cream. YUM Spaghetti Amatriciana - homemade pasta generously studded with bits of crispy pancetta and pecorino. YUM Rigatoni diavola - spicy tomato sauce tempered with cream. YUM Margherita pizza w mushrooms- similar style to Punch pizza, but NOT soggy in the middle. YUM Takeout was packaged really well, and still hot when I got home. Everything was delicious. My only complaint is that it was WAY TOO SALTY. Everything already has amazing flavor; it's not necessary to put that much salt into it. read more

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We went to Josefina for a date night, it felt like covid didn't exist there in terms of masks and proximity to people. On to the menu 1) Oysters - loved them 2) Bigeye Tuna - AMAZING - we got extra bread so that we could eat the rest of the sauce 3) Pepperoni pizza - it was good, reminded me of a pizza from Punch pizza 4) Ricotta ravioli - wonderful sauce flavor, the noodles were ok Overall enjoyable meal, little pricier, but fun to go to read more

I have been dying to try this place after hearing good things and seeing pictures of the food on social media. My friend made a reservation online for what appeared to be bar seating. We tried calling a few times with no luck to check if this meant a table in the bar or seating at the bar. When we got there it turned out we had a table in the bar so we were happy about that! The drinks were really beautiful and creative especially the dirty martini cocktail where you get to build it yourself. All of the food was great but I have to give a shout-out to the focaccia bread. My friend hyped this up a lot and I thought "how good can bread be?" Well it was the best bread I have ever had and I promise it tastes so much better and crunchier than it looks in the pictures. I can't wait to come back here. read more

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Stopped in to get drinks with friends after work. The hostesses were friendly and professional, they helped us get a spot at the pizza bar even though we didn't have a reservation (and it was busy). The drinks were delightful. Watching the bartender create them in front of us was an art--and they were just as amazing as they looked. We got a margherita pizza and mozzarella, they were good. It's nice the menu is inclusive. It ranges from $12 pizzas to a $135 seafood platter--so you really can choose the experience you want--just sitting at the bar or a finer dining experience. Staff is friendly and atmosphere is beautiful. Drinks were 5 stars, only reason this is 4 is because the pizza was good, just nothing special. read more

Josefina - La Cosa Carina ($15) - Italian Near Me - Wayzata, Minnesota

My mom, aunt, cousin and I were so excited to try Josefina because mom and I had both heard great things! We tried to make a reservation on a Sunday for the following Monday and were only able to get in at 8PM so make a reservation in advance. The restaurant's interior and ambiance is really great, but they were playing techno-ish music which I didn't love. Our server was super knowledgeable about the menu and gave us recommendations because we thought everything looked great! We shared the grilled prawns and seared scallops to start. Both were good, but the seared scallops were out of this world (especially the carrot puree they are served with)! Each of us ordered a pasta and then shared bites with each other, so I got to try several. We had agnolotti del pin, mafaldini cacio e pepe, radiatore, and fusilli negra and they were all great! The agnolotti del pin really stood out to me as the best of the four pastas, though it is quite rich. If you eat veal, it is a must try! I will be coming back to Josefina for more pasta and to try the pizza! read more

Josefina - Rose to start at Josefina! - Italian Near Me - Wayzata, Minnesota

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We were super excited to try Josefina in downtown Wayzata -- which has been long overdue for a new, upscale dinner spot. Josefina blew it out of the water and is hands down the best restaurant on Lake St E! We arrived right after 5pm (the door said hours are 5pm-9pm currently) and were able to get a seat at the bar as they were pretty full with reservations. Moving forward I would definitely recommend getting a reservation if you want to dine-in. The bartenders Blue and Quinn served us and were not only extremely kind & entertaining, but knowledgeable on the menu and gave excellent recommendations. We ordered Suppli al Telefono (not pictured, as we inhaled them--they're arancini), cauliflower scapece, the grilled boneless chicken, the bistecca (a porterhouse steak which was OUTSTANDING), and spaghetti amatriciana. The food came out very quickly and each dish cooked to perfection. Seasoned well, unique flavors and sauces, along with the best al dente pasta. Just absolutely phenomenal. We were too stuffed for dessert but the menu looked to die for as well. The decor is full of beautiful plant touches, golden accents, and gorgeous greens. It looks like there will be an outdoor patio coming soon and there is even a designated pizza set up that had several employees constantly operating. Josefina is going to absolutely DOMINATE moving forward and we can't wait to continue supporting this fantastic venue! read more

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