We stopped in for Friday lunch and were the only people there. Our server, who also appeared to be…read morethe only server was attentive, friendly, and welcoming. I'll admit, I was expecting a little more from the atmosphere. Based on the menu and the food I'd seen online, I expected the décor to feel a bit more elevated. The space felt more like a step up from a pizzeria than what I had envisioned. A few thoughtful touches could go a long way in making the dining room match the quality and presentation of the food.
As for the food, I have mixed feelings, although there were definitely some standout flavors. We started with the "11375" Mushrooms. They were delicious, especially the fresh ricotta with its hint of lemon, the drizzle of honey, peppery arugula, and beautifully cooked mushrooms. My only disappointment was the mushroom selection. I was expecting a mix that included something a little more special...Hen of the Woods, chanterelles, or another wild mushroom, along with the more standard button mushrooms or baby bellas. The crostini were also cut quite small, so there wasn't enough surface area to hold the ricotta, mushrooms, and arugula. Slicing the bread on a bias would give you a larger piece and make the dish much easier to eat. It simply needed more bread. With a more interesting mushroom mix and properly sized crostini, this could easily have been a five-star appetizer. I'd still order it again because that fresh ricotta was SO good.
My husband ordered the fresh spinach gnocchi with Bolognese. Were the gnocchi soft little pillows of heaven? Absolutely. Unfortunately, they were so soft and lacked any sear or texture that after a few bites, the dish started to eat almost like a big bowl of mashed potatoes. A little crispness on the outside would have made a huge difference. That said, the Bolognese itself was really delicious.
I ordered the rigatoni alla vodka lunch special and added meatballs. The vodka sauce was delicious, but the meatballs weren't. I prefer a softer, looser, more tender meatball. Interestingly, as much as I enjoyed the vodka sauce, the homemade marinara served with the complimentary bread was even better. That sauce was fantastic.
Overall, it was a mixed experience, but there was enough that I genuinely enjoyed that I would absolutely go back and try another pasta. The homemade pasta is very good, and there's clearly a lot of potential here. And despite my critiques, I'd order those mushroom crostini again in a heartbeat, especially for that lemony fresh ricotta. With a few small tweaks, some of these dishes could go from very good to excellent.