I love manalu and go there on special occasions. Last evening, I had an interesting experience…read more we noticed that two different servers were recommending different specials. My wife and I ordered the specials recommended by our server. While the meals were delicious, I was surprised when the bill came. If I knew the cost in advance, I would have ordered a different entree. I will be back and will be a smarter shopper next time.

Manalu is out of this world. The food genuinely reminded me of my grandma's cooking -- comforting,…read moreflavorful, and made with real care. The special I ordered (pictured) was easily one of the best dishes I've had in a long time, and honestly every single thing we ordered was delicious. This meal went above and beyond perfection. We got there a little before noon and already had 3 cars ahead of us waiting for them to open -- the second those doors opened, people were lining up fast. They had plenty of tables and service was so quick. Once we were seated, things moved quickly: menus right away, water and drinks out fast, and service that stayed genuinely attentive the whole time. I didn't even get close to finishing my drink before they were already checking if I wanted a refill. All of our meals came with soup and salad, and the pasta fagioli was amazing -- I'm not usually a fan of celery in it, but it was still so flavorful. They also have an impressive dessert menu, but we were way too stuffed to even think about it. Next time we're definitely leaving room for dessert! Highly recommend -- go early, it's worth the wait!

Saturday evening dinner while in the area. Parked the next block over and walked in. We don't have…read morereservations but we were given a tip to come around 6:30pm for a table of 2. We took a table in the rear enclosed patio area near the bar. To start we ordered the meatball sliders. Two come with an order and they were good. I liked the toasted slider rolls, the tangy sauce and the spiciness of the meatball. Recommend cutting it in half to eat it without it flying out of the roll. Overall a good start. I ordered the gnocchi primavera which really wasn't in the traditional sense - as the vegetables were puréed together into an orange sauce. Had a good flavor and was served with burrata. Starters and entrees came out very close to each other which wasn't a bad thing. We also added a margherita pizza to share which looked weird - but tasted great. Nice crisp to the crust and thin. I usually think of a doughier crust with this kind of pizza but still good. Dessert was the fudge cake - rich in flavor, adding a coffee. Overall - would have loved to sit inside and get that experience but still good considering we didn't have a reservation. Our waiter - younger guy out back we good, though at times we leaned on the other bartender to help get refills.

I think this is one of those places that people don't know about in downtown but a great spot with…read morea cozy outdoor seating in the back - the food is solid- I don't think the pasta is homemade but I enjoyed everything we ordered. We really enjoyed the Cristina pizza and refreshing orange crush! The bread is that crispy thin crust with a warm soft inside accompanied with homemade whipped butter. This is a great place for a weekend lunch or dinner.

Yes, Fratelli's is very good…read more I was wonderfully surprised at a recent dinner for 2 at Fratelli's. We started with a lemon drop martini - delightful. The cream of crab soup was top notch - a bowl would have been a meal in itself. Then came a salad big enough for 4 (delicious) and fresh out of the oven bread (enough for 4 also). The chicken breast with crabcake was massive and very tasty. The veal parm was sooooooo tasty and also massive. We have at least 2 more meals each. We each had a wonderful chocolate martini as dessert. The service was attentive and helpful. The food came out quickly but we were not rushed. The price? To me, unbelievable (in a very good way).

I've been wanting to try Fratelli's in Middletown for a while, and I'm glad I finally did. Overall,…read morewe had a really good meal, and WOW--the portions are BIG! We started with the cream of crab soup and crab dip. I honestly didn't get much of a chance to try the crab dip because I was too busy eating everything else, but my friend said it was really good. They also brought bread and a house salad to the table. The salad was fresh and really good, and I especially appreciated the olives. I love olives in a salad! For drinks, I ordered the white peach sangria, which I really enjoyed. I didn't realize sangria came in so many different flavors, but I'm glad I tried this one. My friend ordered the New Old-Fashioned, but he wasn't particularly impressed with it and said he probably wouldn't order that one again. For my entrée, I ordered the seafood fettuccine Alfredo. The portion was HUGE, and they definitely weren't stingy with the seafood. It came with scallops, shrimp, and what I believe was jumbo lump crab meat. There was plenty of everything. I thought the dish was good when I first had it, although I felt like it was missing just a little something--maybe a touch more seasoning. The pasta was also more al dente than I personally prefer. But here's the funny part: I thought it was even BETTER the next day when I reheated it! It was delicious. My daughter ordered spaghetti and meatballs, and she got one HUGE meatball. I cut it up for her, and she tore that thing up! She ate the entire meatball and quite a bit of the pasta, so that was definitely a win. Her portion was also generous. My friend ordered the steak and crab cake with asparagus, and even though I don't eat steak, that plate looked SO good. He said it was really good, too. The service was okay. Not bad, just okay. We arrived a little early for our reservation and had to wait briefly, which wasn't a big deal. There were just a few little things that could have been better. I asked for paper napkins and never received them, and I had to ask for more water instead of anyone noticing that my glass was getting low. I was also surprised to find out they don't have Wi-Fi. That wasn't a dealbreaker for us, but it meant my daughter had to use my phone's hotspot for her iPad. Despite those little things, the FOOD is what stood out to me, and that's what matters most to me when I'm going out to eat. The portions are generous, the seafood was plentiful, and everything we ordered was good overall. Would I go back? Absolutely.

For a lot of reasons, none of them allergy-related, I don't eat bread…read more 1. The table bread was served. It looked good, so i sampled. Oh my, that was really good bread. 2. The foot was presented well, and honestly was epic. The goal was a simple Italian meal, exceeded! The Ravoli was pronounced amazing! Spaghetti and meatballs were incredible (although if you are a fan of The Big Bang Theory, it wasn't real Italian, there were no little hot dogs cut up in it). Overall, Il Porto made our places we will wander to again list. Great overall, and the bread, oh my.

This was my second time visiting Il Porto, and I'm really glad I decided to give it another try…read more The first time I came, I honestly wasn't impressed and didn't think I'd return. But after hearing good things, I figured it deserved a second chance -- and this time it delivered. I ordered an apple martini, which was really tasty, and the fettuccine Alfredo with added chicken and shrimp. The dish initially came out with just shrimp, but when I mentioned the missing chicken, they handled it kindly and quickly. They let me keep my pasta and brought out a nicely grilled piece of chicken topped with Alfredo sauce. It ended up being very flavorful and satisfying. My friend ordered a sausage pasta dish and thoroughly enjoyed it -- he said it was very tasty. He also had two smoked old fashioneds and really liked them. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived, but it still had a cozy atmosphere. The only downside was that staff members were having a very loud conversation in the dining area, playing music, and even watching something on a phone at one point. Since there weren't many customers yet, it stood out more. I'd suggest maybe keeping that to a back area or lowering the volume while guests are dining. Overall though, this visit changed my mind. I would absolutely go back.

My friend, her boyfriend, and I had a wonderful dinner at Ricci! We were initially seated near the…read morepizza oven, which made things a little too toasty for our liking, but the staff was incredibly kind and accommodating and happily moved us to a more comfortable table. The meal started with some of the softest bread I've had in a long time. It was warm, fluffy, and perfect for dipping into the olive oil. We could have easily eaten an entire basket! My friend and I shared the filet mignon with whipped potatoes and asparagus. The steak was cooked beautifully, the potatoes practically melted in your mouth, and the asparagus spears were fresh and flavorful. We also split the seafood pasta, and the portion was enormous! Loaded with seafood and packed with flavor, it was just as impressive as the steak. My friend's bf got gluten free pasta-- they have gluten free options! My friend ordered an espresso martini, which was smooth, delicious, and the perfect complement to the meal. By the end of dinner, we were absolutely stuffed and couldn't even make room for dessert--which is probably the best sign of a satisfying meal. Great food, generous portions, attentive service, and a welcoming atmosphere. We'd gladly return!

We finally had a chance to check out Rocci's after years of living in the Frederick area. It's…read morelocated in Worman's Mill near other restaurants and shops. There is a pretty good amount of street parking nearby. We were greeted and seasoned outside on their patio area. They have a nice bar and excellent wine selection. We tried the house Cabernet and it was excellent. The server immediately brought out some bread that was nice and fresh. The plate comes with olive oil, rosemary, and a whole garlic clove for flavor. I got the basic spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were very good, tender, and flavorful. These are definitely made in house. My GF got the bolognese and let me tell you this was the star if the show. It comes with fresh made pasta (fettuccini I believe) and a great homemade sauce (you can see the carrots and other ingredients). It was exceptional and I would highly recommend. The service was okay, I believe our server had far too many tables and took about 20 minutes to cash out on a slower Wednesday dinner service. Everything else was great and we'll be sure to be back!

The food is amazing since it's all fresh and homemade (including the pasta)! Great service and the…read morestaff is very welcoming. It's a small restaurant, so you may have to wait for seating or eat outside...but worth the wait.

Solid budget dinner choice, not a huge dining room, but very clean and the staff was friendly. The…read morepasta was fresh and tasty I had the mushroom stuffed ravioli, and my dining partner had the Chicken Milanese, we were both satisfied and took home leftovers. Would definitely go again!

Visiting family and they said I'd love this place. We decided to order in and were told about a…read morehour wait for delivery. I was pleasantly surprised that the food came in about 30 minutes. Pizza was amazing, nice sized slices and I LOVED their pepperonis. Also ordered a Philly & enjoyed it. Full of flavor, great portion. We ordered 5 fries and were cracking up at them being placed in a pizza box. Work smarter not harder, am I right? LOL Overall a great experience. Would definitely eat here again!

Great authentic food, nice close neighborhood location, quick service, their chicken cheese steak…read moreis the best value in the area!

Honestly super underwhelming. Agree with the others that have rated the place as mid. It's hidden…read morein urbana that's before all the new developments. Cute outdoor patio and that could be a nice space. The inside is normally decorated restaurant space. The service wasn't too bad, attentive at first and then she disappeared for 10 min and then took our orders. Afterward she didn't even bother to ask how the food was, if she did I would've told her how disappointed I was with the dish that was recommended as, "oh you can't go wrong with eggplant parm! It's great!" Needless to say that it was an overpriced mush of a dish. There was no texture to the dish. At first sight it looked like a generous helping of food, about 6 pieces of eggplant with spaghetti. However, there was no texture to the deep fried eggplant, no crunch, no flavor, disappointing. Spaghetti was normal, nothing special. The pizza. Not shown, was also disappointing. There's so many other better options close by, prob won't come back.

This places has such mixed reviews that we thought we would give it a try…read more The verdict: Overpriced mediocre Italian and overall, an underwhelming experience. This was the most I have ever paid for eggplant parm ($25) and I've have only not taken the leftovers one other time in my life. The pasta that was served with it was spaghetti ...and did not taste freshly made (but maybe others were referring to a pasta of the day?) Go about eight minutes more north to Manalu's. This place was depressing on all accounts.

I had a great first experience at Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe. From the moment we walked in, we were…read moreinstantly greeted by the staff, which made us feel very welcome! The place itself has a really cozy vibe--dim lighting, colorful décor, and everything was clean and well put together. We ordered a medium pizza, half pepperoni and half cheese, along with wings, all for a very reasonable price--and it was absolutely worth it. The pizza quality was outstanding: crispy crust with a slight char from the wood-fired oven that really elevated the flavor and it just tasted really fresh compared to a lot of other places I've tried. During our visit, Linda came by while we were eating and was incredibly friendly, polite, and charismatic. She made sure we had everything we needed and created a very warm, welcoming experience. You could tell she cares about the customers and the people she works with! Overall, everything--from the food to the atmosphere to the people--was excellent. I'll definitely be coming back again!

Recently visited Laurienzo to meet a friend. Very impressive pizza: flavorful and larger with a…read morevariety of toppings. At around noon on a Wednesday the place was empty but already filling up. Service excellent and friendly. If this weren't so far up the Rockville/270 corridor I'd be ordering frequently and I think this would be competitive if they opened a branch a bit closer in. Will visit again for sure and this is a great stop if you're headed out to Frederick or in from there.