We visited Salento Italia Nashville this weekend. We were still talking about how absolutely DELICIOUS the food was a day later. The staff were extremely friendly and the service was exceptional. I highly recommend the skillet lasagna, Spanakopita salad, and tiramisu. read more

Visiting Nashville, we wanted a nice dinner and were impressed by the reviews for Salento. It was close to our hotel so we headed over. The restaurant is in a complex of several establishments. The dining room decor is modern with seating on two levels. When we arrived, we had to wait a few minutes to be seated as the restaurant was fairly busy on a Monday night, I assume due to the happy hour special that runs all night. We ordered the bruschetta appetizer to start and some drinks. The appetizer came out promptly and was nicely done, with plentiful helpings of burrata and cherry tomatoes layered with balsamic pearls. The pearls have the appearance of caviar so it was a pretty and flavorful twist. Unfortunately, that was the end of the positives. Our dinner entrees included the chicken parmesan and grilled salmon. Both were overcooked and the salmon in particular (I asked for it to be rare in the center) was so throughly cooked it had a very grainy texture. The sauce was bland and the pasta overly soft. Service was pretty one-note as well, not rude but not particularly attentive either. Dinner ran $120 with tip including two cocktails and one beer. Really disappointing. read more

Salento Italia - Grilled salmon with roasted tomato and peppers, asparagus, fregola, olive tapenade, herbed yogurt, crispy garbanzo - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

How does bolognese go from a masterpiece to a disasterpiece ? Salento I am disappointed. First picture was taken In November the food was incredible. I was so excited to go back this time, all to find that something as easy as bolognese that costs $22-$26 has completely changed. Second picture of the bolognese was with rigatoni. Hope this helps people when they're deciding to order something. Really disappointed... hope it gets better because service is great every time. read more

Salento Italia - RIGATONI BOLOGNESE - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Came here for dinner while in town. Sat in the bar section. No wait as had reservations. Everything à la carte. Bread was $6 and side salad was $8. Service was pretty good and nice ambiance. Ceaser salad was good. Chicken parmigiana for $26 was too fried and not enough sauce but still pretty good and decent portion. Pizza looked good as did the desserts. read more

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Looking for Italian and found Salento. What an amazing experience brought by excellent customer service by I believe Danielle. She really connects with the customer. I don't usually start a review like this, but you could see how she connected with each table and wanted everyone to have a great time. 20/10 Customer Service. My fabulous wife started with a Forbidden Sour drink and it was really good. She also got the Bruschetta: Garlic Rubbed Focaccia, Burrata, Cherry Tomato, Basil & Arugula Pesto, and Balsamic Pearls. She said it was delicious. We both choose the Cast Iron Lasagna: Bolognese, Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Basil. Pure delicious comfort food. Hot and bubbly beautiful and so tasty. Very Satisfying. Excellent Ambiance and would definitely return. Fabulous Service. read more

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This place has amazing food! It's very nice in the inside! Two story, open staircase with beautiful finishes. We were from out of town and wanted Italian food so we found this and gave it a try! Ordered the warm focaccia bread soaked in garlic oil and topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Amazing! Then we ordered the iron skillet lasagna. I can't even describe how good it was. The bolognese sauce was out of this world! The wine was good also. The waiter was great as well. You HAVE to try this place! And, I was so excited when the food came, i forgot to take pics! read more

Massive WOW. The gold standard for food and service for Donelson/Hermitage/Old Hickory. A true downtown dining experience in the burbs. Our service was perfect mix of timing, easy & friendly candor. Setting was comfortable with a great ambiance with lighting and low noise level. Fried calamari had a great crispy breading while not being greasy; we really enjoyed the rustic grilled focaccia that is very much worth the carb count. The beef carpaccio was a little bland where I think I expected more balsamic kick but the meat was high quality. Dinner entrees were all stunners. The Chicken Marsala had amazing flavor with tender, perfectly prepared chicken. The Mushroom Orecchiette is a very delectable, rich dish as was the Strozzapreti with Pesto cream. What is super nice is that they offer two sizes of servings on the pasta dishes! Great wine options, food portion & presentation, and stellar service! Would be a great trip cap for folks heading out of town along with super neighborhood find for the permanent folks. read more

Salento Italia - STROZZAPRETTI W/PESTO CREAM with Chicken - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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I can't recommend Salento enough!! 5 stars across the board. My boyfriend and I went on a Sunday night and were seated right away. We sat in the upstairs dining area, which very open and comfortable. The staff was so welcoming and incredibly knowledgeable about both the food and drink menu. They made this such a great experience! We started with the house-made Rustic Grilled Focaccia with olive-basil tapenade... wow. You HAVE to try it. For my entrée, I had the Chicken Marsala, and it was perfection. The parmesan polenta literally melts in your mouth. My boyfriend ordered the Pappardelle Bolognese and loved every bite. If you enjoy cocktails, definitely try one of their seasonal options. I had the Notorious F.I.G. and I'm already planning to get it again! Such a great dining experience and the perfect spot for a date night. read more

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Flying out of Nashville and staying at the Hilton on airport property. Looking for a place to eat dinner. Found this little flame on Donelson. Great food, awesome service and the environment couldn't be beat. Snapped a picture of the calamari, but was too excited for the chicken parm. Will keep this one in the books for our next trip! read more

We were craving Italian food last night & decided to try this place. It's beautiful inside. Unfortunately, it was booked up & the only option we had was to sit out in their "heated" patio. It was in the teens ! They assured us that it's heated & they offer lap blanket. We checked it out & it was warmer than we expected. Decided to stay & yes, I made sure to take them up on that blanket. Our waitress even added hot water to our carafe of cold water when my husband made a joke about the ice cold water. Awesome service! The food was delicious!! John ordered the cast-iron lasagna & it was the best out of the 3 dishes we ordered. The tiramisu was not overly sweet & the olive oil cake was yummy. Highly recommend this place. read more

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Went to Nashville last week, and our first meal of the day was at Salento Italia. The restaurant was beautifully decorated and super clean. All of the workers at the restaurant were super friendly and attentative. We ordered a sausage pizza from their special menu, which was delicious. Great flavor, and although I'm not a thin crust fan, I was pleasantly surprised with the crust of the pizza. We also got the calamari to share. fried well, not greasy at all. For my entree, I ordered the lobster ravioli. 6 decently sized raviolis and great sauce. I ordered it with extra sauce as I like my pastsas saucy. Wasn't charged extra for the extra sauce like some other places that I've been to. Our server Danielle was fabulous. Super friendly, super attentive. Gave informed details about the various dishes and suggestions based on our preferences. Even split our checks for us 6 different ways so that we could each use our own cards to make payment. Offered to pack our left overs up for us instead of just bringing us containers to do it ourselves. Food and service were so great that we went back 2 days later to get the sausage pizza again. Side note... tiramasu comes in a huge bowl and the gelato comes as a three-scoop serving; chocolate/vanilla/pasticho. The vanilla is the best flavor out of the three according to the people that had it. read more

Salento Italia - Lobster ravioli with extra sauce - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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The food, the service, the environment is lovely. The music was not to loud and the servers were all so niceand we will be returning read more

Salento Italia - Inside - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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This is like my cheers. I haven't had a bad time at this place. Even the dish I didn't care for was good, just not my speed. The drinks are good, happy hour is everyday from 3:00-5:30pm everyday except Monday when it's all day! The staff is nice, restaurant is clean and chill. Music isn't too loud. Try the grapefruit Negroni, you won't be disappointed. read more

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Love this place. The service is always efficient and the food is delicious! You just have to get there early for decent parking but it's worth the wait. Loud enough to hear your company at the table but don't try to take a work call it's not the spot for that. It's in a cute area with other places to eat. read more

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We love Salento! Excellent Italian cuisine! Feels like eating in Italy as the pasta is fresh and the sauce is delicious! Also enjoy the Chicken Parmesan so yummy! Fabulous atmosphere upstairs dining or on the screen in patio! read more

Very nice place with friendly staff and great food. Ask for an upstairs booth and watch the planes fly in and out of BNA..

Cute restaurant spot! Plenty of food options including vegetarian and gluten free choices. The food definitely feels of high quality, a tad mild on the seasoning side, but I'd definitely be back and try other dishes too! The Parmesan risotto and the Mista salad were really tasty! They do half sizes on pastas and salads which allow you to try a few dishes which is nice. read more

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First time in Salento Italia, but not the last! My wife and i stopped in for dinner this week and what a pleasant surprise. Just caught the end of happy hour for a glass of wine and some Calamari. The calamari was very lightly beaded and cooked to perfection! I had the half portion braised short rib and gnocchi and it was fantastic! My wife had the chicken Marsala also very good. We sat in the bar area and our server was excellent . The food came out hot and efficiently. Great atmosphere, nice patio are can't wait for some warmer weather to enjoy another great meal on the patio. read more

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We went out for dinner on Valentine's weekend which we never do... but we didn't have our kids and wanted a night out! We had reservations and were seated shortly after we arrived. We were seated upstairs. It seemed as if they sat several tables upstairs at one time because it did take a hot second to get drink and appetizer orders in. Once everyone got greeted service returned to normal and we had great service. I ordered the Skipping Class for Candi and my husband had a Peroni. We also ordered the Beef Carpaccio and it was very good! It was missing a little acid but we were able to add a little lemon and top it with the capers that were mixed in with the arugula. It was paired with the Grilled Focaccia and it was delish! For dinner I ordered the Pappardelle Bolognese and my husband had Linguini de Mare with a side Caesar salad. Both of our meals were fabulous! We were both very happy with our dishes! I did order the Tiramisu to go! I was sooo full but I love a good Tiramisu so I couldn't pass it up! Great experience and will absolutely be back! read more

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We came into town for an early flight and found this jewel just down the street from our hotel.... I went classic with the lasagna. Delicious! The portion was perfect size . My friend ordered a tiramisu for our table to split. It was so authentic!! They make everything in house! Great atmosphere as well! read more

Salento Italia - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I'm addicted to this spot! We go weekly! Very nice happy hour. It's cute and romantic! The staff is AMAZING! We see Jeremy, Scott, and Brad are the bartenders and all very nice! All around great spot. Now the food is DELICIOUS!! I have not had a menu item I don't like. Have brought people here and they all love it! There will always be money in the budget for Salento!! read more

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Tucked away in the Donelson suburb of Nashville, this quaint location was a pleasant surprise. We both ordered the chicken parm. Huge portions of chicken and the pasta was cooked perfectly. Very peaceful ambiance. We thoroughly enjoyed eating Monday night dinner here. We will definitely be coming back and trying other things! Visit Salento Italia when you are on this side of Nashville. You too will be pleasantly surprised! read more

Salento Italia - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Fantastic Italian Restaurant in an area that needs it. Pizza is TOP SHLF, so good in fact, that is what I get every time I go!! well, that and a meat Ball :) read more

The food here was absolutely amazing! The service was awesome and out waiter was attentive and made great suggestions. The atmosphere was intimate and inviting. I would highly recommend this spot. The apps we have the meatballs and the bruschetta both delicious but the bruschetta stole the show. For entrees we had the chicken marsala, short rib gnocchi and the tagliatelle bolognese. For dessert we had olive oil cake and Gelato. The olive oil cake omg it was amazing!!! read more

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First time trying the restaurant. I was greeted quickly and seated upstairs, it was more quiet and relaxing environment. I wanted to try all the items but I couldn't. I ordered the small Rigatoni and sausage, grilled asparagus, and garlic shrimp. All the items I ordered was delicious but the garlic shrimp is my all time favorite. Cooked right and the flavors....wow. I definitely recommend the restaurant if you're in the area. read more

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Donelson is on the come up and Salento is the main piece of evidence of this fact. I didn't have any expectations so I can't say they were exceeded but had a great experience. Parking is easy and plentiful, one of the pros to dining in Donelson. We came on a Friday night around 7:30, there was no wait and we were seated on the enclosed patio which was so warm and not too bright like the main dining room. We didn't indulge in any adult beverages, came strictly to eat. The arancini was delicious and I usually do not care for risotto balls. We both agreed the arriabata sauce really set the dish off. Don't be turned off by the goat cheese, you could barely tell it was in there. I ordered the salmon and it was good, not great. I wish they wouldn't have been stingy with the asparagus. Service was decent. I would definitely return to try one of their pasta dishes and happy hour. read more

Salento Italia - Salmon and orzo - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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So impressed with Salento and so disappointed it took me this long to go! First of all, the restaurant is gorgeous. It is pretty loud so keep that in mind (I think upstairs may be a bit quieter!) but it's beautiful! Charlie was our server and he was incredible. We went for my birthday dinner and he helped make it very special! His recommendations were on point and everything was fantastic. We had the meatballs and focaccia to start. Both incredible and the focaccia was perfect. For my meal, I had the lasagna and it was some of the best lasagna I've had outside of Italy! Can't wait to go back! This will be a staple in my rotation. read more

Salento Italia - Appetizers and cocktails - Italian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Good apps Meatballs, truffle fries all good Chicken parm was prepared well All the pastas ordered were very good Will return to try pizza read more

Salento is a nice space with good service. I only wish their dishes were more consistent. We have dined here two times in the last few weeks. I love the small plate portion options. From the appetizers, the octopus is great. Calamari is flavorful and cooked properly with a very tasty tomato sauce (but please stop skimping on the peppers). The focaccia is really good but for the price the portion is small. Fabulous finds - the meatballs, short rib gnocchi, and the lasagna. Disappointments - Chicken Parm was very overcooked as were the lamb chops and the bed of risotto underneath. We asked for medium rare and got a well done chops. Risotto had no bite. They seem to excel at traditional pasta but struggle on the pricier dishes. read more

Good: arancini- never had it with a sweetness before- since they put honey in theirs. I liked it! Desserts- (actually the best food items we are) Affogato, tiramisu and budino were all good! Hugo spritz- tasty, refreshing, great on a hot night. Needs work: focaccia- half the pieces were burnt Mushroom orecchiette with chicken- not seasoned at all. No flavor profiles other than cream (didn't even taste the truffle)...needed to salt it. Also, the chicken seemed like an afterthought, not cooked with the pasta sauce, but blackened, dry, sliced and put on top (reminded me more of chicken you would add to a salad). My companions said their pasta dishes were also unseasoned and one said the gnocchi was just ok. Nashville has amazing food, need a little more from Salento. I won't be deterred though, it's lovely inside and will be back to try other menu items (fingers crossed). read more

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Visited this place for my husband's birthday with family. We dined here before and the food is great. They did not have any seating indoors when making a reservation so I selected patio seating. It's August so we know it's hot but it was almost unbearable. You'd think they would have fans or even offer a discount for dining out there. There were multiple times where we were waiting for silverware when food was in front of us, even my husbands bday dessert didn't have silverware. Drink orders were delayed. Overall, the food is great but definitely needed work in the other areas. read more

Absolutely loved this place. The ambiance is a perfect crossover between upscale and casual. It's a great option for a date night. We started off with the focaccia and arancini. You MUST get both. This was incredibly and packed so much good flavor. For our mains, we got the pappardelle bolognese and margarita pizza. You can tell how fresh the food is when enjoying these main courses. The pizza was perfectly cooked in the brick oven. We ended our meal with to-go tiramisu which did not disappoint. If you are looking to get out of Nashville's craziness you should 100% check this place out. The service is great and plenty of parking! read more

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Overall a good experience. A few nit picky things and one bad. The pasta doesn't have enough salt when preparing but that is typical of restaurant pasta everywhere. I understand why. Let me start with the bad. My wife had the roasted cauliflower spaghetti had way too much lemon and three of said the same thing. The appetizers were very good. The chicken part was very good as well. One of our friends had the Gnocchi that I didn't get a picture of and she loved it. Let me say the cocktails were amazing. They do not hold back on the booze. We want to come back for pizza. read more

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Our family enjoyed our first time visit to Salento Italia Restaurant. Dining is screened outdoor patio, main level/bar level, and upstairs. We chose upstairs for more quiet conversation. Bright, modern, hip décor. Friendly, attentive service. Brothers Bill and Sam Darsinos continue to excel as restaurant operators. We made a reservation and seated on time. Large groups are accommodated with notice. Enjoyed small Caesar Salad, Mista Salad, Mussels over bed of Spaghetti, Braised Short Ribs with Gnocchi, Lasagna Bolognese, and sauteed spinach Italian-style. Washed down with a few Moretti lager beers. Everyone in our party would order their dish again. Menu is simple and something for everyone. I suspect that the staff assigned to the upper dining room are worn out tired by the end of the evening. Private parking lot. Pluses: * Every dish was delightful * Open for lunch, Mon-Fri * Beer, wine and drink menu with prices * While a small selection, the Happy Hour menu is honored in the dining rooms, 3:00 - 5:30 PM every day Small Gripes: * Most disappointed no draught brewskies * How could this classic dish be missing from the menu: Linguine with White Clam Sauce / Linguine alle Vongole??? read more

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Skip the bruschetta and go for sharing several of the smaller-sized main dishes. The restaurant is decorated well, the staff are friendly enough and the seating options are great. We were seated upstairs and requested the 2-person booth, this was perhaps our mistake. We felt our waitress may have forgotten us a few times due to our location, but it was a pleasant seat, as it was very loud downstairs. The food was excellent. The bruschetta was the only disappointment. It looked beautiful, but the most of the components were flavorless. The small mozzarella balls were extremely plain and the focaccia was too. There was arugula and tomatoes that were okay, but there was not nearly enough tomatoes on BRUSCHETTA. Also, balsamic dressing is not the topping of my choice. It was too tart, it would have been better with the balsamic reduction found on most. Now for ALL the truly delicious stuff...I ordered the small portion of gnocchi and short rib. Oh my gosh, I'm not sure that I even knew what was in each bite, but it was amazing. Mainly, the combination of pasta, short rib, pine nuts, and goat cheese were fantastic. Then my husband couldn't decide between two dishes, so he got both in the smaller portion option. Great! He tried the pappardelle bolognese and it was delicious. The basil ricotta mixed in was a great addition. He also got the bucatini lamb ragout, which also amazing because of the combination of flavors. I'll be craving all three of these pasta dishes next week, or maybe in 5 minutes. read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Salento Italia...and it would have been even better if I'd gone with folks who enjoy fine cuisine (unfortunately I did not). On 3/9 I was in a group of 9 eating at this restaurant for my mother's birthday. I was at once taken with how cute the restaurant was. The lower level featured an open floor plan, and a large bar area. The upstairs was smaller but well lit with a bunch of tables, chairs, and booths. The only downsides were the bathrooms are all on the first floor and all the food had to be carried up the stairs 2 plates at a time. We were seated on the 2nd floor of course. Our waitress was great, attentive and unfailingly polite despite many in my party being annoying and basic AF. Ordering took forever but that was due to us, not to the wait staff. I ordered a beer, which was very good, and the filet mignon. I didn't order my own appetizer but sampled all the appetizers folks around me ordered. The focaccia, calamari, and bruschetta were fabulous. And my steak was amazing! I cleaned my plate! Unfortunately, a lot of the people in my party ordered the chicken pasta dish, then complained it was too dry when it arrived. They're likely used to Americanized takes on food, which includes too much sauce and portions that are too large. Dessert was gelato, pistachio was the absolute best! I'd definitely return next time I'm in the Nashville area! read more

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The food and service were great. Really good chicken parm and my co-worker thought the lasagna was in the running for some of the best he's had. This restaurant is part of the Darfon's group which is also well worth trying. One of our go-to's when we come to Nashville and Salento will be added to that list. read more

For starters let me say this is probably the swankiest restaurant in Donelson. There are a few booths and just a couple "low" tables on the first floor some bar seating and some high top tables by the bar and a patio. There's also an upstairs but I didn't pop up there. The menu has lots of different options and almost all of them sound very interesting... Be aware that you can order half size portions of the salads and the pastas which means you can try more dishes... You can also substitute a gluten-free pasta in any of the pasta dishes (as I did). I'm assuming you could also substitute the polenta or risotto if you preferred. I started with what they call the shrimp scampi. I feel like it should be called a deconstructed ode to scampi. This is not your grandmother's scampi. First of all the polenta is so delicious and creamy I could have eaten just a big bowl of that. Instead of a really garlicky butter sauce there are cloves of roasted garlic which are delicious and a little bit sweet, and then the roasted cherry tomatoes round out the flavor with the poached shrimp perfectly. Also as you can see from the photo the shrimp are a nice jumbo size. Then I had a caesar salad with grilled shrimp and the lamb pasta dish - they were also good but the "scampi" appetizer is one of the better things I've eaten. *Like ever.* read more

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My third trip to Salento Italia & so happy to have this gem in my neighborhood! Great food, stellar service, vibrant atmosphere and generous pours. I recommend the grapefruit Negroni! It's so good! read more

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This is a new Italian restaurant that just opened up in the Donelson area (officially opened 1/29) and my wife and I had the pleasure of coming here last Saturday. The owners of Salento Italia own Greko, which is one of our favorite restaurants in Nashville, and we were excited to see how this came out. It was quite busy when we came at 5, but we were seated quickly since we had reservations. Our server was very good and she was attentive throughout our meal despite having a large party upstairs. We started our meal with a grapefruit Negroni and an Amalfi mule, both of which were very refreshing and quite tasty. We tried the small Caesar salad and the shrimp scampi for an appetizer and they were both very, very good. The salad was very tasty and the croutons were smaller than expected, which gave a nice crunch to each bite of the salad. We loved the shrimp scampi as well and my wife (who grew up in NYC) said this was one of the best shrimp scampi dishes she's ever had. My wife had the bucatini lamb ragout for her entrée and she really liked it (the cinnamon in it is a nice nod to the owners Greek ancestry) and I had the special of the night (rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage and spinach) and I really enjoyed my meal as well. We had a side of broccoli rabe that was very garlic-y and tasty and contrasted well to the pasta. We finished our meal with an espresso martini and an affogato and it was a great way to cap off a really nice meal. The decor inside is quite lovely and it was cozy inside. We really liked that they had small plates for the pasta dishes as well so you can try a few and share things family style. The prices are also very reasonable and that was great to see. It's wonderful to see a nice new restaurant in the Donelson area and we were very impressed on our first visit. We'll definitely be coming back and we're glad we were able to come this past weekend! read more

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