The decor is the odd industrialized warehouse look with Tiffany accents. The service is prompt and efficient. The food was pretty fantastic on the whole. The cheesy garlic rosemary bread with salty butter to start was AMAZING! Set the bar high. We had margharita pizza which was good but not great, Punch is better, and chicken parm with garlic cream fettuccini. The fettuccini was fantastic, the best of everything we ate. The chicken was very good too but the bread starter and fettuccini took the cake. I'm definitely coming back to try more. read more

Blown away by how fabulous our food was. The meatball appetizer was out of this world delicious, the sauce was created by angels. I got the beet salad with salmon that was magnificent. Others ordered pasta and the polenta appetizer and all was wonderful. My husband loved the bread. I got a glass of reisling and it was spectacular. We were in awe of how delicious this place was. Is in a strip mall but lovely decor and not super fancy. WONDERFUL. read more

we live near Spasso and have enjoyed it through the years. The results have been sketchy, but the shrimp scampi has been a reliable hit. However, when I got a take-out order tonight it was incredibly boring and overcooked. I had actually added some red pepper flakes and salt and it was still tasteless. We really want Spasso to succeed but they need to get their act together. read more

I planned my husband's 50th birthday party at Spasso last week. It had been a while since I had been at Spasso, but the location was perfect for my guests so I took a chance and moved forward with the planning. Noah manages their private dining and was amazing to work with. He was tough to get ahold of initially because the restaurant doesn't open until 4. Once I got his email he was super responsive, helpful and flexible. The Wine Shop next door is also very helpful, being willing to take some gifts for my guests and a balloon delivery for me the morning of the party, before the restaurant opened. Susan was our server and knocked it out of the park. She truly made the night by rolling with the punches with my group, offering suggestions and basically setting up the room for me so that I could bring in my husband for his surprise. The food was great, all beautifully presented and we didn't hear one complaint from the group. They ordered from the entire menu - fish, pizzas, pastas, salads, etc. We stayed a little later, not realizing the restaurant had closed at 9:00 and the staff graciously allowed us to hang out in the private room until 10:00. I really can't say enough about how we were treated and how perfect they made my husband's party. Thank you to the entire Spasso team! read more

Spasso's came through for a last minute dinner with the family. Service was fast and friendly. Glad to have this place near by. The food hit the spot. The chicken marsala had a good amount of sauce and plenty of perfectly cooked mushrooms. The pasta was al dente and delicious. The chicken parmigiana was great. We asked for red marinera instead of the creamy garlic sauce. Excellent. Great flavor and pasta was al dente. The kids had chicken tenders and kid's burger and ate it all up. Try the Austin Hope Cab. It was fantastic. read more

See all

The service was good and the wine was nice but the food was just okay. Nothing in my mouth just popped out, it was really just okay food. $27 for a plate which isn't bad but still I'd like a lot more flavor. Another bonus is it's right by the lake with beautiful houses. read more

Spasso - NY strip with Chardonnay wine - Italian Near Me - Minnetonka, Minnesota

I have been here a few times. The restaurant is okay inside, kind of dark and when I was there it was pretty mellow. Met over lunch a couple times, with some colleagues. The salad was pretty good-- I ordered a steak salad, which came with blue cheese and dressing. Added avocado on top as well. Steak was cooked how I like it-- medium rare and I had no real issues here with anything. It was a typical dine in, over lunch kind of spot. No issues, just not amazing or anything like that. I may be back, I may not. If I'm back I'll look for the same salad I had when I was there before and maybe try some new other things on the menu as well! read more

Food was very disappointing. Portion size was 1/2 the size as previous. Food lukewarm. Management was non caring. Owner promised to call me back and did not. The waiter did not listen to my wants and was confusing. I will never go back to Spasso. read more

Middle of the road three stars from me, but my wife would give them four. We went here on a date night with another couple recently. Part of the allure was that the restaurant has an attached wine store that allows bottle service inside the restaurant (scores high for my wife, me, not as much). She found the bottle she wanted and we took it into the restaurant. We were early for our rsvp so we sat at the bar. My wife had the bar tender open her wine and to my knowledge, we never saw a cork fee. I had an old fashioned. Minus a star for having granular sugar and no simple syrup. It just didn't get diluted enough. Also, maraschino cherry instead of the more luxe style on a $12 drink. We had the shrimp appetizer (it's $2 off with a check in). It's served with a lemon aioli and cocktail sauce. My wife LOVES sauces. This scored high with her. They were deliciously fresh and hot when they arrived at our table. Solid score. Our entrees are our other difference of opinion between my wife and I. She had the lobster risotto and loved it. I had the rigliationi pasta dish. The pink sauce was to viscous for my liking and the sausage in it was void of flavor. Was looking for more fennel kick out of an Italian sausage. Minus 1/2 star. Service was ok. All of our food was brought out by runners and not our actual server. Also, we had to ask for bread while our neighboring tables got it automatically. Minus 1/2 star. If you're a wine lover and they don't charge the cork fee like we experienced, this is a good call. Cheers! read more

Spasso - Italian Near Me - Minnetonka, Minnesota

See all

We've been coming to Spasso for a few years (minus when they were closed during early Covid). Wonderful neighborhood spot with tasty and fairly priced food, great wine and wonderful service. Love that we can pick out a bottle of wine at the neighboring wine shop to be uncorked at the restaurant for no charge. read more

I can't believe I have not taken the time to write a review! Especially since I seem to frequent my neighborhood Italian bar and restaurant. Spasso has a nice ambience, it's kind of dark, clean, and can be a little loud. It's great for everyone, and the service has been great every time we have been there. They also have a separate room for events. The wine... I love wine! The wine shop is connected to the restaurant, so you can pick out your favorite bottle and bring it next store with out a corking fee or up charge. Yep bonus!!! They offer wine flights which I am always a fan of... at a very reasonable price too! The wine menu is extensive and has all different price points. Spasso also has a nice beer list and good booze. The food is great! They serve wood fired pizzas, I love the black and blue salad, and good lord the lasagna is sick and wrong good! Those are pretty much my go to dinners. My daughter loves the Mac and Cheese. They serve fresh warm bread which is always nice, but bad for my diet (damn it I can't seem to say no?) This place also offers car service! You can rent/ request it and get your drink on! In the summer, there is outdoor seating which is always a plus. Well in my book anyways... warm summer evenings and a nice wine is just perfect! (We all drink our dinners sometimes!) ~cheers~ read more

See all

I heard so much about Spasso from friends that I needed to check it out for myself. Very smart decor, a bit dark and it can get a bit loud. The place was packed when we went there so that is to be expected. I always prefer sitting at the bar and they had about a dozen seats with some side tables as well. The food was very good. We started with the Bruschetta and it was absolutely delicious. This will be a staple each time I visit Spasso. The Lasagna was also very solid and hit the spot and a very chilly night. The wood fried pizzas looked tasty and I will be sure to try them during my next visit. They have a very nice selection of wine...both by the glass and bottle. They also offer wine flights. I found the prices for the wine (and the food for that matter) to be extremely reasonable. Spasso is a wonderful spot that I will be sure to visit again next time I'm in town. They also offer a free car service if you have spent a little too much time at the bar. A very nice touch! read more

Spasso - Delicious Bruschetta..... - Italian Near Me - Minnetonka, Minnesota

This review is based on a recent Sunday brunch. My first visit but I'm sure not the last. A group of seven stopped in after attending a service at a nearby church. We were easily accommodated, especially since there were many unoccupied tables and booths. It may have been an unusually slow Sunday. Anyway, we were cordially greeted by our server who took and promptly filled our coffee/assorted beverage orders. Accompanying them were free mini-loaves of very good banana bread. I opted for the ABC (avocado, bacon & white cheddar cheese) omelet served with garlic herb hash browns and a toasted English Muffin. The omelet was pleasantly savory, the potatoes flavorful and amply portioned but could have been a bit more crisply browned. Two others chose the "Endless Breakfast." An over the top selection described on the menu as: "Platter after platter of white cheddar scrambled eggs, applewood smoked bacon, chicken apple sausage, waffles, garlic herb hash browns and toast." I must give them credit for making a serious run at this mighty feast. And unlike brunch buffets where dishes sit under heat lamps, whatever you choose is prepared to order and delivered to the table. I may have to train for this and give it my best shot the next time I'm at Spasso. Everyone else was happy with their order. Especially noted were the crab cakes and the spinach/cheese quiche. Atmosphere is upscale suburban clubby. Service excellent. Coffee hot, rich and constantly refilled. Again, it may have been an uncharacteristically slow Sunday. But based on our experience, the Spasso brunch deserves much greater patronage. I plan to be back to check out lunch and dinner as well. read more

Spasso is one of our favorite go-to restaurants. You can buy bottles of vino at their wine shop next door and take it in and have it uncorked for free in the restaurant. Their food is good and reasonably priced. read more

Alrighty...so here we are, date night with the boytoy. We decided to come here as it is close to his place. Nice because they have a huge parking lot so no issues working around that like you we expect closer to the downtown area. Walking in you definitely get family style restaurant vibes...fairly busy for the weekend. We just decided to sit at the bar so we could have a little space to ourselves. In general, the dining area is a little outdated but I do like the woodfire grill that they have stationed in the back in the kitchen so we can see all the action happening. Our bartender was super nice, very patient while we decided what we wanted and checked in regularly to make sure everything was going well. As this is an Italian food spot, they had a pretty decent wine list which you know is my favie. Polished off a bottle of their tempranillo...highly recommend, went down very smoothly. Also, tried out a few fruity cocktails that were well made as well. As far as food goes, we ordered crab cakes and mussels to snack on. I'm obsessed with mussels in general and that they did pretty well for being in a state that is landlocked in the middle of the country. Crab cakes could have used a little more oomph- something to jazz it up like an unexpected seasoning or something to add more crunch. We also had the pepe pizza to finish off the night which was very tasty indeed and would highly recommend if you want something to hit all your flavor senses- umami, salty, cheesy, nummy. Anyway, convenient spot, wouldn't mind coming back for a little happy hour! read more

I almost never write reviews, but I am extremely upset with this restaurant. I placed an order through DoorDash and ordered the ahi tuna crisps as a side dish and got this in the box. It was $13.00!!! 6 chips with a mini slice of avocado and ahi tuna with each chip. At first I thought the Dasher ate some of my food, but I called the restaurant and confirmed that this was all you got for the Ahi tuna crisps. A lot of things from this restaurant are very overpriced for what you get. read more

Spasso - Ahi Tuna Crisps - Italian Near Me - Minnetonka, Minnesota

Food: 5 stars Service: 3 stars Overall: 4 stars I have been to this place quite a few times, but the customer service has never been that great. Most recently, we were there for a bachelorette party. Granted we were a large party, but they never even took our drink order! A bachelorette meal without drinks was rather upsetting - we couldn't do a cheers or prepare for the night ahead! A couple of brave souls ventured to the bar for drinks, but they were subpar. Also, I hardly saw the waitress and the service took an eternity. But the food is good! Hands down, the chicken mushroom risotto is one of my favorite meals. It is creamy, with chicken that melts in your mouth. If you are a fan of chicken or mushroom or risotto or food in general, this is a must try. Another favorite is the steak bites to dip in the cheese sauce. Delectable! Mother's Day Brunch is fabulous here! All of your favorite brunch dishes are available on the buffet (shout-out for the waffles and all of the topping options). I have also never had a gelato or appetizer that I didn't love. read more

Sometimes it might be a good idea not to blame the head chef for financial decisions. We asked for some avocado and egg instead of prosciutto on a salad. As the pork is much more expensive, we were greatly surprised when we were told there would be a charge from the head chef for any substitutions. When the salad arrived, we were given 4 slices of half an already hard boiled egg and 6 slices from half of a half an avocado, that couldn't have cost much more than $1. These substitutes were already prepared for other items on the restaurant menu, and reduced the cost of the salad substantially. Is it worth charging an additional amount of $1.25 to a regular customer just to make a point while you increase your profit margins? read more

I have been an on and off customer since they opened. Less since more restaurants have opened in the south side of Minnetonka and Excelsior. Last here the night of 5/27/2019. I have always like the ambience of the place: the dark concrete floors and furniture, plenty of seating inside and a great patio deck. Service has always been fine the three dozen times I have been here. My wife makes this a frequent happy hour place as well. I am actually not a fan of their happy hour, but I have other friends that agree with her and live it. I don't know what the other reviews are writing about. Yeah, the menu seems to have morphed a lot over the years. My wife won't go there for brunch since they eliminated her favorite omelette. They are probably adjusting it based on demand and to keep it fresh. They also have a nice party room in the back. Private and very nice. I also like how you can buy wine next door and drink it here. So why only four stars? There really is no objective reason. It just seems a four star place. Great but not awesome. It is definitely up there though as one of my favorite western suburb restaurants. read more

I'm actually surprised at some of the bad reviews. I've been a few times over the years and have always really enjoyed it. On our most recent visit my husband and I were looking to do something on a budget. They have a great happy hour. Tons of menu items and drinks, beer and wine. We sat at the bar and had really great service from the bartender the entire time. Very attentive and fun. We ordered 2 glasses of wine, 2 glasses of beer, pizza (amazing) and wings. Our total was $30. Seriously. The pizza was huge and a full order of wings. Everything was excellent down to the house wine. Also they have a wine shop attached and you can purchase a bottle and bring for dinner. Great spot!! read more

Serious dining comes to the suburbs. Chef Josh Hedquist delivers on his 20yr reputation. Crab cake- yaaaas Queen. A crab cake big enough you aren't whiney about only getting one. Plus a slaw of apple/cuke and a sauce of a creamy dill. Meatball- all beef and pork (no baby cows were harmed in the making of these babies). Plus a bunch of cheese. Moist but solid. Acid but balanced tomato sauce. Nice work- Providence, RI would be satisfied. Plus a really lovely bubbly rosé. And the promise of more fresh pasta, mussels +/- calamari and other deliciousness Chef Josh picked up in his years in South Florida. Looking forward to the next visit. read more

Our favorite neighborhood go-to! They have something for everyone in our family and serve a few unique items like vegetable lasagne (yum!) I love that it's a block from Lake Minnetonka and that you can pick your favorite wine next door and have them uncork and pour for no extra charge! The service is friendly and customers are local and a little loud. Nice happy hour and lovely outdoor seating, wether permitting of course ! read more

Spasso is one of my favorite restaurants in the Minnetonka area. This restaurant offers a wide variety of very tasty food and drink options. The penne alla vodka pasta and beet salad are absolutely amazing. The happy hour is outstanding! Whether you come for happy hour after work or late at night, there are multiple appetizer and drink options for only a few dollars. I hosted a large group event in the private dining room here, and the restaurant did a great job. The staff was excellent, the food was fresh, and the drinks were flowing all night. This is a great option for your next group event! read more

A great Italian standby! The wine: Affordable, and selection is varied - yay for options! The food: great Italian classics to choose from (think northern Italy). We tend to get the lasagna, pasta bolognese, and the chicken parm (but sub for marinara instead of the white sauce). We haven't been disappointed, and have been here numerous times... it's extremely consistent- Yay for consistency! The atmosphere: we like to cozy up at the bar or pizza counter rather than a table. It's a warm-styled joint, good for eating hearty pastas in. Yay for being cozy! read more

I came here because the malt shop next door had a 45 minute wait. True story. I stayed for the amazing steak, pizza, mussels, and good booze. Seriously - once in awhile, you find a place completely accidentally and it turns out to be the universe saying, "Hey, you did something good today - treat yo'self." So we walk in, and they promise a 15 minute wait. That's 30 minutes less than the punks next door at the amazing, delicious malt shop, so I figure we're already doing well. Then, they say the magic words: The Wine Shop that's attached through the restaurant? They're doing a tasting tonight. You can buy a bottle of wine over there, and bring it in here with no corking fee or any upcharge. Gadzooks. So after getting thoroughly ... wine tasted? ... our buzzer went off, and back to Spasso we went. The ambience here is really nice - it's relatively dark, nice large woodfiring oven (that smells pretty awesome if you can sit close to it), clean floors, and well-dressed servers. The clientele was dressed all over the board - from yoga pants to business casual. I'm pretty sure that anyone would feel comfortable here. I ordered a steak, and saw on the menu that they had a really interesting cooking option - I could have my steak cooked in the pizza oven. Of course I was going to give that a try - and you know, it was outstanding. It was, by far, one of the most well-prepared steaks I have ever had. My partner swears by the pasta. As I typically save my carbs for booze, I'm not a big pasta fan, but trust me, he's a pasta aficionado, so if he says the pasta is good, it's pretty darn good. Five good, solid stars - good food, great service, nice atmosphere, broad menu, ample parking and really good prices. We hit Spasso once every couple months, and every time, we leave saying, "Hey, why don't we come here more often?" read more

I'm giving Spasso 5 stars for one very important reason, and that is simply their customer service. We chose Spasso for my fathers 50th surprise birthday dinner, and thanks to Spasso the evening was amazing! We had a reservation for 9 adults, 1 pre-schooler, & 1 toddler, and when we arrived our table was already beautifully set - including ice water for everyone as well as a highchair & booster seat. Even the kids' water was filled in a mini cup with a lid & straw. So before I even sat down, I was impressed. Our waiter was awesome (Bonus: he looked very much like Jake Gyllenhaal!) He introduced himself & quickly advised that if we were interested in ordering appetizers &/or drinks that we should do so quickly because happy hour was ending shortly. We chose to order the Polenta Fries, Bruschetta, & Spinach & Artichoke Dip. The Polenta Fries were excellent as well as the 3 delicious sauces that they come with! The Bruschetta was equally as delicious! I'll have to admit that the Spinach & Artichoke Dip was my least favorite. I just didn't think it had quite enough flavor. Next we ordered our entrees. I chose the Steak & Blue Cobb Salad. I was slightly disappointed. My steak, which I ordered medium-well, was quite chewy & tough, and I felt that the dressing overpowered the blue cheese. I did manage to snag a portion of my father's Gorgonzola Crusted Filet Mignon and man I wish I had ordered that - wow! It was even topped with a huge mound of Crispy Onion Strings - my favorite! Our table had numerous side dishes floating around. I thought that the "Loaded" Mac & Cheese was phenomenal! It really wasn't your traditional mac & cheese, which is probably why I liked it so much. Penne pasta was smothered in a cheesy, creamy, alfredo like sauce & topped with huge bacon pieces & green onion. Delicious! The Asparagas was also done very well! Now it was time for dessert, which was the most amazing & wonderful part of the evening! Since my father is such a huge fan of red velvet cake, I had been calling around town for weeks trying to find the "best" red velvet cake for him (since Spasso told us we were allowed to bring in our own cake), when my mother suggested I ask Spasso if they could do a special red velvet cake for us. So I called Spasso & was connected with the Head Pastry Chef who said that he could make a Red Velvet Cheesecake which would generously feed 10-12 people. I thought long & hard about that. I wasn't quite sure what a Red Velvet Cheesecake even tasted like, let alone one from "just" a restaurant. But a took a risk, and said "sure!". I asked if he could make it look nice & personalize it for us as well. I had no idea that that was the best decision I could possibly make! The Manager brought out the cake and let me tell you that this cake was HUGE! I mean HUGE! And it was absolutely gorgeous! It was beautifully decorated with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting & white chocolate curls, as well as fresh berries & candles. Wow! The manager then cut the cake for us, & let's just say that the 11 of us barely made a dent in it - literally! And most of us had 2 pieces because it was absolutely delicious! Layers of moist red velvet cake were combined with a light & creamy cheesecake, & topped with a delicious (& not in the least heavy) cream cheese frosting. The cake literally took my breath away! What a wonderful way to end our dinner! Thank you Spasso for showing me that true customer service really still does exist! read more

Spasso - The Steak & Blue Cobb Salad - Italian Near Me - Minnetonka, Minnesota

Ordered tenderloin tip appetizer to go. What a disappointment. 1/3 of the size that used to be. And they threw some wilted arugula on the side with NO dressing. Spasso, don't forget that you need your neighbors to thrive. I have noticed that their portions are getting smaller and smaller. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this place - we took a ride out to Minnetonka from the city and had a nice lunch on their patio. The outdoor patio is on a busy street, but was nicely decorated. The pastas and salads were tasty - they have a nice salad and main dish deal for lunch. The sangria was tasty, the service prompt. They have a pretty extensive menu of pastas. pizzas, etc, and the interior was very cozy. They have a wine shop attached to the restaurant to get a bottle to go! read more

Great food, great service, and great atmosphere. The pizza was perfect, the Ceasar's salad was so good we ordered another one and the Bolognese was out of this world! read more

I Love Spasso! It's the Best Italian Food. The staff and atmosphere is awesome. I went there last night and it was packed so you might want to make a reservation if you go on Saturday night. I am happy Chris the owner opened this restaurant years ago and it's still a hot spot! Everything is Delicious read more

Not sure why the low reviews. If you're looking for above-average, reasonably priced Italian food in the Western suburbs, this is the place. The atmosphere is a little loud, but it's modern and cozy, and the service is friendly. And if you're a wine drinker, you can buy a bottle in the adjacent store and have it with your dinner with no corkage fee. Apparently they also offer car service, which I imagine is super convenient if you're staying at a nearby hotel. The food: for a fun and inexpensive appetizer, try the polenta fries. They come with three homemade aolis -- basil, chipotle, and lemon (my favorite). I don't recommend the pecan crusted chicken salad; the pecan coating on the chicken just tasted like batter and was kind of burnt. I think the pasta dishes are the thing to order at Spasso -- we loved them in the past and loved them at our last outing. The pesto penne came with a scrumptious big blob of burrata on top. The vodka sausage ravioli was also rich and delicious (as you might expect from a dish that contains those three beautiful words in the title). They could definitely benefit from adding a few more vegetarian choices. If it's nice out, try the patio. Ignore the view of the suburban wasteland and it's a romantic spot. read more

How bad can a restaurant mess up a take out order! I ordered three pizzas and a spaghetti. When I get home, I get two pizzas and a salad. The worst part is the pizza boxes are on their side , so the pies and munched together. read more

Food, amazing. Drinks, amazing. The downfall really came in the lighting and just how many children were running around the restaurant. We went on a Friday night for a 7pm reservation thinking more date night vibes, however it's like walking into a Perkins with bright lights and extremely unflattering LEDs. Would go again for the Bolognese. read more

Best neighborhood restaurant, excellent food. Great service. Such a hidden gem, and the wine selection - (and wine prices) is a major differentiator. Come here for authentic Italian and come back for everything else mentioned. So glad Spasso is in our neighborhood. Only recommendation would be for a delivery service. 10/10 read more

We've been coming for years but now the service is terrible. Went on a Sunday night when it was not busy. We were seated and sat for 20 minutes and were never waited on. Got up and left and went to The Tavern Grill at Ridgedale where the service and food was good. The Tavern Grill and Bacio will be the new local restaurants for us, no more Spasso.... read more

After wrapping up back-to-back day-long meetings, 2 colleagues and I headed to nearby Spasso for dinner. Although the service was terrific and the venue was warm and inviting, the food was off. The crab cakes tasted fried in old oil, the meatballs and marinara were tasteless, and the sauce in the chicken skewers was way too salty. For the main course, we had chicken fettuccine alfredo, chicken parm, and the steak salad. While the fettucine alfredo for polished clean, my dining partner did not enjoy her chicken parm at all, staying it was too bland. I had no issues with my salad because hey, it's hard to screw up a salad. read more

Wow. What a change from a month ago. The food is amazing. My wife had the NY Strip and I had the Tomahawk Pork. Both were off the charts. Sourced locally and prepared to perfection. The strip tasted like a filet. If you have any questions, talk with Spencer. He was our server and was very knowledgeable about the new menu. He did an awesome job and listened to us discuss the new menu. We were originally disappointed but just absolutely overwhelmed with the flavor of the new dishes. Give them a try if you like great food!! read more

I used to live close by and went there a lot about 4 years ago. Always liked the place. Like that you can get a bottle of wine in the wine shop and open it up in the restaurant. Went there for Friday happy hour. My Italian Chop salad was pretty good, but my partners Caesar was very, very plain and tasteless. Ate at the bar and the same gal, Mona, that used to work there years ago was still tending bar and still doing a great job. For some reason the music selection was wildly inappropriate and loud for a suburban supper place. The bartender tried to turn it down but there was some sort of technical problem. I'll continue to go to Spasso, just not that often... read more

This place gets an extra star from me for the amazing, complimentary door-to-door driver service. Timely, friendly, and amazingly convenient, this alone sets Spasso apart. That said, I was a bit let down by the food. Not that it wasn't good, it's definitely above average, but I thought that the prices were a bit out of line with the portion size. We went with my in-laws and ordered several plates and passed every five minutes so we could sample a lot of different things. I was interested in the grilled meatloaf, but it was kinda dry and so were the mashed potatoes under it. The chicken parmesan was a bit dry also, and the sauce was creamy instead of tomato as I'm used to, but it was a nice change. The braised short ribs with risotto was one of the dishes I was dying to try, having been to a cooking class where the chef demonstrated the very dish. It was quite delicious. One out of three isn't bad, but not great, certainly not at the prices they charge--free car trip or not. Now, having recently been to Biagi in Maple Grove, where prices are similar but portions can feed a very hungry teenager or two, it's possible my perspective is a bit skewed. The adjacent wine store is great, as you can bring anything over with no corkage fee. This lets you take advantage of retail prices, which the restaurant also I was disappointed that they ran out of the wine we were drinking at dinner, but I can't hold that against Spasso, since the wine store is owned by different people. read more

Spasso is a great Italian restaurant located in Minnetonka, MN. They offer a wide variety of Italian staples from pizza to pasta and more. The prices are a bit high, but everything I have tried has been very good. i love the gnocchi and the bruscheta appetizer. They also feature a comprehensive wine list and serve a lot of different cocktails at the bar. It gets pretty busy on weekends, so I recommend making a reservation if you plan on going on a Friday or Saturday night. They have some large tables and are able to accommodate big groups. It you're looking for good Italian food without breaking the bank in the Western Suburbs, check out Spasso! read more