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 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

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

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

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

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

I really enjoyed this place. My book club and I decided to try them out, as one of our members used to work there. I wanted everything on their menu! There was great variety, and a lot of options. If you're looking to splurge, they have some great main dishes and excellent pasta (I had the Cheese Ravioli with Sausage and Vodka Sauce - which had the perfect "kick" - I just wish there had been more of it!). If you're looking to not spend an arm and a leg, they have some great side options and appetizers, as well as some delicious-looking pizza and burger choices. One of the girls had the side Saffron Risotto and it looked amazing! Order up some Mediterranean olives to share and indulge in their reasonably-priced, large wine list, and you can't go wrong. Our server was also very helpful and walked us through the menu and wine list, so thank you! read more

Wow. The worst Italian food I have ever had. Chicken Parm tasted like a couple of frozen Pattie's with jarred tomato sauce and bagged mozzarella stuck in the microwave. Better off with a frozen dinner. Didn't think Italian food was that difficult. read more

This was our first attempt at finding Italian food west of the cities. Our usual go to in St Paul was Mucci's. Spasso's was a huge let down. Service was decent, but not good. We started with the crab cake. The cake itself was actially decent, but the sauce on it was flavorless, and as a whole the dish was underwhelming. I had the Tortiglioni Rosa which was somehow cloyingly sweet and extremely acidic at the same time. It bordered on tasting like some sort of sour candy. The sausage in the dish was very bland with occasional peices have little bursts of flavor. My partner had the Gnocchi. While her's had a decent flavor, it was mostly a bowl full of canned peas and sauce with a little gnocchi mixed in. The dishes at this place are far too overpriced for food that lacks any balance or freshness. read more

We had dinner here. The food was ordinary. Bland. The bartender who also served us our dinner, was Magnificent! Mona is the best!

If you are into mediocre food at inflated prices, you'll be satisfied. This was our first time eating here and I anticipated a fairly decent meal based on the popularity of this place. The atmosphere was lively and the restaurant was nearly full of a mix of young families, older adults and even a few Homecoming dates. We ordered a pasta dish and seared scallops. To my disappointment, the corn, although generous in portion was obviously canned corn, puzzling since local fresh corn is readily available and abundant now. The truffle mashed potatoes were most likely frozen since it was nonexistent of any lumps and too starchy compared to homemade mashed I can make myself. My dining companion barely touched their pasta Bolognese because the meat lacked flavor and depth and looked liked fine ground beef in tomato sauce with no visible chunks of tomato or onion nor signs of fresh green Italian herbs. The Caesar salads were fine and they did have anchovies. Service was fine in the beginning and later when we were finished, our waiter kept zipping by without glancing our way, so we had to wait a bit to request our bill. We most likely will not return, which is too bad because we like to support local restaurants. read more

Very mediocre....I wonder if they just want to be a pizza place. Menu very boring.....prices high for what you get. Services was not only slow....it was awkward. I actually felt bad for the server because I do not think it was his fault read more

While folks from the city won't think of this area as a neighborhood, for us 'burb dwellers, the intersection of Hwy 101 and Minnetonka Blvd is very much a local gathering place and Spasso's success has helped take it up a notch. First, this place is a great value. The owners of the wine shop next door also own Spasso so you drink at retail prices, not the 2x to 3x markup that most restaurants charge. In addition to drinking on the cheap, you now have a selection of wines that is probably 10 times (if not more) larger than a normal restaurant. Buy it next door and bring the wine to Spasso with no corkage fee or simply order off their menu. This is a very cool feature for people who love wine, like a value, and/or want to try a new wine at a lower risk price. The food is pretty good. Kind of predictable menu of pastas, pizzas, salads and some entrees but very solid, family friendly, and the bar is always hopping. Some of Spasso's popularity might be due to the lack of competition in the area but you can't thrive on that alone. Based on how busy this place gets, they are doing something right. read more

I went here with my daughter, my sister, her husband and her two kids on Sunday, April 26th at around 11am. I had heard great things, but we were very disapointed. My daughter was very hungry so I asked for some bread to just give her a snack before her dinner got out there. The bread was hard as a rock, and she of course didn't eat it. So hard that literally if you crushed it it would have turned to dust. Then, we all noticed that it was freezing in there. We had all come from church and the two little girls were wearing dresses. My daughter literally was shaking because she was so cold. My brother in law noticed that the temp was set at 65. Not overly warm. We kindly asked the waitress if we could have the heat turned up, as we were all freezing. She said no, because the restaurant was going to fill up soon and it would get hot. I thought that was an odd response.....especially due to the fact that the restaurant never "filled up" the entire time we were there. My meal came out, and I had the ham and cheese omlet, hash and toast. Again, my toast was so hard it was impossible to eat. If the food was good, we could have standed being freezing cold.....but it wasn't. Bad experience, and I won't be back. read more

Let's start with the good... The free car service they offer is absolutely fantastic. Our driver was friendly, right on time and had water waiting for us at our seats. The Escalade is super fancy and it was so great not to have to drive to the restaurant. We were also super impressed with their wine service. They have tons of options and the prices are so freaking fair! Either buy your wine at the wine shop next door or at the restaurant, it's the same charge. I rarely buy bottles of wine at a restaurant but would do so more frequently at these prices. I got an amazing bottle of pinot grigio for just $12! For starters, we ordered the polenta fries and the crab cakes. Both were very, very good. The polena fries were very crispy and hot. They came with three tasty sauces. The crab cakes were also nice and crispy on the outside, but could have used more sauce. Luckily, the polenta fries came with the same sauce so we could supplement. The four of us decided to split three entrees. We shared the short ribs with onion risotto, grilled meatloaf and chicken parmesan. All entrees were good, however, I only believe the short ribs were worth the price so that makes me a bit less of a fan of the chicken parm and meatloaf. I also didn't love the overly cheesy alfredo sauce on the pasta with the chicken. It tasted like a step up from velveeta mac and cheese. I asked for more of their red sauce and that really added a lot of great flavor to the pasta. There were definitely some disappointments with our evening and most of them were service related. We never got the bread basket that every other table seemed to have. Our waitress never told us her name and seemed so busy that we rarely saw her. She only checked in on us at the end of the meal. Water glasses remained empty for way too long. Our waitress also asked us if we wanted to keep our dirty appetizer plates for sharing our entrees. I thought it was odd that we even had to ask for clean plates. We also could have really used spoons for the risotto but this need was not anticipated and we were done by the time we saw our waitress again. Bus boys also tried to remove plates 3-4 times before we were done throughout the evening. It seems obvious that you should always ask if we are done with a plate before you remove it but apparently they don't get that kind of training at Spasso. This restaurant is also incredibly loud. It was a packed Friday evening but they need better insulation so you can have a decent conversation with your company. I also made the reservation and noted there was a birthday at the table. This was not acknowledged once. I don't understand why restaurants ignore this stuff. A little effort in this regard can go a long way with respect to customer service. read more

Went to Spasso with friends on a Sunday evening, looking for a place to grab a bite and linger over wine while catching up. Had a great time. We all ordered the cab wine flight - was excellent. Started with the mushroom risotto bites. Very tasty. Two of us ordered the Chop Chop salad - I really liked mine. Another had a crab cake salad. The wine was excellent. We ended up ordering a bottle of one of the cabs (I'll have to check to see which one it was...) Wait staff was great. Let us chat with no pressure, even though we closed the place down. read more

This was my 5th or 6th visit to Spasso in the past year or so. The food and wine have always been to notch but this time the service was also over the top. One time when I visited we had an entire dinner of appetizers. The wild mushroom risotto fritters are not to be missed! I love them so much, I have had them on every visit-and I usually don't do repeats when a place is this good. Where else can you go into a well stocked wine shop, with very knowledgeable staff, buy your wine at retail instead of the terrible markup usually associated with restaurants, and have it served with your dinner. The best part is the browsing but just in case you don't want to do that-you can choose of the wine list and pay the SAME low prices! So you ask, what threw them into 5 star range tonight? I asked my server how long it would take to get a taxi, she didn't know so she went to the bartender to ask and the next thing I knew, I had the driver of their car service offering me a free ride back downtown! Seriously! How can you top that? Freakin' awesome in my book. Even if you don't use the car service, you have to love a business that offers this to their customers AND serves great food and wine too! read more

I absolutely love coming to Spasso. The food is excellent, the wine list is long, and the happy hour is a great deal (if that's your thing). Tonight I went in for my birthday dinner and had a wonderful server! She was attentive, went above and beyond her job duties, and made me love coming here that much more (she also comped us a birthday dessert, which was delicious). I highly recommend this place for happy hour (they have plenty of options ranging from 4-9$) and a great wine/beer list. The server even recommend wine/beer pairings for the appetizer, main course, and dessert. If you're in the area or want a quality meal, check this place out!! read more

Spasso - Bar - Italian Near Me - Minnetonka, Minnesota

This is a pretty nice spot out in the suburbs. I went here for lunch with a client and the service was great. Its a slightly more expensive lunch but worth it if you want something nice. They have an awesome gorgonzola burger! The side salad was very good too. read more

I've been to Spasso many times during its lifespan, but I'd never come here if it weren't someone else's desire. Service is generally fine, but the kitchen is wholly unpredictable. On first visit, they made a big to-do about being allergy-friendly and catering to a family member's needs with a special order. Fabulous! Except, when his dish arrived, it was absolutely incorrect and contained the item he is allergic to. On another occasion, our family of 12 visited for brunch. My fiance and I both ordered the exact same dish - traditional Eggs Benedict. All 12 dishes arrived at the exact same time, which is admittedly impressive for a large group. However, his was piping hot and delicious, and mine was cold and congealed. Not a good way to enjoy Hollandaise. The space is beautiful, parking is fine, and service is fine. But, it's a restaurant and food is king. Spasso's food doesn't stack up for me. read more

I've often heard of this Spasso place out in suburbia. Now, I don't venture outside of Minneapolis often. The suburbs are often highlighted by their, well, Applebees. I met a former colleague here for lunch, even arrived early. The wait staff is very friendly and I was warmly received. Once we began lunch, I struggled in choosing an item. There is an absurd amount of good options and when you're dropping over $12 for lunch, you better choose something tasty or you'll be wicked angry. I can count on one hand how many times I've paid over $15 on one item, at lunch. It's lunch for business, not the Fogo gorgefest. I did here, and loved it. I'm a red blooded American with a healthy distrust of Canada but despite this, I ordered a salad. It was the black and blue salad. Absurdly tasty. The greens weren't floppy, the meat was perfectly cooked and the bleu cheese was actually edible unlike the crumbly crap that's normal on salads. It was actually good. A salad. I thought I'd never mention those words and today, ate them and that delicious salad with glee. I'd definitely take a sojourn back out to Plymouth (Egypt) to eat here again, but I'd probably make it a dinner situation. The private lot is nice, and you can leave your car there a while. This is important because you can buy wine next door and bring it into Spasso. Twelve American dollars for wine...at a good restaurant...seems good. It doesn't feel like a group spot to attack bottle after bottle of wine, but it's nice to know that your car won't be towed, having that option. I'll go back here to eat some dinner meat with my mrs once spring comes, absolutely. read more

Good food, medium atmosphere. The food isn't entirely traditional Italian, but it is very tasty. The initial issues with opening a new restaurant are behind them and things move smoothly with good staff that have some experience at this point. Obviously, the Wine Shop, which is connected to the restaurant is fantastic and should be visited both before and after your meal. read more

We go here 2x per month, used the car service once which was great. Food is consistently good and beer wine list is solid with the store next door creating the lists. Hard to go wrong here. read more

Spasso has been a "go-to" for gathering of friends. Sadly, tonight might have been one of those last gatherings. First, our server Vaughn rocked - excellent service, cordial, prompt, didn't bug us, but also didn't forget us. 5 Stars for Vaughn Okay, our "go-to". We are looking forward to our favorites, Bruschetta, Margarita Pizza, Vegetarian Lasagna - OMG they have all been removed from the menu. We asked Vaughn if this is a Sunday night limited menu - he said "no". They have a new Executive Chef who has developed this new menu. (It's very limited) One person in our party is a vegetarian - there were no options. We asked if we could have Margarita Pizza even though it's not on the menu "no" (Seriously how difficult is it to put some sauce and cheese on the dough?) We thought about leaving, but we had already settled in - so soup and salad for us. This was a very sad dining experience for us. Our recommendation is to expand the menu, include vegetarian options - and add the basic Italian favorites (that every Italian restaurant has Bruschetta, Margarita Pizza and Vegetarian Lasagna - then maybe we'll be back. (But we'll need to somehow be notified of the changes, a we're not going to go back in hopes that the menu has improved) Thank you read more

There aren't many decent restaurants you can get a last minute reservation or table at on the weekend in the west metro, but Spasso is (or at least was when we tried on Friday night). This place is surprisingly large with a very sizable outdoor patio. The atmosphere is energetic and it can be hard to hear, but if you're seated anywhere near the open kitchen there will be plenty to keep you entertained, including the large pizza oven. We started with the polenta fries. They come with a trio of sauces - a pesto, a horseradishy one and one that could only be described as tasting like French dressing. I didn't care for any of them with the fries. The fries were fine - Fogo de Chao does them way better though. I guess we just prefer a thinner crispier polenta fry. I had the penne bolognese for dinner. The sauce was earthy and the portion was very large. I could barely make a dent in it. It wasn't the best bolognese I'd ever had, but it was fine. The husband ordered the sea scallops and subbed the wild onion risotto in for the vegetable risotto. He loved his dish. I sampled the risotto and it was excellent. For dessert we ordered the gelato sundae - a trio of dulce de leche, chocolate and vanilla gelatos with caramel and chocolate sauce and whip cream. It was way too big for the two of us to finish, but delicious nonetheless. Our server was good once we were able to order. It took awhile to find him when we first arrived, however. Enjoyed the crusty french bread and fresh butter. We would certainly go back, but there are other Italian restaurants that do a better pasta than this. read more

Here's what I liked about Spasso: Great concept, very friendly and accommodating service. Here's what I didn't like about Spasso: Noise level, decor. So what about the food? Interesting combinations, hit-or-miss execution. We went on a Saturday night with another couple. After looking at the menu, none of us decided on any of the entrees. Instead, we ordered a series of starters and salads. I had the saffron tomato bisque. The flavors were very good. It was very thick, almost like a thick tomato sauce. Our friends had a bowl of sausage and bean stew. I thought their soup was better than the bisque. The beans absorbed the spiciness of the sausage and the whole effect was delicious. Two of us ordered the "Black & Blue" salad. It was a bed of romaine with gorgonzola cheese and a roasted tomato vinaigrette. It was topped with crisp-fried onions and several slices of flank steak. The steak was nicely grilled to order (medium rare for me, medium for the other diner) and tender. But the flavors just didn't blend all that well. I liked it, but didn't love it. The ladies split a Chop Chop salad and an order of crab cakes. You expect a chop salad to have a lot of different things in it, and this one certainly did. I didn't taste their salad, but I did take a bite of the crab cake. I thought the flavors were good, predominantly crab meat and not too much filler. Overall, we had an enjoyable evening. But it was mostly because of the company and conversation. The food and ambiance was fine, but it didn't really enhance the evening. It was just someplace to be and something to eat while we talked. We might go there again in the future. But I won't rush back. read more

My waitress is Shelly, she wasn't the first waitor at my table. Instead, she showed up 5 mins later to confirm what I said to the first good waitor. After that I saw the bar pour my drink 5 mins before Shelly ever brought to to my table. Did I mention how much I love lukewarm white wine? The whole night was a mess read more

Since Spasso double billed me on my Amex card and won't talk to me about it I've been going to Bacio. Folks, give it a try, 10x times better. Ambiance, service and food have been spot on. And I only get charged once! Always forgot about going there, not any longer. read more

This was my second time trying out Spasso. The first time was last summer and I came in for a daddy daughter date. The hostess sat us and we waited for 25 minutes and nobody came around to greet us. When I finally got tired of waiting we got up to leave and the manager actually opened the door for us to let us out. He never asked why we were leaving or anything. It felt pretty crappy. It probably wasn't intentional but it felt like we weren't welcome. Today I came in to the bar to have a simple plate of pasta. I have stomach issues from chemo and can't eat alot but pasta usually is easy to eat. The menu only had about 4 pastas to choose from though. For an Italian place, you would think there would be more options. They had penne Bolognese, lasanga and spaghetti and "meatball". I think the other option was a ravioli and chicken parmesan. Since the dish was $16 bucks and only mentioned one meatball, I figured it would be a good helping of pasta and one big meatball. It was an average amount of pasta and one small meatball. For the size, you would expect at least 2 for your money. The food cost for the entire dish could not be more than $3.00-$4.00. For how much they are charging and the kind of place they are trying to be, you would expect bread with your meal too. Ive never been to an Italian restaurant that didn't give you bread with your meal/pasta. On top of that, the bartender seemed to be pissed or something. He didn't say more than 2 words to me. I had to ask for parmesan and he never came and checked on how I was doing. There was a fly in my drink and he didn't apologise but did give me a new half a glass of beer. I'm not that sensitive but this is all what happened. I don't mind paying fine dining prices for a bowl of spaghetti but you at least expect good service and to nail the basics like, "sorry you drank half your beer with a fly in it" and "how's everything tasting?". After that, I went to the bathroom and when I came back, someone was sitting in my seat at the bar. I was done eating but I still had half a beer. Again, I'm not super sensitive to these things but when all of it comes down to a shitty experience and I then have to pay $25 bucks for it and I'm leaving hungry , it rubs me the wrong way. Sorry for this review. PS, The meatball was tasty though. read more

Spasso is just down the street from my office so we come here often for lunch, happy hour and business dinners. Thus, I've tried nearly everything on the menu and it's quite uneven as to it's quality. The highlights include the Gusto pizza, black & blue salad, bianca flatbread, saffron tomato bisque & their gelato. Skip the polenta fries (flavorless & the dipping sauces are strange), artichoke dip and most of the sandwiches. Though the food isn't ideal, the drinking here is superb. Since the Wine Shop next door is owned by the same people as Spasso, you can buy bottles of wine from the store & bring them to the restaurant to drink for no extra charge. This allows for an amazing selection of wines to try during happy hours. You can also buy any wine from the wine list in the restaurant in the shop. It's an ingenious set up. Do note that happy hour prices are only valid when you're sitting inside at the bar. It's stupid, but if you're out on the patio you'll be paying full price for your adult beverages. read more

SPASSO fills that void left by T. Wrights at Hwy101 and Minnetonka Bvd. The best seats are the booths in the Bar area, (avoid the noisy, cavernous dining room). Before dinner, we shopped for a chilled bottle of Prosecco in the well-stocked adjoining WINE SHOP, $19.99 plus Tax and our waiter Tom graciously served in tulip champagne - no corkage fee! The bruschetta appetizers were delicious, brought to the table and ingredients accurately detailed by the Exec.Chef. The place even offers free executive car service from your home ,call the restaurant and ask for Jeff. TC Restaurant owners take note, answer the overpriced wine problem, a chef so proud of his food he brings it to your table and the drinking and driving problem solved! No wonder SPASSO is packed with locals. read more

The three of us went for dinner on patio two nights ago and spent 5:30-7:30 pm at Spasso. The energy level of staff was very low and from overhearing staff and observing they were understaffed. Service was slow. Pasta choices disappointing for vegetarian in party. Server knowledge level low. Filet ordered medium rare served medium to medium well with no apologies and no manager visit. No manager interaction with anyone on patio for two hours. Menus tattered and dirty. One item ordered off menu not offered anymore and server not aware. $180 visit not to be repeated. read more

The extensive wine list and recommendation from friends brought us to check this place out. I wish we hadn't. While drinks were cheap the service was awful and food was mediocre. Ordered ribeye and osso buco. Waitress didn't ask how steak should be done, it came back missing a Gorgonzola crust so it had to be sent back which resulted in it being overdone. Osso buco was falling off the bone but seemed greasy with very cheesy risotto. I got the sense the extra cheese was to make up for the risotto not being done correctly. Felt neglected then rushed by the waitress on a seemingly slow night with a very empty restaurant. Glad we tried it if not only to know not to go back again! Not sure how this ended up being a "best of" for any dining list in the past. read more

Moved to the cities and this was one of the first places we tried. It was really good. Burgers are good but I will say my favorite his here the salad. Sounds weird, right? It's true and I don't even like salad! Great place and as you wait for your meal check out the wine shop that is attached. If you buy a bottle they will cork it for your meal at your table! read more

I took the family to Spasso recently and overall, it was a good experience. The food was good for both the adults and kid. Pizza, chicken parm, desserts - all were delicious. The lot is little small and the area gets pretty busy on the weekend evenings. However, the restaurant is a good size and we had no trouble getting in with our reservation. A couple of things they could improve: The place is noisy. I mean, overwhelmingly loud at times. It was a good place to have fun, but probably a little difficult to have an intimate conversation. Also, there was a lot of confusion when I asked to substitute something on my meal. After the waitress stared at me with her mouth agape for about 5 minutes, I jokingly offered to talk to someone in the kitchen for her. She considered that briefly and then just made the decision to charge me for the combination of two meals since she couldn't wrap her head around "a steak with a side of spaghetti" instead of potatoes. The service was way below average, but the food was way above.... so I would recommend this place if you're in the Minnetonka area. read more

WOW! . Was looking forward for a great dinner at Spasso. Been coming here from Los Angeles CA last 3 years. New whole new menu has very very disappointing. So long Spasso it was great time. read more

If you enjoy wine, yet hate restaurant prices; this is your place. Retail pricing a wide selection, and the ability to buy wine at their sister wine shop (except Sunday) makes for an outstanding value. For the beer lovers they have a good rotating selection on tap, yet nowhere the deal as wine. Their pizza is great, and is like a thicker version of a Punch pizza. Happy hour is decent. I'd you stray too far on the menu, some of their food choices can become too eclectic and over priced for some palates. If you come with a group, check out their door to door car service. read more

I have to echo those that are saying the place has gone downhill. We went there last night and we were totally underwhelmed. The menu is now very limited and the service marginal at best. The range of appetizers is narrow and we used to be able to find three or four and make a meal, but no more. The polenta fries were tasteless, even with the sauces, and the crab cake was dull. I am very concerned for Spasso - for years this has been the go to place for great food and service. We have never had a bad experience, but these changes will keeps us away now. read more

We have now been back many times and I would offer the following additional advice- stick to salad and burgers and apps, pizza is quite good too. Dessert is excellent, except the "gelato". Brunch is absolutely out of this world. Best hash browns in the universe. This neighborhood had too many good brunch spots to choose from. I have not been impressed with any of the pasta or seafood entree's I have tried. read more

This was our first visit since the new menu began. We have been going since the place opened. During that time the menu has evolved many times. Typically for the better. Overall the place was one of our two favorites. It rarely failed us. The menu was always a balance of sophistication and approachability. The menu was diverse but not overwhelming. Service always great. Chef Josh chose to take the narcissistic approach of recreating the wheel. Change can be good. Change for the sake of change is not. The new menu is all new with few exceptions. The new menu fits on one page with lots of white space. Options are extremely limited. Instead of approachable and sophisticated, the new menu is basic to an extreme. And don't even think of a substitution. I had thought of getting the only steak on the menu but with potatoes instead of "cauliflower mash". Nope. I told the waiter to tell the chef that's crazy. He said "we have but he doesn't want feedback". Want flatbread? You now have 4 (odd) options. Period. No changes. Now that's narcissistic! Wow. First was the calamari. It was fine. Much of the breading had fallen off when served. The dipping sauce was nothing exciting. Next came a brussels sprout cesear salad. Raw shaved sprouts tossed with a bit of dressing and topped with a ton of crumbled croutons. Yuk. I had the chicken parmesan. That is was. A breaded chicken breast on top of thin noodles with tomato sauce. It was fine, but worth going out for? Not. My wife had the tomahawk pork chop with mashed potatoes. It came with a huge bone hanging off the plate which my wife found more annoying than impressive. The pork was nicely done but terribly salty with little Saltimbocca or sage flavor. The potatoes were not nearly as good as the fontina potatoes they used to have. So we will not be going back. A true neighborhood gem has been lost. Very sad. Clearly Josh's true calling is on the Foodnetwork shopping for groceries. read more