Tavolo: Restaurant, Market & Caffe

I took my fiancé out to try a new restaurant and we were underwhelmed. The food lacked flavor and the venue was on the smaller side. It might be more suited for a casual setting and drinks rather than a full dining experience.

For this place I didn't love myself very much. we went to lunch. service is in order. nothing special about lunch except the brot served as an appetizer was excellent. the potato salad was just diceed and red carrots were spiced, but I liked her. all the others. I work in the city and thought I would have the bruschetta for lunch a few days later so ordered it as take-out. it was terrible! half slices of broth that is not roasted with cream cheese (too much) and covered in cubed tomatoes.

We are here before a show in pac. the brot they brought out before dinner was fantastic, but it went downhill. I had the short ribs that were quite dry. eating my wife was ok (I don't remember what she had, I thought it tastes better than mine). the prizes were very high most escaped were $20 $35, so I think the 'score here is wrong. the service was slow, we had 5:30 reservations and had not received our meals at 6:30 o'clock, fortunately the pac was right around the corner or we were maybe late in the show at 7:00.

I'm so happy I decided to try Tavolo! It was my first time dining at a Justin Thompson restaurant and it exceeded my expectations. My boyfriend and I shared the ricotta fritters and bruschetta, both of which were absolutely delicious. I highly recommend trying them! My favorite was the bruschetta, particularly the pomodoro, Gorgonzola dolce, and the chef's special with salmon and capers. The bread was not overly crispy, which I personally enjoyed. It was just right. For our main course, we had the gnocchi and the build-your-own risotto. The risotto was phenomenal with Parmesan, mushroom, peas, and shrimp. Surprisingly, the restaurant was not very busy, but I will definitely be returning.

This is our go to date night and place to take friends from out of town. Must order: bruschetta, mushroom polenta and brussel sprouts. I would add salmon piccata to this list, but I never know if it's going to be wild caught or farmed. Disappointingly, tonight was farm raised. Still, love this place and will keep coming back. One suggestion: an Italian restaurant needs to play music that enhances the experience. Not Motown or 80s hits. ; Miss ya Angus!