It’s not the first place that comes to mind when dining, simply because of the price range (all dishes from $20-50), but it was a special occasion, so we tried out the restaurant.

Some people were in ‘normal’ attire, but most for dressed up formally for the high-end Italian restaurant. It wasn’t until my company mentioned that I was the only Asian there, and realized how true it was. Being in downtown, it was almost unheard of, going into a restaurant that had no Asians. However, that didn’t bother me, so on with the restaurant review.

We had a reservation, and the host took our coats and gave us a number so we can pick it up later when we’re done. We were escorted to our table. The place was dimly lit, but not super dark like some restaurants. Just the perfect ambient lighting. Candles on the table is always a nice touch. Wasn’t too impressed with the presentation of the menus. Yes, as a graphic designer, I expect to see some thought and effort into the menu, especially coming from a high-end expensive restaurant. 2 pages of printed out material was a bit of disappointment.

Our server had a heavy accent which made it hard for me to understand at times…but it was ok. He wasn’t very patient though…every time my company would start to say something, he was already gone which left my company annoyed.

For appetizer, I ordered the Antipasto Il Giardino-variety of classic Tuscan tastes, cured meats, grilled vegetables, mini caprese, bean salad and olives. I was quite pleased with this dish. The variety and light taste of everything was very delicious. I felt that I was eating at a fancy restaurant. Some of the flavour and texture were new to me, so it was surprisingly enjoyable. I’d like to try the dish the next time I go back.

For the main entree, I ordered the Cannelloni stuffed with Dungeness crab and spinach topped with a bechamel sauce. It was pretty good, though I think I was more impressed with the Antipasto.

The service was good, the table next to us was a bit drunk…too much wine? But other than that, I was very happy with the experience and food. The table we were sitting at had uneven legs, so it kept rocking every time we’d put our arms on the table. We asked the server to fix it, and it was quickly done.  I’d like to go back to try other dishes one day. Again, the price is out of my range, so not a place I can go to every weekend!

Out in the courtyard

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