Cantinetta | Vegas Food Diary 🍝

Restaurant: Cantinetta Fried Calamari: This was from the lunch menu, relatively cheaper. The full menu also has a "Calamari Fritti" that’s $4 more expensive—not sure if there’s any difference. Gotta admit, the squid itself was tender and smooth, which was a plus 👍. That said, the high moisture content made the coating fall apart easily. If you prefer a crispy texture, this might disappoint. The spicy marinara dipping sauce was a letdown—it tasted one-dimensional, just sour and salty with uneven spiciness 🌶️. Barely passable. Frutti di Mare: Possibly one of the worst pasta dishes I’ve ever had 😫, even worse than what I could throw together with supermarket ingredients. Aside from the squid (which was still tender), everything else was inedible. The mussels and clams were unbelievably fishy 🐟, and the herbs sprinkled on top felt like zombie spices—lifeless and pointless. The sauce? Salty, but that’s about it. No depth, though the garlic was overpowering. And the pasta? When I tried to twirl it with my fork, it broke apart like wet paper 🍜💔. Honestly, the restaurant could’ve just taken my $32 directly, but instead, they gave me a plate of sugar-spiking pasta mush. How… thoughtful. The only thing worth praising was the bread served before the meal. Instead of balsamic, they used oil with sun-dried tomatoes 🥖👌. A nice touch. As for the server? Her attitude was pretty frosty ❄️, as if I owed her money 😅. I don’t mind a neutral vibe, but did she have to ask "How’s everything?" with that stern expression? Felt like being interrogated by a strict teacher. By the way, this location is a spin-off of an older restaurant in Summerlin. If this place has regulars... what are they really here for? The wrinkled tablecloths? As I walked out, I saw another table heading slowly toward a car that took up two parking spaces 🚗💥. In that moment, it hit me—some mysteries are better left unsolved. #VegasFood #LasVegasEats