Sicilian Pasta Kitchen Downtown — Restaurant in Edmonton

We were there at the end of July 2022 with a reservation of 35 people. The reservation was booked months in advance and the organizer (who is the daughter of the deceased person) Was quite upset that instead of having us seated off to the side in a more private area we were in the middle of the restaurant at two different tables. She has frequented the restaurant a lot and this was not how she expected to be seated. Her thought was if we were just sitting at different tables in the main restaurant floor what was the point of making a reservation two months in advance. If the restaurant owners read this my suggestion would be that if a group Makes a reservation for a large number you should send them the restaurant layout and ask them if they have any suggestions as to how and where they wanted to be seated in the restaurant. Some groups may want one large long table another group may want the patio another group may want to be at several different tables in a grouping but the organizer was clearly upset about the way the tables were arranged. When people make a reservation they are specifically choosing your restaurant to hold a huge function with a lot of people many first time attendees so I think the right thing to do with a booking is that far in advance is to give them priority seating and make those arrangements ahead of time that shows really good planning and restaurant organization.

The food was excellent no complaints there and with 35 people there was a variety of different meals being ordered and everybody seems satisfied with meal quantity and quality.

Thirdly I personally did not see anywhere on the menu or was not told by the waitress that the gratuity of 18 or 20% would be included I was told this when she brought the bill and had included the gratuity in it without any option of how much I wanted to tip.

I did not make any issue about this because the food quality was excellent and I had no problem paying that gratuity I likely would’ve paid that on my own anyhow but I wanted people to know that I think it’s important that that should be advertised in the menu I just reviewed the online menu and did not see anywhere where it says the gratuity is included I advise if the restaurant owners read this that it is important to notify the guests at the time that they are seated before they order otherwise I felt a bit tricked and I didn’t Appreciate that . I think it’s important that if you are going to include the gratuity that price should be embedded in the advertised price of the meal with a big note at the top of the menu that all gratuities are included in the meal if I was ordering and did not budget on leaving an 18% tip and based what I could order on the price advertised that could leave some people shocked and or disappointed. I don’t necessarily disagree with including the gratuity but that should be in the price the price that’s displayed by each item with a note at the top of the menu explaining that the prices are based on a gratuity of 18% added in.

If people want to leave and over and above tip for excellent service then they can do so.

My only concern about including gratuities into the prices is that there’s no incentive for waiters or waitresses to give exceptional service.

I see pros and cons for both including and excluding gratuities automatically in the bill and I think this is still up for debate. My issue is the restaurant not informing us adequately ahead of time so at the time you place your order you can budget that in.

Also because the gratuity is included in the bill I think there should be a way to let managers know of poor service so perhaps With the receipt there could be a way that you could go online put in your servers number and write a review so the managers have a good idea of knowing which servers were excellent and which servers were sub par.

As I said before I had no problem leaving the 18% tip because my experience was excellent aside from the seating arrangements.

I would’ve given the restaurant five stars had it not been for...

As if the South End location didn’t end up scaring me out of SPK for good.

Sunday night with grumbling stomachs led us downtown in need of some sustenance. First thought was to visit Jang again but they weren't open so our next closest spot was of course SPK Downtown. I mean being on Jasper for so long, it’s hard not to know how iconic and familiar SPK is. Offering more of a sophisticated dining experience with some traditional well rounded Italian dishes.

The space is dated, with exposed brick paired with white leather back cushions, dark wooden tables and chairs layered with white linen tablecloths dressed with white paper on top. The space was trying to feel formal and sophisticated but the detailing didn’t seem elevated. MUCH better compared to their south location though, so I’m fine.

Service was amazing, she knew her food and definitely knew her wine. She ended up suggesting the Murcatto wine, a white wine, ended up really enjoying how light this was. She was also diligent in coming by throughout the dinner for refills and clearing plates and dishes. diligent and friendly service.

Salsiccia - ($15) - Italian sausages with bell peppers and mushrooms mixed in with tomato sauce. I mean this was okay, the tomato sauce wasn’t as flavorful as I’d want it to be and the Italian sausages weren’t at all spicy.

Bruschetta - ($10) - Felt like the crostini could have been toasted a little more for more of a crunch. ​ Insalata Arugula - ($9) - Way waaaay too much dressing. Balsamic is already super strong and this was swimming in it. We probably had a few bites each and didn’t end up taking any of it home. Maybe just get it on the side or something but man, this was like balsamic shallot vinaigrette soup.

Manzo - ($38) - We ended up sharing this as our main, the 10oz grilled tenderloin was actually two slabs of 5oz placed on top of each other. Which worked out well for us. We asked for medium rare and it came out perfectly. This was a really good piece of meat. The porcini mushroom glaze was an awesome accompaniment, thick enough to coat each bite. The truffle oil roasted potatoes are another thing completely! Boiled and then pan fried I suppose making the outer corners crispy and beautifully browned while the inside was moist and creamy. Not each piece was consistent in getting the same sear though.

So, clearly between the two of us we over ordered. Ended up taking a bunch of it home for left overs and they heated up well, still tasted good the next day! Portions were huge, definitely didn't expect that much food but it seems like their dishes are meant to be more family style dining. So i’d say pretty good value. As for, would I recommend? Maybe just for the mains and a bottle of wine. Even with the friendly service and how delicious the manzo was, wouldn’t be enough for me...

SPK has been a staple of downtown dining for YEARS... definitely over 10+ years and in all honesty, it hasn't changed that much.

Located on the corner of Jasper ave and 112st, SPK specializes in Italian cuisine - pastas, pizzas and antipastos - and has a large open dining area along with a side patio, which is great in the summer. Service is usually fairly consistent, with staff being attentive and friendly. I can only think of 1 or 2 times over the last decade that I had a subpar server.

I have been eating here for years, with some intermittent breaks, and like I said previously, very little has changed. Every meal is started off with fresh baked bread/rolls and butter. These are great for soaking up sauces from pasta or mussels or other appetizers. Speaking of appetizers, I would highly recommend the Caesar salad. I know, you're thinking, what can be so special about the Caesar salad? But it is all about the Caesar dressing. And maybe it is just me, but it always reminds me of homemade Caesar salad dressing. It's garlicky and delicious and not like your typical Caesar salad.

The pasta is still delicious and one of their best and famous dishes would be the half and half. Years ago, SPK would choose the half and half dish for you - displaying it on their daily changing "feature of the day" chalk boards, but through time they have moved away from this and allowed patrons to make their own half and half pasta dish. The half and half is exactly as it sounds, you get to choose 2 pastas off of their menu (some exceptions) and your dish will be split as so. I have always thought this was the best dish, especially since I have a hard time choosing between the multitude of pastas.

I guess, like all things with time, the biggest change I have found with SPK over the years is the price. I hadn't been for a while and went recently with some family that was visiting. While the pasta portions were still huge, we were certainly a bit taken back by how much some of the appetizer and dessert prices have increased, while the sizes of those decreased (i.e $14 for the Caesar salad. $16 for Caprese Salad. $13 for a Tiramisu). Our table of 6, with 2 kids under 7 yo, came to about $300 - this included 3 appetizers, 3 half and halfs, 1 regular pasta dish, 1 alcoholic beverage, 2 pops and 2 tiramisus. Like I previously stated, everything was delicious and exactly what we expected in regards to taste and service but shrinkflation is definitely a thing.

With all of that said, I still believe SPK is a great place to visit if you're craving Italian food or on a nice date night. Food is consistent. Staff are friendly and attentive and the...