Casa di Stefano — Restaurant in Lower Sackville

My wife and I decided to just have apps the day we went to try this place out.

That day and we first tried the Za'atar Clouds which was exactly how it was described on their menu, fluffy warm bread and super tasty.

We then had The Brassica Royale which was absolutely fantastic. So flavorful! I do think the Brussel Sprouts could have been cooked a bit longer but, that's just my preference. We were actually given the wrong item at first (Bonfire Artichokes) but we mentioned it right away and the proper item was delivered to us promptly. A quick correction without hassle.

Last we had the Parmigiana Rustica and again, just super fantastic. I absolutely love the flavor and just so saucy. Amazing.

To go with it all we had a nice bottle of wine. I wish I could remember the name of it but, it was so good. I'll be looking for it again when I'm there next time.

We spoke with the co-owner and she was very pleasant. She was genuinely interested in our opinions, how everything was and thanked us for coming in. Although we had no intention of having a dessert (almost too full), we had to accept the offer of providing us a dessert. We were very thankful for that because that Chocolate Bliss cake is just deadly! Thanks again for that!

In short, the food was fantastic. Based on some of the other reviews, there has been some hiccups or missteps but, if you don't say anything off the start, you really aren't giving them a chance to correct it right away. Clearly they had to kinks to work out but that should be expected of any newly opened establishment; food or otherwise. The wait staff were a little unsure but willing to please and I'm sure they will get better with time.

If I had to say something bad, it would be that we went shortly after it opened. So, again, early in its operation and still working out the details. In all the times I've been out to a restaurant, I've had less than a handful of servers that I would rate as a 5 star so giving this place 4 stars, should say something to the quality of the service here.

Overall, I have to say it was really good. I'll be back for sure and can't wait to try some of the other items on this menu. If they are half as good as the ones I already had, I know I'm in for a treat.

Thanks for everything and good luck with your endeavor!

Darren &...

I saw a lot of people raving about this place so I decided to give it a try. For a 2:00 PM on a Saturday, they were quite busy. I thought the lunch rush would be over but I think due to lots of hype the place was packed.

The restaurant is on the smaller side but very cute atmosphere. You can see the big pizza oven in the centre, which is pretty cool.

I thought the service was quite good. Our server kept apologizing for the delays but I didn't find the waits long at all. She kept checking on us. Refilled waters, came back multiple times to see if we were ready to order. The other servers helped to ensure food was delivered as soon as it came from the oven.

We split the brussel sprout appetizer with the Caeser dressing, bacon and parmesan. I liked the flavours but found the sprouts could have been cooked a little longer to make them softer and caramelized.

Next the pizzas - I opted for the Carnivore's Feast, my friend opted for the Garden & Grove. Our goal was to swap slices. I wished there was a pizza option that included both meat and vegetables on the same pizza but there really weren't any on the menu but the Pictou one with the brown sauce. I prefer tomato sauce and theirs was really good. I enjoyed the crust. Their description of it being light and airy was spot on. I loved the meat on mine, slightly salty and I enjoyed the pecorino cheese on the top. You could taste it was quality. The Garden & Grove was good but my friend and I agreed that the olives were a little overpowering. It was hard to taste the other vegetables.

Overall, it was a good experience. I would definitely try this place again. There's lots on the menu I would still like to try. The chef seemed quite engaged asking how people enjoyed the food as he passed by. We didn't make any complaints because we did enjoy our food for the most part. My small notes are just personal...

I can't say enough good things about this sackville gem! Almost everything is handmade, I have gone here twelve times since they opened two months ago. I have had most of the dishes on the menu, and there really isn't much these guys can't do! They even offer a basque cheescake! I dont know many places in Nova scotia, let alone Sackville that make a basque cheesecake, and this one surely doesn't disappoint.

The wood fired pizza is a whole new level of pizza, the perfect blistering of the crust, the bubbling melted cheese, and the taste of the wood fired crust is an amazing combination that makes you want to come back for more! If you're not in the mood for pizza, they also have handmade pasta & sandwiches! They just taste so much better when its handmade! This is one of very few places that when you feel you order pasta that it's actually worth it, and you can't just get it out of a box!

I dislike mushrooms a lot, yet the mushrooms in the lasagna are cut so thinly that you can't even tell they are there! I also dont like carrot cake, but this homemade carrot cake will make you change your mind.

I haven't come across anything I didn't like here... between the atmosphere and being able to watch most of the food get cooked in Stefano, it's fantastic. The staff and owners are all awesome here, and I love being able to go to a great restaurant with a downtown look and ambiance just...