Cafe Postino — Restaurant in Mississippi Mills

My Wife and I finally tried Cafe Postino for the first time and it was amazing. I have found another home away from home. First off I have to say that it does definitely deserve 5 stars. As a professional cook/restauranteur I know how things can go in a restaurant so I am sticking with the 5 stars.

I will start with the service...Ross was amazing and you could see he is a lifer of professional quality and attentiveness. I dropped my knife at one point and there were no servers in the view of my table but before I could look down to find it he was right next to our table with a plate of polished cutlery and quickly replaced my knife with a smile. The last sip of my water left in the glass and suddenly he appeared again with more. I know tipping is becoming a true conversation piece these days but he deserved the full 20% I left him for he was there at all times with a smile yet not there as a true pro should be. He knows how to serve classic 1980s/90s top notch service.

The atmosphere...A wednesday night and I only saw 2 empty tables during our visit. On a wednesday! Very impressive for sure. The architecture from the old post office shined through, there was splashes of gold, silver, black, mirrors, just lots of classy style I cannot truly put my finger on as I am not a designer but gorgeous enough to invite your eyes to wondering around and smiling in enjoyment. Our table top had the classic Italian collage of historic pictures from Italy of everything Italian inspired; shoes, fashion, architecture with comfortable chairs to sit on (finally) etc.

Now why you go to Café Postino...The Food...We started with Calamari and it was exquisite. For the millennials that is fancy for perfectly cooked and tender deliciousness, not over breaded and properly seasoned. Not one but two sauces to dip into, one spicy sweet and the other delicate lemon flavour nothing to over power the calamari so it could still shine.

Mine..Veal Piccata was beautifully seasoned with the right amount of lemon, capers and more than enough cream sauce that makes you wish you could lick the plate when finished. I must confess here the Veal for me was slightly chewy. So sorry to say but it happens once in a while, meh, still very yummy. The pasta was oiled to perfection, enough garlic for flavor and just enough olive oil to compliment the pasta but not grease the plate unnecessarily.

Hers...Veal Marsala..again with the right amount of creamed marsala wine sauce that makes you wish you could hide under the table and lick the plate. Her veal was succulent and tender so I was 1 in 100, it happens believe you me I know. The pasta was the same as for me so not disappointing there. My wife loves mushrooms but mushrooms do not love her so we asked to omit this ingredient with great hesitation as there are very few ingredients in a marsala wine sauce to begin with. She was still over the the mailbox with the dish, see what I did there(get it an old post office, over the moon) lol.

Both plates were decorated beyond the humdrum of parsley with what I assume was a reduction of balsamic in a swirled design to fill in the emptiness that would have normally appeared otherwise.

We enjoyed everything with a bottle of Ruffino Orvieto which was crisp and clean on the finish with notes of fruitiness which was perfection with the meal.

For dessert, yes we had to try dessert after all this, I had the tiramisu and my Wife had the chocolate caramel cake. What at ending to a great anniversary celebration oh wait there's more...I had a cappuccino with foam that hit hights I have not seen since the 80s, and her latte was as it should be hot and delicious.

So as you can see I was blown away and truly impressed beyond words, hence the review I have given lol. So stop reading and go make reservations...now! P.S. My wife wants me to ask if they are hiring as she wants me to cook like this...

Was very much looking forward to trying this place after many unsuccessful attempts as it is a popular spot.

I have no intention of dragging this place or any of its staff through the mud after what we have all endured over the last 2 years, but I have to be honest and say it was a let down.

The main issue was the service, we were on the patio and I dont know if this gentlemen had to attend to other additional tables inside as well as the patio but we were left to feel like an after thought.

We ordered a bottle of wine, that was fine. We ordered a salad and bruschetta for apps and they never came, which is not the end of the world.

Our mains, chicken parm and lobster ravioli came after what would have been a reasonable time had we had the above apps.

The chicken parm was ok, nothing exceptional, somewhat bland for the dish. My partners ravioli was good according to her.

We were only 1 of three tables on the patio at the time, another couple and a group of 3 at the tail end of their visit. The opposing couple did seem to be better attended to, receiving their app promptly, then mains etc prior to ourselves despite our being seated before them by about 5-10 min.

The delays in service were noticeable for all so we were not singled out completely but we were definitely at the bottom of the list.

The nail in the coffin was when I paid, leaving a 15% gratuity on the machine which is my go to for when there has been a shortfall re food/service, the server ran by, grabbed the machine and then disappeared without a thank you or parting pleasantries etc which is not acceptable.

To show that I am not some bitter person that just enjoys taking my life's frustrations out on food service folks, which i used to be myself back in the day, we will return to try it once more to see if it was just one of those unlucky days that were the cause of our experience.

if the issues repeat themselves, then we'll have our answer as to why things were they way they were.

Of course, the only way to know for sure is to go try it for yourselves, it is a nice place for the brief time...

I am so disgusted by how my husband and I were treated tonight. My husband made a reservation the day before, and we showed up tonight to dine. My husband is a retired vet with PTSD from serving overseas. He requires a service dog to go out, as he finds it difficult to be around people. He has worked very hard for years to get the courage to do outings, but he has found life again because of his sweet service dog. When we arrived tonight, we were TOLD by the older woman seating us that it would be best for the dog to sit close to the door, in the bench seating. Sitting by the door is very difficult, as there is a lot of traffic. I asked to sit at another table, and she then told us that it would be best for the dog to sit by the door. I informed her that this was a service dog, and she had no right to tell us where we should sit. She then said “Well you can’t sit there, it was reserved earlier”. Funny how she didn’t say that in the first place until I challenged her, and we reserved Easter day, not “earlier”. At first we just sat down, but we felt her manner was so appalling. She was so rude, and condescending, and treated my husband and I like we had no right to be there. Without saying a word, we got up and left. We won’t ever be back, and if will do our best to tell everyone we know how disgusted we were in her treatment. I know service dogs in a restaurant are a sensitive subject for some, but think of my husbands personal sacrifice, and what he has suffered. She’s an excellent service dog. She lays at his feet, doesn’t move, and NEVER shakes. She gives him to courage to engage in a world that has been such a demon for him for so long. Shame on her, and...