M'tucci's Italian — Restaurant in Albuquerque

This would be better described as 7/10, 9/10 food, 8/10 service, 4/10 atmosphere.

We went to M'tucci's Italian, our first visit to any of the M'tucci's, last evening. The plan was to celebrate an anniversary by getting the pasta dalla forma dish, which my wife was especially interested in because she loves cheese and pasta with creamy sauces. Because I wasn't sure if it needed advanced notice, I mentioned our plan in the 'special requirements' section of the reservation.

Unfortunately, when we asked our waitress about the dish we were told because of where we seated and how busy the restaurant was, the dish could only be made in the kitchen that evening. We were more interested in the food than the spectacle but it also seemed that reading between the lines, our waitress was suggesting we get something else that evening.

This was of course disappointing as we chose to go to M'tucci's for this dish, having driven from Socorro and planned a day of errands around going to dinner. Perhaps it's my fault for not realizing that Mother's Day weekend, combined with prom and graduation would mean that it would not be possible.We were seated at a two person table in the far back corner of the restaurant, so the complication of moving the cart there is understandable. It's not clear to me if the set up of tables is typical or if they had squeezed tables in because of anticipated crowds. If it is typical and a couple is always going to end up in that far back corner because they're only two people, it would seem that ordering dalla forma is never going to be possible if it is the least bit busy, in which case the menu should mention this and perhaps note that more than two people are required for the dish to be offered. Regardless, because I mentioned this dish in my reservation, it would have been nice to be informed in advance that it would not be available. It seems like the restaurant does not pay attention to special requests all, and I strongly recommend management make a change in that procedure.

So we ended up ordering other dishes.

Fried brie: This was nice but only four small pieces of bread were included for a plate that had two wedges of brie and many strawberries and apples. This was not nearly enough bread and given that the bread was the least expensive part of the dish suggests a lack of consideration for the dining experience. I can't imagine what would happen if a table has more than four people!

Roast carrot and goat cheese ravioli: Ths was great. The flavors were balanced and the carrots were especially nice.

Black truffle gnocchi: Again great flavor and the sauce and gremolata offer a good contrast to the mushroom and truffle flavor. The gnocchi were well made.

Neverland fog: This was delightful. The earl grey infused gin was wonderful and everything worked well together. This was probably the best item of the meal.

I love that mocktails are offered. My wife ordered one but we don't remember the name. She enjoyed it. I tasted it and thought it was very good.

Service was good apart from what I mentioned above. Our waitress was very helpful and attentive despite the packed restaurant.

The atmosphere was not relaxing at all. But it was a busy day so I understand that. My low atmosphere rating comes from the fact that the restaurant is not set up to offer everything on the menu depending on how busy it is.

I had heard from multiple people that M'tucci's was the place for special occasions and one of the nicest restaurants in the city. It was very good but I was unimpressed with the attention given to reservations and the sense that couples are going to be pushed as far out of the way as possible. We will return someday to try what we originally came for but I think I will have to call in person to get instructions on when we can go to order dalla forma because apparently it's not always...

A slice of Manhattan in Albuquerque! update 08.11.22 It's been 3 years since I've been here and left my last review. I was extremely pleased to find out that everything is just as delicious and full of quality as it was before. Tried a couple new items that I hadn't tried before, and was not disappointed at all. Every dish was full of flavor, well portioned, and absolutely hit the spot. They had a new rolling table where they can cook quick meals for you, as well as live music by Robert Martinez. Really good environment and ambience. Iggy was my waitress, and was fantastic. Gave me great recommendations and was very prompt was the service. As I said 3 years ago, this location is a gem. If you haven't been here, do yourself a favor and check it out. You will not be sorry.

Was in town for business and wanted to try a different Italian restaurant from ones I did before. Saw this and was swayed by the reviews. Got in for lunch, and was greeted quickly. Hostess was polite and friendly. Ryan, my waiter, was very energetic and personable, and had a few suggestions. I went with the Caesar, Caprese, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Tiramisu. My drink never went empty, with Ryan always being there to fill up when needed. Usually, restaurants serve Caesar with shredded lettuce, and a lot of dressing. My salad s wonderful! Crisp, fresh, and delicious. Caprese was a large portion so I had to take some to go, but it was also delicious and flavorful. The spaghetti and meatballs was absolutely spot on! Soft meatballs, tender, and full of tastiness. Pasta was cooked very well, and the sauce was balanced and did not drown the food. The tiramisu was fantastic. At most places, you get a cake style tiramisu that is either soaked, or a bit dry with too much cream. Their presentation was wonderful, and it tasted sweet and light. I was extremely impressed.

To see how they would handle take out, I came back a couple weeks later with my next stop for work. Marissa was the hostess, and she was professional, polite, and very friendly. I ordered the same thing, except got the Hummus Trio instead of the caprese. Everything was included with my order. Now, those who travel know that many times, the portions you get with take out are NOT the same as when you dine in. With my order, they hit perfectly except with the dessert (that in a moment). The hummus trio was very good. Most of the pita breads were soft, and the cucumbers freshly cut. The hummus itself was varied in taste, and had a great texture. Caesar was the same level of when I went to dine in. Fresh, delicious. Spaghetti and meatballs again lived up to my expectations. Full portion, and tasted so so good. Dessert was the same flavor paradise I had before, but it was in a smaller cup. I know presentation can't be the same, but was hoping it would be in a cup equal to the portion I got at the restaurant. However, the taste was more than enough to forgive this minor issue. I absolutely love this place. The service is top notch, the atmosphere is very nice, and the quality put into their food is evident. I have traveled to New York several times, and been to many high rated restaurants. M'tucci's is definitely on par with them. Prices are very appropriate for what you get. I would HIGHLY recommend going here, whether it's dine in or take out. The owners and staff should be very proud of what they give to their clients. I cannot wait until the next time I...

As a regular patron of not only the restaurant but the deli as well, I very confidently give this review. The food is amazing and the service is usually top notch. However, on November 09, 2018 we did have what I would consider an unpleasant experience with the service. I reserved the Gazebo table for my Son's birthday. After I reserved the table the Manager very kindly did call to advise me that there was another party reserved for the table 2.5 hours before us and, she wanted us to be aware in case that party ran over. I fully appreciated that and, the party did run over so we waited approximately a half hour to be seated. We felt a bit upset at the people in the previous party because to our knowledge they knew we were there and remained anyway but, the Management was completely appropriate and made all efforts to get us seated and, keep the previous party happy as well. When we were finally seated we were greeted by Jenny as our server. We picked up on tension immediately from her but thought she just might be overwhelmed so we did what we could to be patient however, even early on it became more and more apparent that she was annoyed and, we absolutely were not receiving good service. She took her time with us in such a manner that we watched other tables, some not hers but some that were also hers, be served before us and, we would have to very directly and intentionally stop her to get further service. At one point we realized that it was not impossible that she was the server for the party before us and, that could be why it took so long. We do not tend to linger at places so, a meal which should have taken 45min to an hour ended up taking over 2 hours. We had a hungry toddler with us and, were late picking up our teenager from her friends due to this. My Husband did go and express this to the Manager (I did not get her name) and she did resond appropriately but, the server decided to confront us which was completely inappropriate. I could tell this stressed the Manager and, she did attempt to prevent her from doing this but, the server did it anyway. I explained to the server that it all was taking way too long starting from our arrival and she took that to the Management saying we were upset at the wait to be seated which is not true. It was her bad service that created our frustration. The Manager was great. She apologized for our invonvenience and was so kind and appropriate that she is literally the reason we will return. You have a very good manager in her. The service from the waitress was not good and for whatever reason she didn't seem to believe it was a problem. A bad night is one thing but, if this is her usual service then she should be in a different job. Again, you Manager made all the difference for us with her positive and highly professional approach and she is absolutely why we will...