Piatanzi — Restaurant in Albuquerque

I am changing my review due to having consistently bad experiences at Piattanzi. This used to be my favorite Italian restaurant in the area and I've dined here many times since it opened. Recently I had been having some issues with inconsistencies in the quality of the food but I kept going because some of the employees are very pleasant and dining in was a good time. More recently I found long metal wires in my meatballs, but the very professional manager/server compensated me for that. I decided to stop spending my money here when I was grabbing some takeout last month. I called in my order and went over to pay for it and saw an able bodied young man jump out of a car that was illegally parked in a handicap spot. I called him out and he said it was okay because it was the owners car, even though no one was handicapped. I went inside a minute later when it was my turn to pay and was glared at by all the employees and the guy drinking a beer at the bar. The pink haired woman working was rude and ignored me, even though I was the only person waiting to pay. As I waited in awkward silence I noticed several Covid-19 safety violations. I paid for my pizza and came back 20 minutes later as requested. I was told that they were finishing up my salad and it would be a minute. I waited over 20 minutes outside in the sun as they told me it was "ready in a minute" every time they brought out another customer's order. I finally got my food and checked my order. I was missing olives so I went back in to get them. Before getting to the car I felt that the pizza was cold. I opened up the box and saw the ugliest margherita pizza ever made. The chef (owner) had gotten what seemed to be a sliced day old cheese pizza and put mozzarella on top, rebaked it until the bottom was burned, garnished it with basil (no tomato ), then left it on the countertop for 30 minutes. The cheese had melted between the slices and burned on whatever pan it was cooked in. I took the pizza back inside and communicated my concerns. The employees and the guy guzzling beer were completely silent. The owner came out and pretended there wasn't a problem with the order. He started to freak out and yelled across the room at me if I wanted a new one or a reheat. I asked him to do whatever was easiest for him, giving him a chance to own this embarrassment and make a new one. He didn't like that at all and told me to never come back. He tossed the pizza back to me and told the employees to give me my money back, thankfully. As he walked away, he turned around a final time and yelled that I shouldn't be lecturing him on where he can park. According to him, he can park wherever he wants because he owns the building (he doesnt according to the city). I did get refunded which is nice but I wont be returning. It is sad that this guy was willing to let the reputation of his restaurant become tarnished because he didn't want to admit a mistake, even though this was obviously intentional. I feel bad for the employees because they are the ones who suffer when the restaurant has a bad reputation. All he has to do is close down the business and open up a new one when people stop going. Let's see if history...

I took my fiance the other night because I had driven by the restaurant several times and it looked very chic, hip and interesting. We went in last Saturday night just to feel out the atmosphere. We were seated and decided to try some appetizers and wine. First off, our waiter was very scruffy looking and unshaved...not in a clean, hipster way...more like in a just-got-out-of-a-dirty-jail-in-1989 way. I ordered the Chiani, my fiance ordered Merlot. Jail-bird waiter brings us our drinks, I take a sip, and it's very good...but, then I notice there are bits of cork in the wine. Not sure why, but a second waiter comes along to take our order (again). I wasted no time and requested a fresh glass. I specifically told him what kind of wine I had ordered, (in a manner that was very polite, almost apologetic: please-don't-take-this-back-and-spit-in-my-new-­glass...it's a six dollar glass of wine...ca'va?). Second waiter comes back. I look in the glass. It's clean liquid, but the color seems off. I taste it, and it's an obvious cheaper substitute. (I know my wines). Moreover, the "full glass" now becomes a "half glass". My fiance tells me to power through...."let's just finish and go to our usual place". I was very disappointed because I thought I had found a new place to be able to take my clients to and impress them. I hope the owners might read this and see about improving the skill-quality of their waitstaff (with a little re-training). They shouldn't think they can pull the wool over anyone's eyes regarding something as divine as vino. How rude. Regardless of it all, I believe in second chances (scruffy, jail-bird waiter probably knows what I'm talking about). I might chance another visit...try out the cuisine...just to see if maybe I had gone on some fluke of an evening. I hope so. Anyway, I still left a nice tip. I believe in good manners. This place was lacking in...

Piatanzi didn’t disappoint and it was the perfect spot for our date. Crowd was mixed as far as demographics go. All ages were in attendance when we sat. Great wine and drink list. Menu was simple and easy to read. Fresh baked bread was brought out after our drinks with a little bowl of Olive oil. I felt the olive oil was plain and could’ve had a house made seasoning in it. Bread was already sliced, hot with a thin hard crust and soft moist center. Yummy. So we chose the calamari to start. Actually tasted most fresh out of any restaurant in ABQ. It wasn’t the typical circles you get from other places it was authentic. Lemon sauce drizzled on top with a light batter and good crunch. Moved onto a shrimp salad that had large shrimp fresh crisp green veggies. Had to end with the house made tiramisu. Dang! That was so good I was going to get another one. It was soft, creamy, with a good amount of sweetness and great tasting espresso soaked foundation. Our waitress was awesome and she made the experience better. Gave us our time and explained everything we asked. Personally the cost is worth it. Our dinner was around $60 with hot tea’s to drink. All in all this was a great place and we will be returning when we are...