Tuscany Cafe and Bistro — Restaurant in Alpharetta

Mediocrity at its best on a beautiful Friday night!

Drink selection: I asked about other Italian red wines, besides the single one they have on the menu. I was corrected by the server: "We are European, not Italian" Wait, what? As far as I remember, Tuscany is a region in Italy and it says Tuscany above the door....possible name change in the future? Also, majority of your wines are from California and Australia. So, come again?!

The food selection: I started ordering the Mussels as appetizer and then Bucatini Pasta. "We are out of Mussels, but we have Mussels in the Seafood Pasta" Hmmm, no mussels - Caesar salad instead. Gotten some nice warm bread, one white roll and one dark roll. After a few minutes, we asked about another 2 white rolls. "Those are sourdough", I was corrected again. I apologize, I must not have seen the label on the rolls, neither the Sysco box where you probably got em from.

Food - was alright, easily forgettable flavors and presentation. But, 4 shrimp on a knotted bamboo pick (most expensive skewers out there) and I get a aluminum spoon with my pasta which reminds me of a college cafeteria and doesn't even match the rest of the silverware.

Well, I'm glad there are better...

I had a pretty daring moment. I entered a deli and fancied jambalaya! Yes, there's jambalaya on the menu made with linguine pasta, no rice nor sausage (not sure if it's still considered jambalaya). In other words, it's not Cajun style. Granted, it's a "Tuscany" cafe so I didn't expect a true jambalaya. There are a few other pasta dishes but don't get too excited; the menu is primarily "gourmet" sandwiches and salads. Thankfully, I wasn't let down w/ the jambalaya. Of all places to go - this is better than the immediate Italian cafeterias. It's not saying much but save a trip to the much more expensive, impersonating little Italy spots. I say this is better than those noisy, hectic places. Unfortunately, there's not a variety - sandwiches, sandwiches, pasta, steak, sandwiches. On the bright side, it's super quiet and located in a clean neighborhood square cornered by trees and mid-rise buildings. It's very cosmopolitan! There's parking in front of the cafe, no need to pay. Plenty of good vibes...

This was a spot we frequented for lunch prior to the pandemic and there was always a slight wait as it was a popular place for many folks in the area. Recently we decided to stop by for brunch and surprisingly they were very slow...hardly anyone inside. I ordered chicken quesadilla and other stuff and the chicken was very chewy, tortilla was bland and something about it was not fresh. I think the peppers or cheese smelled a little sour. Neither me nor my party enjoyed their food. I am not sure if this was just an off-day for the restaurant but the manager(owner) also seemed like she was doing everything. She was in the kitchen, was our server and when it was time for our bill, she was gone for a long long time so we ended up having another lady take our payment so we can leave. Sadly because of this experience, we shall not be returning. The restaurant is clean and the manger pleasant, but food can make or break your establishment....