Carbonara — Restaurant in Arlington

My husband and I visited this place recently. I have been watching this place since it was advertised that it was opening. Carbonara is my FAVORITE Italian dish. I've spent years experimenting with my own traditional recipe, both vegetarian and with other various proteins and veggies to spice things up. After 4 years, I believe I have a very strong recipe. I even recently mastered the art of making pasta from scratch and rolling and cutting it.

With that background, I was ecstatic that this place was opening. I made a reservation and we went for lunch on a Saturday. First, the atmosphere was amazing. For my birthday, I had recently been to Hell's Kitchen, and the atmosphere was almost similar. Quality design and lovely layout just enhanced the deliciousness to come.

Service was exceptional. I was cared for and every need attended. The timing as well with the appetizer to entre was great. I hate being rushed by places, but I also was hungry, so it was a perfect balance. In between courses, our server cleaned up the table as well. I was really impressed by the service.

I ordered a glass of the house red. It was ok. My husband ordered a lavender gin cocktail, which was a 3.5/5. According to me, it was a 4/5 and I don't even like gin.

Then the server brought us some breads and crushed olives and homemade tomato sauce. DELICOIUS. For our shared app, we ordered the burrata. It was gone in seconds. Tasty.

The main course could only have been one thing: the tableside parmesan wheel carbonara. Homemade bucatini pasta and finished in a cheese wheel, right to your table. The pasta was perfectly cooked. Well made as well, clearly made just hours ago. The sauce was decadent, light but flavourful. However, the meat could have been higher quality because I think it really held the dish back.

The sauce itself was more traditional than I expected. Really delicious. But it was very filling, so we had some to take home. After we enjoyed an espresso martini tiramisu flavoured. There was a 3 martini flight option, but it was a little overpriced so we opted for just one. It was small but just the right amount for a little splash of dessert after our filling meal. It was also a highlight of the experience. Especially the home-made whipped cream.

But nothing beat the tableside pasta. Melting it in the cheese was a head-turner. Everyone in the place looked over at our deliciousness. And after a few minutes, we saw a ton more people who were looking enviously at us order the same thing. They even boxed up our leftovers for us, and thanked us for coming.

Although, my husband had quickly remarked that my recipe was better, richer, and re-heated better. On re-heat, their dish seemed more oily than cheesy or creamy. But that is to be expected with their recipe. It was still good. But my husband also added that this sauce and recipe was the best out of any others he's had at a restaurant, and he's rarely a pasta fan.

Well done Carbonara. We will definitely be retuning and I can't wait to try more of your amazing dishes. You bring homemade to the surface of food, and create a delicate and warm...

To be very honest I will only give this place 4 stars because Taha was trying his best to make things go right for my sister's birthday. Our reservation was for 1:45pm yesterday afternoon. This place was highly recommended to me to try as a Yelper and I have been meaning to try it. I am glad my sister chose it to come because I am truly not an Italian foodie person. Pastas are have a special place in my heart cause I cook pretty mean pasta dishes. Anywho they should have more options for non alcoholic drinkers like myself, a lot of their drinks look amazing, but they cater only to alcohol drinkers. Food menu is pretty extensive, however all their entrees are pastas.. I get it it's in the name, but how about if people came as a group and only joined because it was a birthday celebration and did not want pasta? I didn't, but since that was literally the only thing I ended up getting pasta.

Since there was no real mocktail or anything I just got a cappuccino...no syrups or milk alternatives, but I just took it as is. Appetizers? Bacon wrapped shrimp 10/10 and baked stuffed claws, 8/10. The sauces that came on them were very complimentary that it enhanced all the crunch on them. Bread? Cold and hard as bricks...the olives and tomato sauce was a good addition though, but I am 100% it would have been 10/10 if they found a way to keep the break warm... got meatballs for my niece and daughter to share. They enjoyed that very much. much.

For entrees, my cousin and partner got carbonara that was tossed on a cool cheese wheel...it was absolutely cold when they were actually served... carbonara? 7/10 I have had better at other Italian spots. Taha fixed the issue, however it took another 20 minutes and by the time my cousin and partner weren't even hungry anymore...I got the spinach angolotti 6/10 with breaded chicken the chicken cutlet was hard, cold, and bland. The angolotti? So creamy and tasty looking, but it lacked seasoning, needed lots of pepper and more added cheese. My mom got the scampi 7/10. It was a great size portion, but I have had better. Sister got the chicken parm. She said it was an 8/10. The food was pricey and not a lot of flavorful to make up for it. Everyone loved their alcoholic beverages so that was a plus...the general manager Chris stopped by, but just came to apologize. He didn't really do much nor was he very friendly... not even a smile when we came in or throughout our dining experience. We were absolutely grateful for the desserts that were given. Cheesecake was 9/10. Molten chocolate cake 10/10. I wanted to try the tiramisu, but I was so stuffed i couldnt even eat more than one bite each. I know the food wasn't Taha's fault, but he tried to make everything perfect still! Even brought us a strawberry expresso martini on...

I saw this on IG a while ago and it was a place I wanted to try, so my girlfriends made reservations for my birthday. We had 8:30 reservations on Saturday for a party of 6. If you're unfamiliar with the area, street parking is tight, so pack your patience and flat shoes. One arrived at 8:25 and the table wasn't ready. 2 of us arrived at 8:43 and were told there was still 1 person sitting at our table. Finally at 8:50 our table was ready. I'm a little off put by a 20 minute wait for a reserved table when the kitchen closes at 10, but I'm going with the flow as it is my birthday celebration, the restaurant is small, cute and quaint and the singer is good. We're seated and as part of my birthday celebration, we're given a bottle of wine, Sauvignon Blanc, one of my favs and it was tasty. We are also provided fresh foccacia and sliced Italian breads with warm marinara sauce and olive tapenade. I'm not a big bread eater, but will always try fresh bread. The bread with and without its accompaniments was very good. 2 of the party ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms. They were just ok. The mushrooms were seasoned really well, but the crabmeat had no seasoning at all. For entrees 1 wanted the lobster ravioli, but they were out, so the kitchen created a dish for her that she really enjoyed. We also ordered the shrimp scampi, which was sent back and replaced with the lobster dish, short rib lasagna, baked ziti, orecchiette and the table side carbonara. The portions were huge and for the most part everone enjoyed their meal. The Scampi was sent back because a) it was in a pinkish red sauce vs a white wine garlic butter sauce and the lemon was overpowering. Not sure if because we were the last table there and this was the last of the sauce or just how it was prepared, nonetheless, it was inedible and replaced. The experience of the tableside carbonara was better than the dish itself. After dinner the server brought us the dessert menu and then starting rushing us as the kitchen had closed or was in the processing of closing. Keep in mind, we had to wait 20 minutes for our table, I digress. The server said she's heard mixed reviews on the cannoli, which is what I wanted, but that the profiteroles and creme brulee cheesecake were good. Those that wanted dessert opted to share the cheesecake. The server brought the cheesecake along with a birhday tiramisu slice for me.

Overall a good experience and I'll definitely come back on a less busy day/ time, take in the patio outdoor seating and some other dishes I'd...