Fede (no reservations) — Restaurant in Astoria

This place is a GEM. We’re always on the lookout for quality Italian food. Fede naaaailed it. The menu had lots to offer for each course which made it hard to choose. We had the cheese plate, romaine salad, octopus, carbonara, cabbage, and olive oil cake. We split everything and were stuffed - and we can put down some food :) The cheese plate and accompaniments with the fresh bread was a perfect start to share with just the right amount where you’re appreciating each bite and getting to savor the taste. The salad was fresh and crispy with the right amount of dressing and cheese, and the albacore and not out of a bag croutons were a great addition to take a simple salad and make it a little more “yes” factor. We go out to very rarely so I do a ton of cooking (which I love to do), and I had recently said if we ever get to Italy or go anywhere that has octopus on the menu (and looks like they know what they’re doing) I’m getting it because it’s one of those things I don’t want to attempt to do at home. So I was uber excited to see it on the menu and holy mother of 8 lb 6oz newborn infant jesus… that was our favorite of the night. Awesome texture. The light sauce with the potatoes and olives were a perfect pairing. It was the type of simple but like, complex item because it’s all working together how you want so you taste each thing separately but together? I dunno. It was bomb. Next - never had carbonara so we did that and yep. Awesome. Fresh noodles and SUPER RICH, super creamy. It was a flavor slap in the mouth but in a good, do it again way. The cabbage I wanted to try because I cook it a lot and just wanted to see how someone else did it. Yeah… another 11/10 item. Perfect amount of browning and flavor and texture. The olive oil cake was 200% my cup of tea - not like eating a spoonful of sugar with each bite. It was nice, just sweet enough, light, and a little citrusy. Drinks were awesome as well. I had the limoncello spritz thing and the man’s had a cocktail with grappa in it. He’s been looking for grappa for a while and them having it would get them five stars in itself. He also had it on its own as an after dinner drink and I’m pretty sure you could fuel a car with it but it was cool that he finally got to try it. Staff was stellar. The mrs half of the owners was super cool and we had a great conversation - she’s super knowledgeable, makes awesome beverages, and just chatting with her you can tell their hearts are 200% in it with this place. The chef Mr half of the owners definitely knows what he’s doing in the kitchen - the quality of ingredients and what he does with them, obviously from the above novel, is awesome. We’re definitely looking forward to...

Decided to try the octopus as one of our dishes. We were told it was very tender. When we received the octopus with one potato cut up and some parsley and olive oil, no salt or flavor and the octopus itself what is the texture of over cooked bacon hard and crunchy and black all over it, no flavor. Not tender whatsoever. The owners wife came to the table and ask how was our octopus, I am a cook myself and I told her that it was black and chewy tasteless and overcooked. She dismissed me by saying well no one else has said that over a year, as if what I was telling her didn’t matter. I asked for butter for the bread, I received a tablespoon of tasteless butter. I ordered a root beer that came in a can and it was not even cold. When we received the bill they had charged us two dollars for a tablespoon of butter. when paying the bill I mentioned they might wanna tell people there’s a charge for butter, seems they’re making 100% profit off their butter. The owners wife told me in a snippy voice that it is on the menu. Who charges for butter? Then she said do you want me to show you with an attitude. I said no and walked out. As I stood outside waiting for my companion, she came out and told me how she didn’t appreciate me telling her the truth. Then she said I don’t want you to ever come back. I gave no attitude I wasn’t rude yeah this is the attitude I received after her asking me how things were. I will never recommend this place, I remove the menu from my Airbnb. I found the whole thing outrageous rude and dismissive. I will...

I lived in Italy for years and have been to so many Italian restaurants, never have I had such a bad experience. The waitress was nice but it's the owner's that put her in a bad position. This restaurant nickel and dime you to no end it's frustrating! They make absolutely no changes to the menu and not that I asked for anything insane, I asked if they could throw some pasta strands in my soup- they said no, suggested I bought a whole other entree of pasta to throw in it. (I wouldn't have minded paying extra to be clear, but paying another 18 dollars for another meal when I just wanted a bit of pasta in my soup?) They bring the smallest loaf of bread to the table with nothing. I asked for olive oil, and they charge extra for that. (what Italian place does that?) Then I ordered soup, didn't come with any bread (as it normally should) so I asked for more bread - poor waitress was embarrassed to say oh I'm sorry we only have one loaf per table. what?! I said I'll pay for it; they still couldn't do it. I ended up paying for an appetizer piece of Focaccia bread which was awful and not focaccia at all! The whole experience was ruined, the food was just barely ok. I can make better! Note to the owner's: if you are offering bread to the table, make sure you have extra and give the oil for free, most restaurants -even the humblest can...