DITONDO — Restaurant in Buffalo

This review is for DiTondo, NOT DiTondo's Tavern. DiTondo's Tavern was worthy of the many stellar reviews on this page. So when I made plans to have lunch there 10/12/21, I did so with great anticipation. I also expected that there would be issues related to COVID, such as limited menu, staff shortages, etc. I was OK with that. I was ready to be patient and looked forward to enjoying my lunch.

The problem with DiTondo' (it pains me to write that name without adding Tavern because outside of the same address, there is no comparison). The problems with this restaurant are all self-inflicted by poor management decisions, so let's get into the details.

First, they open at 12:00, not 11:59. I arrived 10 minutes early, found the front door locked, so I walked around through an open gate to the outdoor seating area. I was content to wait until noon. I was informed, nicely, that the gate had been left open for a delivery and that this area was off limits until noon. OK, I wondered if i could just sit there until noon. No, was the reply, "My boss will get mad." So back to the front door i walked. By this time there were maybe 12-15 people waiting.

Second, Wine Choices Promptly at noon, the doors opened and we were led to the bar. To be seated, NO . We queued up to first place our drink order. What? While waiting, we were handed the menus so we could chose our meal, dessert and extras (bread and butter - three small slices for $3). Oh, the wine, there were three choices, sparkling, red and white. That's it. Three house wines. All served in a small white wine glass. Please see my photo for the size of the pour, $13. We then take our wine and slide it down the bar to where a cashier waited.

Third, Food Choices. Six choices. Again please see my photo for portion size, Yes, I'd already taken a couple bites, but my lasagna bolognese was quite small, $16. When it arrived I asked for additional sauce. No I was informed the sauce was already added .Now, IMHO, if you want real bolognese, go to J.T.s on Elmwood. A large bowl and nice rich sauce.

Fourth, paying the bill. Yes, you pay for the meal, and include tip BEFORE eating, or finding out how well you are served. Then you are given a stick with a number so the server can deliver your meal . You know, like any fast food restaurant. Also, there was no real option for adding wine or dessert later without rising form your table

Finally, on your way to your table, you pick up your place setting and fill your water glass.
The food was tasteless. I would not return even if i received...

I’ll start by saying this would’ve been a good meal if I had spent a hundred dollars less than I did. The food is not on par for the price tag, unfortunately. The service was amazing in the atmosphere was beautiful, but I come to a restaurant to eat food, not admire exposed brick walls. The drinks were great and the Parmesan puff are probably my favorite part of the meal, but when the pasta puttanesca came, I was nervous from there on out.

It lacked the flavor and funk that I expect from puttanesca. It was acidic with little else. Moving on with the meal, I ordered their Bavette steak with a green peppercorn sauce, and my partner ordered their swordfish. The flank steak was cooked to perfection, but the green peppercorn sauce was nothing more than a butter sauce with a couple whole peppercorns floating around in it. It also lacked flavor. There is no salt and pepper shakers, nor Parmesan to add to any of the meals, they come, as is. This would be perfectly fine to me if the meals themselves were seasoned appropriately. My partner swordfish was cooked well, but it was over powered by the herb topping they placed over it. The dish was being carried by the olive oil drizzled over the top.

We decided to give them a make or break moment with dessert. Needless to say, it was a break. “ the best tiramisu in the city” as per Buffalo news, it’s such a thick layer of cocoa powder, dusted over the top that I genuinely choked when taking a bite. Their polenta dessert that they had listed on their menu was described as polenta with an almond crumble topping. Without any further description, I assumed that this would be creamy polenta with a crunchy topping. I was given a small plate of a polenta cake that was more akin to a nature valley granola bar. Perhaps this was on me for assuming, but a more detailed description should’ve been provided. The same problem happened with the steak’s green peppercorn sauce. It tasted like a butter sauce with barely any peppercorn brightness or floridity. Luckily, I ordered a cappuccino that I could dip it into, but the cappuccino didn’t have very much foam on top, and was scorching hot.

Once again, I will repeat that I had such high expectations going into DITONDO because of the price tag and upscale atmosphere it exudes. The best service and ambience in the world means little if the food isn’t up to snuff. With the small portion sizes and lack of wow factor in their meals, I will not be dropping another 200 dollars on a meal at...

Went for lunch today with my Father in Law. He had the butternut squash soup and I had the gnocchi. Both were outstanding. All food is freshly prepared by a true chef straight from Italy! Dad loved his soup and said he would be return. The gnocchi were delightfully fresh , light and tasty covered in freshly prepared sauce and topped with mozzarella. I would definitely try again. Restaurant itself was completely renovated with new paint, new open kitchen, refinished original bar, new hardwood floors and new seating. Patio area for outdoor seating was also given a detailed overhaul. The owners are trying to capture old world Italian cuisine in a beautifully revived restaurant under a new generation of Ditondo family ownership. All in all I believe they are off to a glorious start. I included some pics along with one being the menu. They stated that dinners should begin soon and I expect that the constantly evolving menu shall grow as well. Good luck! Some additional thoughts…. Having to order and pay/tip for my meal upfront while standing at the bar and then having to retrieve my own water and utensils felt very McDonalds-like. This was explained to us as a process carried over from Restaurants in Italy. Having never had the opportunity to visit that country I simply equated it to that of an American fast food restaurant and was somewhat turned off…especially when wait staff were standing around looking for something to do. Not a good look for diners to be running to different stations while staff is on the sidelines. In all fairness, they did say that true sit down meals should be provided when the dinner service commences. I hope it starts sooner with lunches. Ditondo has all the makings of a great restaurant, so skip the Italian customs that detract from the buffalo upscale...