Tuscany Gardens Pizzeria — Restaurant in California

Maybe the owner was just having an off day, but I ordered the Chicken Picatta, one of my favorite dishes, and what I got didn't come even close to the traditional recipe. The chicken was rubbery, and rather than being filets, it was chunks. Instead of Angel Hair Pasta, rainbow rotellini was used, and finally, instead of a white cream sauce, or a white wine reduction sauce, red sauce was used, and it was very salty.

I decided I couldn't eat it, called the owner over, explained that this was even close to anything I ever had for Chicken Picatta. The owner pointed to another table and said "they like it" as if somehow that erases the problem. I said that red sauce is never used on Chicken Picatta, and his response was "too bad, that's how it's listed on the menu". I said that it tasted like the chicken had been microwaved, since it was so rubbery, he goes to the kitchen, returns with a pan and put it over the table and said "see, this is what I cook it in".

I realized then the man hasn't a clue on customer service, so I let the issue drop and ignored the dish. When the check came, there was no adjustment, and he was adamant about his food being fine. Quite honestly, I've never had such a bad experience with such an arrogant owner/chef. He seems like a candidate for Chef Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares".

I should have left when I noted to my date when we walked in that the owner and his family running the place are clearly middle easterners, not Italians, and I thought to myself "how good is this going to be?" The answer was clear, but the attitude of the owner was far worse than the food. I mean really, all he had to do was swap the dish with some white sauce and Angel Hair pasta and it probably would have been fine. Instead, I got arrogance.

Avoid this place would be my advice, and if you absolutely MUST go, don't you dare complain about the food, or the owner will come make a scene and make you feel like you patronage...

A sin against Italian food. Came here on a Friday night and the place was dead. There was one other group there and that should have been my first hint. The waiter who served us seemed to hate his job (which I wouldn't blame him for) and the cheap decor was tacky and overbearing. I ordered a beer which came in a frosted mug on a little plate and that was nice. As I sipped my beer and relaxed to old jazz and big band tunes, I thought to myself, 'hey maybe this place ain't too bad after all'. Then the food arrived. First was the salad. The vegetables were obviously old, with oxidation marks withering the outsides and crusting up the edges. It came with a small tough bread stick that was also obviously old. The Caesar dressing seemed to mask the taste well enough, so I choked it down because I was hungry. Second, the main course. I always order a basic Fettuccine Alfredo to sample any Italian restaurant, and this time was no exception. The meal arrived and it looked rather decent. Nice presentation with the bread stick and shredded Parmesan on top. So, I took an eager bite and it was......... bland. The noodles were the right consistency, but the sauce tasted watered down and lifeless. Any Alfredo sauce should be bursting with savory flavors from the cream, butter, and cheese, but this dish was not. I really hope they are not watering down their sauces to bulk up inventory, because that is exactly what it tasted like. The proof is in the pudding guys, and your customers can taste the difference. Oh yeah, the bread stick that came with that was also stale. At last, this place is way too expensive. They wanted $18 for the Fettuccine Alfredo, and that was on the cheap end. Absolutely absurd for the quality I experienced. I will not be coming...

Have been wanting to try Tuscany Gardens in Penn Valley for years. Just moved back in the area and decided to try it tonight. Before arriving I checked the hours of operations which stated open til 8PM. my date and I arrived at 6:50 pm and found the inside quite cozy. However,, when we e were finally greeted by the owner, he was probably one of the rudest people running a restaurant I have ever encountered. No hello, how are you doing!! No offer of water or wine. When he handed us the menus, he actually had a scowl on his face. He walked away and never interacted with us again. We finally just walked out. Avoid...