Noto's Old World Italian Dining — Restaurant in Cascade Charter Township

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Exceptional Solo Dining Experience at Notos

I had dinner in the lounge at Notos Old World Italian after work, and it was one of my favorite solo dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. The lounge area is relaxed and welcoming, but the restaurant as a whole gives a very authentic Italian vibe with marble staircases, statues, and family photos. Amanda’s service was absolutely outstanding—friendly, professional, and genuinely thoughtful.

At her suggestion, I ordered the veal Milanese, which was perfectly cooked—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and served with a delicious side of roasted potatoes and strings of slivered peppers and zucchini. It was a perfectly balanced plate that hit all the right notes. I also had the polenta appetizer and was caught completely off-guard —rich, creamy, and deeply flavorful, it included locally sourced mushrooms that blew me away. Easily one of the best versions of polenta I’ve ever tasted.

The wine selection at Notos is extensive and impressive, with something for every palate and occasion (definitely some bottles that are WAY out of my price range, but enjoyed reading the descriptions). Browsing the list was a treat in itself, I selected a red 2008 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino to go with the Milanese, which was perfect together and I'd honestly do it again anytime.

What really stood out though, was after the meal, Amanda offered a tour of the wine cellar and private event space. That level of hospitality was completely unexpected and made the evening feel particularly unique. The quantity and selection of wines was almost overwhelming, was very impressed by the quality of storage. The domed brick seating areas created isolated sound spaces that would make conversation easy even with multiple groups or tables around you.

If you're dining solo or with a group, or even looking for an upscale wedding reception or event venue, Notos delivers in every way. Ask for Amanda, her service was...

An absolutely terrible dining experience. I would not go again if someone else picked up the bill. The only positives I can report is that my salad was not too bad, and the wine was decent. If the meal ended there, you would not be overly disappointed. However, anything requiring skill to prepare was horrible. I ordered two courses, a chef's choice risotto, and a half rack of lamb over a bean stew. Both were almost inedible. The risotto had (reportedly) been prepared from sirloin tips, but if so they must have come from a dried-up dairy cow, as they were a toughness normally reserved for stew meat. Additionally the risotto was greatly oversalted. The risotto, however, was a delicacy compared to the lamb, which had been cooked for at least 1 hour, which was bad enough. Unfortunately, that hour was sometime in the morning, and the plate had been waiting all day for someone unsuspecting to attempt to eat it. Incredibly dried out (both the lamb and the bean stew), and extremely oversalted. I resorted to scraping the salt off the exterior of the lamb, then drinking liberal doses of water with each bite. This only worked for a few bites, however, as our water was never refilled.

In summation, if you are looking for poorly prepared banquet-hall caliber food, in a mediocre setting for a premium price, then Noto's might be just what you are looking for. Otherwise, I would highly recommend you look elsewhere. My wife and I eat at restaurants in this price range approximately once a month, and I cannot recall another restaurant that provided lower quality...

I love this place. I have been several times and will return but there are some negatives. When it is busy it can be vary loud. Some of their items costs leave you feeling dissatisfied once they reach the table.

The lobster ravioli is a small salad with three fried ravioli on it. It isn’t what you would expect from the menu description. The Beach Chowder is loaded with imitation crab at $10 a portion. Very disappointing, I thought it was noodles at first.

The Calamari is AWESOME! So is the Shrimp & Scallop pasta. So if you want seafood stick to those. The Linguini and Clams isn’t something I would reorder though. The Blue Corn Polenta is really good and I wish they would incorporate that into a shrimp and polenta dish (shrimp’n’grits)

Pizza, it’s very light. Their dough is more of a cracker. I am not sure why they would invest in a wood burning pizza oven if their dough doesn’t rise at all! You can still have a thin crust that is active, their dough needs to be revised. The toppings and sauces are awesome though.

Lunch menu sandwiches are good. I wish you could order them on the dinner menu as well.

I am scared off of the breakfast buffet bc of the awful reviews and the cost per person that doesn’t include coffee or juice.

Cocktails are expensive but I can understand why. I am hoping that with time things will get better & better. I wish...