Dolly's — Restaurant in El Cerrito

What do you get when you take a young Sri Lankan chef, (Dolly) who studied under a master of Italian cuisine, (Ruggero Milano, of Milano ristorante in Tiburon), an obsession with fresh pastas, imported desserts and gelatos and add one of the best wine lists in the East Bay and a giant authentic Permesano Regiano cheese wheel?

You get my new favorite Italian place in the Bay Area. In an out of the way location, one block from the Rialto theaters in El cerrito, this area is mostly known for its Asian cuisine which I have covered extensively, but lo and behold! An authentic Italian ristorante, with a real trained Italian chef, and a casual laid-back setting and unassuming vibe.

Following my patented strategy of emulating success, I asked the guy next to me, (Who turned out to be a baseball scout, and looked super happy with what he was eating) what to order, and he recommended the Smoked salmon Fettuccine Alfredo. I ordered it and I watched the careful preparation of perfect pasta ending with a generous toss in a Parmesan cheese wheel, and a glass of Daou Cabernet. Dolly really knows what she's doing, and has set a new standard for my fettuccine enjoyment, and while the dish was so rich I felt guilty eating it alone, she still gave me a spoonful of REAL Italian spumoni, flown in recently. This place is a kind of restaurant we need more of in the East Bay. Unassuming, friendly, homey, first class Italian food for the people. I cannot recommend this place highly enough if you want to have an actual Italian food experience but need to stick close to the east bay. And by real Italian I don't mean some shishi spot that's going to charge you $100 to bring out three olives and a single slice of veal, I'm talking about real, hearty, delicious Italian food for the people. Thanks Dolly. Strategy: go see a movie at the Rialto, one block away, and arrange to have some Italian food afterwards. You'll be...

I feel so bad writing this because it is a small business and the owner is incredibly nice, but this place should not be serving food. They should just be a wine bar. I have literally never had food that bad in my life. I think my ravioli came out of the microwave. The Alfredo sauce on top of the ravioli was the consistency of water and I’m 99% sure it was sauce from a jar. Like, I’m not even talking about restaurant grade sauce, but the kind of sauce you buy on clearance at grocery outlet. The Alfredo was also the same terrible sauce but tossed in a cheese wheel. The pasta was completely overcooked and shredded to pieces by the time we got it. This place does not have a kitchen. They have boiled water at the bar and a microwave. Not only that but the “cook” and the restaurant manager were both preparing the food without washing their hands. I do not think $20-$30 is overpriced for a dish, but it is completely over priced for something this inedible. It also smelled really bad in the place, but I am not sure if it was the restaurant or another patron.

Go for the wine, but do not...

I was excited to find another Italian “restaurant” here in El Cerrito. However. I wouldn’t exactly call it a restaurant because they only have a few dishes. Their specialty is Parmesan wheel Dishes and they prepare it in front of you. Not sure if they have a proper kitchen because all the food was made right there at the bar. The owners seem to be real nice and work hard. But if you’re charging $30 for fettuccine Alfredo you put yourself right up there with Bay Area's finest where I’m expecting a whole lot more in decor, presentation, service, views, atmosphere, quality of food. I’m sorry to leave this message and I wish them well. In the meanwhile, I’ll go back to my established list of fine Italian dining...