Modena Ristorante Vinoteca — Restaurant in Georgia

My wife and I had been meaning to try Modena for the better part of a year and since we finally got around to having a kid-free date night, we excitedly made a dinner reservation, as we've heard such great things about this restaurant.

First off, reservations are painless. Parking was tight as the place was full on the Saturday evening we visited, but we did manage to find a spot with minimal effort - there's plenty of parking spots so if hunting down a parking spot at a nice restaurant is a pet peeve of yours (like it is mine), I can assure you, you'll be in good shape here.

The ambiance is very nice, warm, and inviting. Definitely more on the upscale side, especially for the West Cobb area. It almost feels like it doesn't fit in, which is actually a nice thing in my opinion. I'm happy to finally have a nicer restaurant choice in the area when I want something other than a chain, family style restaurant. It features a beautiful, well-stocked bar with plenty of seating, large wine wall, and what I would consider a "secondary" bar with even more sitting and a pizza oven behind it - I assume one could sit here and eat while watching pizza being cooked. Pretty cool.

Our table was TINY, but we managed. This wouldn't ordinarily be something I'd comment on, but it was almost comically small, so we declined water just to make the most use of the space. It was also incredibly close to other tables (like, mere inches), so if you're looking for something a little more intimate, I'd look elsewhere.

Our server, Luke, was very friendly, attentive, and had a sense of humor which I appreciate. Definitely no complaints as far as service goes. He was excellent.

I ordered a Manhattan and it was properly made and served in the correct glass. It was very good and the cherry at the bottom of the glass was fantastic. Not sure it was worth the $15, but I get it - you're going to pay for a decent cocktail in a nice restaurant. My wife had a glass of red wine and that was good as well.

For an appetizer, we split the caprese salad. Unfortunately, it was tiny and underwhelming: just a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, a couple ounces of mozzarella, a bit of basil sprinkled on top, and a balsamic glaze. For dinner, I had the Pappardelle Bolognese which was very good. I wouldn't go as far as saying it was excellent, but it was tasty and hit the spot. Unfortunately, the portion size was much too small for the price and that's my primary gripe in this review - I was still hungry when I left. My wife had the mussel appetizer for her dinner and she said it was okay, but incredibly salty so would not order it again.

So, in summary, Modena is what I would consider "pretty good." Definitely not "great." What holds it back from being excellent is value for the money. If they either decreased prices or increased portion sizes, I'd be more inclined to give a five-star review. That said, we did agree to go back again and try the pizza since we've heard how good it is. Perhaps then we'll have the five-star experience that so many...

My Sister and I made reservations to this restaurant last Saturday, Jan. 18th, 2025. We arrived 5 minutes earlier before our scheduled reservations. This was my 2nd time coming but it was my Sister's 1st time, so; mind you she was very excited about having dinner because of my glowing recommendation. Well, little did I know, that 2nd experience would be a nightmare. We informed the two (2) ladies at the front desk of who we were and that we had a reservation. They proceeded to look us up, which they did and found that we did in fact have a reservation. The wife (Maritza) of the owner informed us that she had another party coming in around 6pm and then proceeded to tell us how much time we had to eat our dinner. She didn't stop there, she then stated that if that other party comes in, and we're still here, she would have to move us to another area. In my mind I was thinking "What-the-H!" just happened. My Sister and I both looked at each other and we were stunned. I then asked her what does that have to do with us because we made our reservation before the restaurant even opened. She then made the same statement again, as if we didn't hear it the 1st time. I asked her did she inform the guest before us of their time limit on eating their dinner, she stated "No". Well, then at that point I knew exactly what I was dealing with. The question in my head was "are we being racially profiled". By the way - did I mention we are African American women. So, at this point the young lady standing next to her (wife of owner) recognized the utter disrespect and tried to get her attention to stop her (the wife) from making anymore statements. I then informed the (wife of the owner) that some other party coming later is not our problem and we'll eat at our own pace. She then realized that she crossed the line. She then stated that if the other party comes, she'll put them in another area. The restaurant wasn't full yet, there were lots of tables left. Well, my mood changed and I went from being happy and excited about having dinner to feeling not wanted. I can say that the waitress and the other staff members were so very professional, nice and courteous. The young lady that seated us ask if we were having a good day thus far, and I responded yes until I came in and interacted with the "wife" of the partner at the front area. We had dinner and the nice, professional staff came back to the table with a slice of cake as a peace offering (the cake was very good). After all that, I must say that the food and drinks are amazing, which is the reason why I came to have dinner. I'm still having heavy feelings about our initial welcome from the owner's wife, it wasn't so welcoming. I truly can say, I really don't know if I will ever...

Meh. First, the service at the bar was stellar. Attentive and she personally packed our to go bag...big win! Onto the rest of the review, as my girlfriend and I dined for the first time at Modena, I mused whether or not the typical patron at this restaurant has ever dined in Italy or for that matter at a truly high-end Italian restaurant given the stellar reviews. Given that the bill for two almost hit $200, I would def put this place in the upper tier of expectations. First, the bread and dipping sauce (which tasted like crushed green olives and perhaps a taste of capers) was superb. Bread was fresh and dip was tasty. Then came the entrees of gnocchi for her with a gorgonzola sauce and chicken. The second she cut into the chicken I said "that looks dry." One bite confirmed it. Overcooked. The gorgonzola sauce was a 6 out of 10 according to my Italian partner...with a last name like Ruocco and being from NY she knows her Italian food. My meal was a mixed bag. The cream sauce was stellar; however, for a $30 dollar meal, I expected more than just the 4 or so shrimp I got...the rest of the seafood was virtually non-existent. A clear miss. While I don't have a drop of Italian blood in me, I frequent Italy on personal trips (my 4th trip to Rome in a bit over 2 years is on the horizon) and I've made my own puttanesca sauce at home and my own pasta after taking a pasta making class. So onto the desserts. The lemon cake was excellent. Light and airy. However, the pistachio dessert was completely non-descript. We both agreed there wasn't even a whiff of pistachio flavor whatsoever. We honestly had no idea what flavor it was. She described it as a sponge cake with cream on it. Not a bad experience; however, we would look elsewhere if we intend to spend that much on an Italian meal again in hopes of a top...