Mangiare — Restaurant in Green Bay

It's very odd to me how many great reviews there are for this place. In my opinion it's nowhere near worth the money, time and lost opportunity to eat elsewhere.

1.) The food was extremely bland. My carbonara had no flavor or spices, so I had to add a ton of pepper and salt myself to even make it passible. My partner's bolognese tasted like something we could have made at home for 1/5 of the price. The bread (which we paid $6 for) was four or five tiny slivers that barely would be enough to feed a toddler. We both could not believe how little was given to us compared to the price. Literally have had better food at an Olive Garden for half the price.

2.) The atmosphere was extremely off base of the "middle-upscale Italian" they seem to market and price themselves. We went during March Madness, so that was playing on the TV. I could half understand that, however I would never expect to see a TV, let alone sports, at an Italian restaurant that sells bread for $6 and carbonara for for $27. Beyond that they where playing a playlist that I can only describe has "Tik Tok's Greatest Hits". It was very jarring to hear "Fancy Like" by Walker Hayes playing at a place with higher end prices, but it did match Applebee's quality of atmosphere and food.

3.) The service was extremely slow. We had to wait a good while to even see our server, and then the drinks took just as long. The bread was delivered three minutes before our entries, and the whole wait from sitting down to getting our food was just over 45 minutes. They were not even that busy, so it was shocking how long it took. We didn't remotely consider looking at desert, even though we were both still hungry, or order more than one drink because we couldn't take sitting there any longer. Our server was nice though, which is the only redeeming part of the service.

4.) The hostess was dressed very inappropriately for the kind of restaurant they are trying to present themselves. A leather skirt that barely covered her bottom and heels about the same length. I was a bit hesitant to add this part, since I don't want to shame, but the young lady she seemed to be training and our server were both dressed in attire that would be expected for the type of place they were working. That makes me suspect they have some dress code or expectation, but the main hostess was not following that at all. Beyond that she was extremely loud when customers came in, and it was distracting to the "nice" date night we were trying to have. Her whole presentation would have been better suited for a night club.

I don't leave many reviews, but this was hands down one of the worst dining experiences I've had in general, let alone for the cost. I know I talked about the prices a lot, but it was honestly baffling how bad every part of the experience was given the price of their food. Maybe my opinion is based on where I live and what I'm used to in terms of quality, but this was awful in comparison with every meal I've had at the same price range. Save yourself and look elsewhere if you are wanting a...

Starting with the positives: Li’ si mangia 

The wine list was varied and good; ordered a bottle of Donnafugata Nero d’Avola which was very good.

Antipasti were also good – calamari with a garlic/mayo sauce which was really good (red sauce on the bland side). Also ordered arancini which were good. Normally, however, I prefer arancini with a red sauce and more diverse fillings in the arancini: like made in Napoli.

Then, onto the main courses: I had frutti di mare with a pappardelle pasta. The sauce was really too soupy and on the insipid side. I added pepper, but I think it could have been cooked with pepperoncino, or at least fresh ground pepper on top. Also, it was served with parmesano already grated on it: No.

Then, my friend had a ‘build it yourself’ pasta which she did with pappardelle, red sauce and meatballs. She asked for some more sauce bc its appearance was very dry. In fact, the pasta was all clumped in a large fist sized ball, indicating it had been prepared or sitting for some time. Other friend had the lamb pasta which he really liked. And, spouse had the tenderloin which he also thought very good.

Then, we tried desserts. Mine a dry cannoli cake. Where the ricotta went to I don’t know. Cake tasted as if it had been frozen, thawed and served 2 days later. Opinion shared by husband who tasted and complained to server who took the charge off the bill. Husband and friend had limoncello flute dessert which was a lemony delight.

Last ending on a positive: server was super sweet and helpful.

But, all in all, a mixed bag for the price which was high ($150 per couple with one bottle of wine).

Conclusion: much better Trattoria Stefano in Sheboygan even though you have to...

Upon entering, you instantly are serenaded with “modern Italian” vibes as if you are in downtown Milan. Architectural elements like the exposed brick wall running the length of the dining room contrast with the modern bar and table setting well.

Our group was greeted by Nicholas, promptly introducing the menu, pointing out house specialty wine and cocktails. After we got to know the liquid side of things, our table received an order of calamari, along with the giant meatball. The meatball is perfectly cooked and served bathed in a delicious marinara sauce.

Wine pairing with dinner was dolcetto d'alba 2017 bruno giacosa. Light and fruity brought out by floral and spice with a taste of mocha. The bottle is a stupendous pair for the atmosphere.

Main corse our group had a variety of dishes, chicken & pesto gnocchi, frutti di mare, porchetta, and veal Parmesan. Gnocchi is soft, chicken flavorful and juicy. Veal was the largest portion I have ever seen in a restaurant, bone in, cooked about medium/medium well. One mussel in frutti di mare was closed still, other then that minor detail, which I don’t view as a negative as it instills authenticity, perfect.

Nicholas was outstanding. Very polite and knowledgeable. Assisting when requested and never letting out glasses go dry. Hats off to the kitchen staff as well.

Mangarie will be a fantastic addition to the area, truly filling the void for fine...