Il Tavolo di Palmisano — Restaurant in Hoboken

Like many of my other bookmarks, Il Tavolo has been sitting on the list for a while. I finally got the chance to check this place out on a Saturday. My cousin made reservations for our party of 5 for 6 pm and it wasn't too crowded yet. It's a very beautiful and chic space and gives Italy vibes, which i loved.

To start, we ordered some bruschettas to share, which I didn't think were anything special:

Smoked Salmon (with mascarpone cheese topped with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, & capers ) - good but nothing you couldn't make at home

Roasted Strawberries (with whipped ricotta drizzled with a rich balsamic glaze) - this reminded me too much of strawberry jam so that's all I tasted. I didn't pick up on any of the salty notes

Artichoke Hearts (with garlic, herbs, & bread crumbs topped with shaved parmesan cheese) - this was the best of the bunch but still only okay. I think there were too much breadcrumbs

I would say you can skip these an opt for an actual appetizer, like calamari or burrata or something. You can never go wrong with some burrata. We also shared the Watermelon Salad (served with arugula, fresh mint, thin sliced red onions, & ricotta salata crumbles drizzled with a rich balsamic glaze). This isn't something I would normally order. I probably would have went with a boring old Caesar salad, but my husband was actually the one who said he wanted to try it, and I'm really glad we did. The watermelon was so refreshing on a hot summer day and balanced the bitterness of the arugula and saltiness of the balsamic. After this, I became obsessed with the salad and started making it at home and the twist is - my husband is now sick of this salad, lol.

For mains, I had the Cheese Sacchetti (aka Beggar Purses - four cheese filled fresh pasta purses served in a pink basil cream sauce with shrimp). I loved the sauce and the pasta. I have a weakness for pink/tomato cream sauce. The shrimp were a good size and cooked perfectly but they tasted like they were from frozen. It was a pretty big portion since I had some leftovers (which we ended up eating later that night). Hubby had the Short Rib Ragu (boneless short ribs simmered in tomato sauce tossed with orecchiette pasta topped with a dollop of lemon basil ricotta & a touch of pesto). I don't love braised meats because of the texture but the lemon basil ricotta was chef's kiss. I would be happy just eating that with a nicely toasted piece of bread. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals as well and also had leftovers to bring home.

Definitely will be back to check out their other menu items, and some of...

Look at the surface and it looks like a fantastic restaurant to dine in/at. Good refurbishment, nice crockery and glasses, well presented food. Scratch below the surface and you’ll actually find a sub par experience.

We called to be added to the waitlist. At the maximum time given, we called back to enquire about the status of our wait, only be told we were called and we missed our turn. I asked the hostess to check the call list and call me back. Two minutes later she calls back and let’s me know that she called the wrong number.

When we arrive at the restaurant, there’s an apology. Greatly appreciated. Sat at a very pleasant table outdoors with a personal heater. Nice atmosphere. Menu via QR reader as most places are nowadays. 15 mins later ask the hostess to ask the waiter to come to our table. At this point, no water, no attention, nothing.

Takes order and quick service from there. Food is good. Not great, good. Dry focaccia, so-so octopus and nice burrata. Entrees arrived quickly after.

Our cutlery arrived five minutes later. In the interim I asked for black pepper for my carbonara. A mixed chili shaker like you would find in a Pizza Hut 10 years ago arrived. I asked for black pepper again, old school salt and pepper shaker arrived. Join the 20th century and order grinders (I know it’s the 21st, but I’d be happy if they joined the 20th).

Carbonara was thicc. Tasty, but not traditional. Heavy cream used in sauce, served with a burnt fried egg. My colleague had salmon which she enjoyed.

Price was reasonable. Since I moved from the U.K., I’ve never tipped below 20%, but I felt compelled to only tip 15% today. I had high hopes when I planned my attendance, but walked away with an unusual taste in my mouth. Could be the cream from the carbonara, could be the glitter they used to...

Before writing this I wasn't sure if I would give 5 stars because our immediate impression from the hostess wasn't the best. We had reserved an outside igloo, we arrived on time and she said we would have to wait as the table was not free yet. I pointed out that there were three open tables outside. all the same size and she still said we'll they are reserved so you will have to wait 10 to 15 minutes? Huh? I went outside to wait...She came out and said I can seat you at one of the open tables...well ok we got to sit, I assume the manager inside who heard me questioning her told her to seat us as no one else was waiting. Now the reason I did give 5 stars is #1 the servers are terrific. Dominique was our main person but each and every person on the wait staff looks out for you. They were all attentive, pleasant and gave great recommendations from the menu. We chose everything by their say so. #2 food was absolutely delicious. Cooked perfectly, and a nice portion. We also had the pork chop but I unfortunately took a bad pic of that. We have not eaten out in months as we do not do the indoor dining thing right now. We figure we have been so conservative for a year, why change that now. We will wait until summer when the whole shot thing is under control. However, kudo's to the owners, the igloo's are a fabulous idea for us conservative couples. It was a glorious sunny Sunday afternoon but they also have heaters in them so I am sure they are comfortable then too. My hunny cannot be around anyone right now he must be ultra conservative but we were really dying to get out just this one time since winter set in! Love the place overall, will go back again. Look forward to...