Atmosphere: 2/2 Stars Food: 1/2 Stars Staff: 1/1 Stars

SUMMARY: Beautifully decorated Italian eatery. My wife and I decided to come here on our first night staying in Laconia. The environment and the staff were superb but we did have a few comments on the food. Overall this restaurant hit the mark with its Italian cuisine and with a few minor adjustments, they could be outstanding! We were satisfied with the experience and would definitely recommend this restaurant.

ATMOSPHERE: Upon entering the restaurant you are welcomed with the hostess booth to the front and a pastry bar to your left. There is also some sight into the kitchen which gives it an authentic edge of an Italian market and kitchen. The dining area is beautifully laced out. There are 2 floors. Part of the first floor seating area is located under a huge cathedral ceiling which, when coupled with the table layout, gives a very spacious feel to the experience. The temperature, air circulation, and lighting made the environment very comfortable. The brick walls and white trim meshed beautifully with the black and wood colored seating. A touch of class and whimsical charm was added to the venue with the piano in the middle of the room along with light jazz in the background. The upstairs had a bar area along with a side room. The art in the restaurant was a mixture of modern simple patterns and authentic Italian wall art. The decorator truly brought this restaurant to life.

Feedback: think about getting a small storage cabinet for the bathroom so that cleaning supplies are not visible.

FOOD: Appetizers: Spinach Artichoke dip & Seafood stuffed mushrooms Entrees: Fratello’s Pizza & In-house Tagliatelle pasta with Marinara, meatballs and sausage. Dessert: Pumpkin Cheesecake & 5 Layer Chocolate Cake

The food experience was fine. We appreciated the dishes in that they were beautifully prepared, plated and presented. Our first course was some warm garlic bread with an assortment of dipping sauce (a butter spread, an olive oil/Parmesan cheese combo, and a cherry tomato cream cheese). The variety offered with these made it an inclusive start. The appetizers came out next. The seafood stuffed mushroom was good but was light on the stuffing and flavor. cheesy plates can also look a bit messy. We also ordered the spinach dip which was superb! The creaminess of the dip coupled with the generous amount of garlic oil drizzled bread pieces gave this dish its clean flavor.

Now onto the entrees. The pizza has great potential however the dough lacked the foundation to properly hold the toppings and the cheese was slightly overbearing in the center. The crust and the upper portion of the pizza was incredible. The pasta dish was ok. The in-house Tagliatelle pasta was amazing but the sauce lacked some flavor. The sausage and meatball helped but sauce is key.

We concluded our night with 2 desserts. First we had the in-house pumpkin cheesecake. This was a creamy and delicious delight! The way you’re able to glide your spoon through it was quite satisfying. The only critique on this one was the lack of pumpkin flavor. To identify it as a pumpkin cheesecake may not be accurate. The second dessert was the 5 layer chocolate cake which was very rich and was exactly what one would expect.

Feedback: Stuffed Mushrooms: Remove cheese, add stuffing + brown sugar and top it off with crisp buttered breadcrumbs. Pizza: more dough in center, less cheese, cook longer Pasta sauce: Herbs and spices Pumpkin Cheesecake: more pumpkin Chocolate Cake: add berries on side

STAFF: We were greeted and seated by a very kind hostess. Our waitress, Britt, did a wonderful job tonight. Britt did a great job with checking up on us, making sure our waters were filled (a very important point for me), and somehow was on the spot with timing. Our orders were placed and, like a synchronized clock, she made sure to time when she’d put the order into the kitchen so that the experience flowed at a steady and comfortable pace. Britt was also able to read when we were ready for dessert and for the check.