Zanotta's Ristorante — Restaurant in Madison

After looking for a place to grab a bite I'm sure glad we found this place. It's a newer place just barely less than a year old. I may have died and gone to heaven. You can get a drink, some food, and even relax and smoke a cigar. The menu is not a large one, but the items that are on it are definitely top notch. We ordered frito miso for an appetizer. The breading was thick and crispy and very flavorful. Since there were many items that looked good we decided to split and get 1 sandwich and 1 pasta dish. The chicken parmessan was juicy and the sauce was delicious. The sandwich we got was the Hot Italian beef. Being from Chicago this sandwich was more like a hot pot roast sandwich. Whatever you call it, it was damn amazing. There was a side of au jus, but the true test is how it tastes without it. Adding that, au jus took it to another level. We also got a sample of their meatballs. To me, they could have been bigger, but that's a personal preference. They tasted superb and was served with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. I got a smoked old fashioned and my wife ordered a margarita. Both were outstanding. If you are traveling through the area or if you live around here this is definitely a must place to go. Only thing bad about this place is I didn't come in the evening time to see the entertainment. Maybe next time. Now to go upstairs and...

Visited on Friday (July 18th) for dinner. Here are a few areas where Zanotta could improve:

No Complimentary Bread – Nearly every Italian restaurant in the Huntsville area offers bread to the table. Unfortunately, Zanotta did not, which felt like a missed opportunity to meet local expectations. Offering an appetizer consisting of bread, EVOO and balsamic glaze for $8.00 is not a smart move.

Poor Connectivity – The restaurant is in a known cell service dead zone, and while WiFi is available, it’s not accessible to customers. In today’s digital age, offering guest WiFi should be standard.

Missing Italian Staple – Surprisingly, there was no lasagna on the menu. For an Italian restaurant, this seems like a glaring omission.

No Side Salad Option – The menu lacks a basic side salad option. Diners shouldn’t have to commit to a full entrée salad just to enjoy some greens with their meal.

Suggestions for the restaurant:

Add complimentary bread service, even if simple, to align with local dining expectations.

Open up WiFi to customers, or at least clearly communicate that it's unavailable before seating.

Include classic dishes like lasagna to cater to traditional Italian cuisine lovers.

Offer basic sides, such as a house or Caesar salad, as add-ons for entrees or...

My husband and I had an impromptu date night to Zanotta’s because we had wanted to try the new place out. We had meatballs, risotto, a byo pasta, and olive oil cake. All were delicious - especially risotto and cake! One thing I wanted to draw attention to was the very bad first impression the blonde bartender on the first floor made to us. The restaurant was filling up and the hostess asked us very politely if we would be okay taking the last two chairs at the bar on the first floor. When we were walked over to the bar, the bartender down there made it very clear she did not want us to sit there. That was NOT very welcoming, even if they were getting overwhelmed. She needs to know not to make a scene in front of customers. If it were not for the hostess keeping a smile on her face and asking us if we could sit up in 2nd floor bar, I would have left. I did not want to be served by the blonde bartender feeling unwelcome like that. That being said J’MAYA SAVED OUR NIGHT. She was so friendly and upbeat. She quickly turned our night around and made us want to come back —FOR HER! She deserves big kudos for handing so many people upstairs (much more than the bartender was...