La Stanza Cucina Italiana — Restaurant in Menlo Park

I was alone for the weekend and wanted to give myself a treat without spending too much. La Stanza looked like just the place. A few minutes before 5pm, I called to see if I could be seated if I came about 20 minutes from now? The friendly hostess told me no problem, and took my name. On arrival, I walked past the outdoor tables (with gas-fired heaters), and found the indoor seating spread across multiple rooms, giving a small-cafe feel but plenty of capacity. Things were hopping; the hostess handed bagged orders to waiting doordash-ers, then turned her attention to me. I identified myself, and she and offered me either of two tables. I opted for one away from the door. Throughout my time there, she handled a stream of calls, doordash orders, and arriving diners with friendliness and grace. Soon my server appeared, and I asked for the wine special. Was I ready to order? "What's your favorite thing here?" I asked. She had two favorites, she said, and named two of the lowest-priced entrees. I skipped the appetizers and ordered the rigatoni, which appeared promptly and was ample, especially with the bread. Should I have brought a tupperware and stashed half of it in advance? I was glad not to be on a weight-loss diet, the food was so good: Italian sausage, peas, a great sauce. Service was prompt but not hovering. She brought me a dessert menu. I did not need dessert, but I asked for a decaf single cap, which was great. Will definitely...

Piccolo is probably my new favorite Italian Restaurant. My boyfriend and I decided to try it one night after driving by it a few times and seeing it constantly packed with patrons.

Appetizer: Avocado Salad ($10) We split an Avocado Salad. as our appetizer. It was a pretty large portion and they served it to us in two plates without us asking which was very thoughtful! One salad was enough for two and we loved the honey mustard dressing!

Main Dishes: Fiocchetti con Pere ($15) & Fettuccine con gamberi ($17) On the menu "Fiocchetti con Pere" is described as "homemade ribbons pasta filled with cheese, pear and gorgonzola sauce" and is apparently the restaurant's signature dish. We went with our server's recommendation and ordered this; however, she mentioned that it did not have pear in it. I'm not sure if they ran out of pear or changed the recipe but we were not given an explanation. Hopefully they will have it with pear next time we visit. Still, it was very delicious. I am not a huge cheese person so my boyfriend finished the dish for me and I ate his Fettuccine con Gamberi which was also quite tasty.

Dessert: Panna Cotta (Passionfruit) Even though we stuffed ourselves with the large portion sizes we still left room for dessert and shared the passionfruit Panna Cotta.

We will definitely be back for another visit and to try more items on the list. It is a bit pricey but you definitely get the quality that...

La Stanza Cucina Italiana in Menlo Park, California is praised for its authentic Italian cuisine and welcoming atmosphere. We were invited for a family dinner. While we were seated in a private room, we greatly enjoyed every meal since we were a large group (around 14) and had the opportunity to taste a bit of almost every dish of the authentic menu, as starters and salads we had the crispy risotto balls filled by mozzarella, meatballs, mixed greens, caesar salad, lettuce with walnuts, apple, cranberry and gorgonzola cheese and parmigiana Di Melanzane. As main dish we had the Branzino grilled fish with vegetables, the prime pork loin sauté with porcini mushrooms and prosciutto i Parma, the Pear and Asiago Fiochetti and some homemade pasta with different cheeses with combinations of sauces which all were exceptionally fresh and delicious. The service was very professional, attentive and friendly, which all contributed to a pleasant dining experience. While the restaurant has a cozy, casual vibe. Overall, the experience was amazing & the restaurant is considered a hidden gem for both casual meals and special...