Cavatappi NYC — Restaurant in New York

I was a first-time customer tonight and I thought their prices were a bit steep; but then, I'm sure their overhead is, as well. Plus, I am out of touch with prices in "finer" restaurants. I passed on appetizers due to price, not appeal, but when the entrée was served, I realized I could never have finished it AND had an appetizer. The entrée was delicious (chicken stuffed with prosciutto, topped with fresh mozzarella in a cream sauce that was reminiscent of Hollande sauce. I skipped on dessert and I don't drink espresso. The staff could not have been more welcoming and accommodating if they tried; I was greeted by the owners and each employee; several people came by to ask if everything was ok. ' The place is small (it was formerly a real estate office, and it was small then) but they make it work, The downside was that being crowded made it (unavoidably) a bit noisy, especially with young children about; one of whom ran jolted across the room. several times. When the check came, I noticed a small credit card surcharge that I don't recall seeing disclosed on the menu. I almost always use cash but today as it happened I had not enough with me. Had I seen the f(admittedly insignificant( fee, I would have gone elsewhere and returned another night, with cash. Overall, I was impressed with the food (quality and portion) and the service. Cavatappi is a welcome addition to Dyker Heights, a fabulous neighborhood with everything to offer, but which badly needed a new restaurant Cavatappi...

We came to eat dinner looking for Italian cuisine. After our favorite Italian eatery closed down, we were looking for a new Italian restaurant to frequent. This restaurant had a high rating on yelp so we decided to give it a try. The atmosphere is fine, but the place itself is not that big. When fully booked, it feels cramped. One positive thing that I can say is that the service was really nice and the staff was friendly. Now on to the negative. We weren't really impressed with the food. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and they were really mediocre. I know it's not fair to compare how a chef prepares the food, but when you're comparing similar dishes and you kind of know what to expect and that dish doesn't live up to that expectation, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. My husband's branzino was too oily and tasted bland. The same can be said for my pork chop. It was too salty and greasy. I took one bite and I couldn't eat anymore. That was the overall theme, the food was either over-fried or too greasy. On top of that, I asked to take my meal, the pork chop to go, only to discover the next day that they didn't even pack it. There is no way for me to prove it. So there goes $32 down the drain. I'm really surprised and disappointed at the same time. Usually Yelp reviews are spot on. Not only was the food lackluster, but I paid for the meal which I barely touched and wasn't packed to go. We'll keep looking for another...

Small neighborhood corner spot that is almost there in hitting a cozy bistro. 2 of us had the pork chop as recommended by the server and it was such a nicely prepared dish. Comes out with a smoking piece of rosemary on top and its cooked perfectly served alongside a parsnip applesauce. Such a well presented pork chop deserves a little love from possibly a bit of garlicky broccoli rabe or a side of creamy risotto taking it to a more elegant dish worthy of a 5 star restaurant, the potatoes weren't up to the pork chop. Appetizers all very good, rice balls, calamari, octopus and a fennel salad that was a tasty clean eating at its finest. Looking forward to returning and wishing them lots of luck. The service is terrific with great recommendations from the staff that welcomed us warmly. Minus one star for 3 reasons, all small so all together add up to one star. First reason, dim the lights, its so very bright in this little neighborhood gem, a dimmer lighting would give it a cozier, classier feel. Second reason, music too loud, not majorly loud but enough that we switched seats to better hear each other ( 7 people 40s &50s not hearing impaired). Third reason, the side to the delicious pork chop was kind of boring. Very good roasted potatoes and carrots and very good is a boring way to describe a...