Sibaritas Restaurant Inc — Restaurant in Pittsfield

Interesting concept, but shaky execution.

Our evening started out strong. Our server, Walter, was professional, knowledgeable, and attentive. He walked us through a surprisingly large menu for this little restaurant and helped us with our selections. He even gently and gracefully corrected me when I misinterpreted an item on the menu. Walter was really great.

When we received our first course -- two of the flatbreads -- we were impressed. Wonderful presentation, textures, colors, and flavors. My wife and I were both really excited to think this restaurant could do such a great job with...well...flatbread! And we were looking forward to our next course.

But things quickly went downhill from there. For one, Walter disappeared, and was replaced with a series of servers who seemed distracted, inattentive, asked "automatic" check-in questions without listening to our answers, and then flitted off into extended conversations with other diners at the restaurant who, apparently, were perhaps younger...or more attractive...or maybe just more interesting to talk to? It was...an odd and disappointing change in the level of service.

Then the real disappointment arrived: our pastas. We had thought from the menu, the theme of the food, and the fact this restaurant made its own pasta, that the pastas would be signature dishes. But alas, they were not. The sauces were alternately too sweet (tomato basil) or too salty (alfredo and bolognese) with little subtlety or care in their preparation. The presentation was equally uninteresting, with a small amount of pasta tossed with the sauce and heaped into a little white bowl -- with no interesting garnishes or herbs, no grated cheese...nothing to indicate were dining in a restaurant instead of a museum cafeteria. We weren't offered grated cheese, either. Adding to this, the chicken in my pasta was badly overcooked and tough, and my wife's bolognese sauce was so salty she could only make it half way through her meal. I actually considered sending my food back...but that would have been difficult given what happened next.

So yes...a bit of a disappointing turn.

Then, to rub salt into an already over-salted wound, we were basically abandoned by our servers. My water glass was never refilled, the check-in on how we were enjoying our meals was a fly-by over-the-shoulder question with zero eye contact that did not allow time for any response. And when we finished our meals, no one asked us about desert. Or checked in on us. We watched as other diners left the restaurant so that we were one of only three tables left. But still, no one came. We just sat in front of our empty plates for a good ten minutes before deciding to just walk downstairs and pay our bill.

Now, let me just say that the sangria was fun (though also overly sweet...even for sangria), and again the flatbread approached tantalizingly superb. I would also say that my pasta did have an interesting homemade texture and firmness, which was nice (but didn't make up for failings of the sauces). So we might get some flatbread to go on another visit. We will not, however, subject ourselves to the amateur servers at Sibaritas again...nor will we order any pasta dishes.

But Sibaritas does breakfasts and we might give that a try. Like any restaurant, they probably have some things they do better than others, and we just didn't hit...

I am not happy to post this review. Primarily because it is obvious this place is a local institution. But also because I have only visited the one time and perhaps made some poor choices

Because it was going to be a lovely summer evening, we booked a table on the patio. Warmly greeted at the door, we were led through the dining room which was beautifully scented with sautéed garlic. The patio is a fenced in space in the alley behind the restaurant. It has a few plantings and is comfortable - though probably prettier once the sun goes down. The issue, however (at least on the night we were there), is that the HVAC (or some other machine) in a neighboring building ran ceaselessly and was quite loud. All the diners remarked

We had the burrata to start. It was fine - though more bread would have been welcome. My daughter had the Seared Scallops: Served on risotto which was fine though not inspired, the scallops were tough save for one. My wife had the Salchi Mushroom Lasagne: Also fine. Though, again, the dish lacked the finesse of a true Italian classic. I had the Ink Gamberetti: While featured in other reviews, I would not recommend it. First, unlike traditional squid ink pasta dishes, only the pasta had squid ink in it. The sauce was the chef’s puttanesca, from what I could tell. That’s fine. But a dish that should taste of the sea decidedly did not. And while the shrimp were plump, well-cooked, and seasoned nicely, the calamari was dubious. Large, bland rings with a membrane still in place, they were not fit to be sold. They lacked the flavor and texture of squid and had to have been ersatz. In any case, chef should not include calamari if it is not going to be quality

We were there on a Wednesday night and while the patio was half full, the dining room was packed. That tells you something. And the restaurant is warm, dimly lit, and smells like a nonna’s kitchen. I am not going to tell anyone not to go. But, Sibarita’s is not going to transport you to the old country. Had I read the story behind the chef/owner, I would have known this. It is, however, a decent restaurant where regulars are treated like family and the food is...

Stopped at Sibaritas for the first time on a friends recommendation. The friendly waitress offered upstairs dining or a table overlooking the open kitchen, which we chose. We started of with the “Chef’s Calamari” sautéed in house infused rosemary extra virgin olive oil and tomato basil sauce tossed with capers, marinated olives & house crostini. Once this starter arrived we knew how special the meal was about to be! My wife selected the “Ink Gamberetti” a fresh homemade black squid ink linguine, tossed in spicy tomato basil sauce, topped with sautéed calamari and shrimp and house infused rosemary extra virgin olive oil and a side of sautéed balsamic spinach. The pasta was excellent and the spice level was perfect, the description does not do the meal justice as it was fantastic! I chose the “Pappardelle Formaggi”sautéed Ecuadorian shrimp, tossed with our four cheese Italian cream sauce and fresh house made pappardelle pasta with a side side of roasted broccoli. This dish was a real treat with perfect pasta and a wonderful combination of spice, cheeses and fresh ingredients! It was a pleasure to watch such an enthusiastic Chef prepare each meal with the utmost care and attention! Additionally he was guiding the eager kitchen staff with plating and kitchen prep/training. Everyone was attentive and committed to offering the best dining experience. We look forward to returning to this inviting restaurant soon, to try the other remarkable...