Ciro & Sal's — Restaurant in Provincetown

A good friend of mine was having a milestone birthday and it was decided that we were going to spend the weekend down in Provincetown, MA for a getaway just outside of Boston. I had been researching places to eat; specifically Italian in the area as I am always nervous to go to a tourist trap. I stumbled upon Ciro and Sal's and was impressed by their website. I called to make reservations and was greeted with a warm voice on the other end.

I did not expect what I was going to experience!!

The restaurant is located just off the busy street but you would never know as soon as you step in. We were in awe of the stunning atmosphere! I could already tell that this place was special, and I couldn't have been more pleased considering it was a good friend's birthday. The space is dimly lit but lit well enough to see your menu and where you are going. Some restaurants don't understand the balance of this. Ciro and Sal's absolutely did!

My three friends and I were greeted by not only an amazing aroma dancing with our senses but a friendly host who was more than excited to bring us to our tables. The dining room is wallpapered with real bricks, unique light fixtures, and all the old Italian village charm of a Trastevere-like little town I've come to know in Italy.

Knowing myself and my friends, we had to try everything. When I say everything, I mean virtually EVERYTHING!

We were greeted by a friendly server who had just as much excitement about the restaurant as we were. At our request, the server made wine suggestions. It was wonderful to see such a great wine list, including local wines from Cape Cod. For our first bottle, we went with the Bourgogne Rouge, Pinot Noir. It was a great wine for the value and complimented our started courses wonderfully.

BREAD! The bread was amazing and tasted as though it was homemade. We actually ordered an additional bread basket for $3, and it was SO worth it. Especially knowing that we were about to eat ALL the SAUCE!

FIRST, we started with the Mozzarella di Capriccio with fresh heirloom tomatoes, basil and mozzarella drizzled with a balsamic glaze and pesto. We shared an Insalata Burrata (Burrata salad) with fire roasted tomatoes and arugula with a citrus dressing, it was divine. The Burrata was unbelievable fresh. It is an Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outside is solid mozzarella while the inside is full of oozy-creamy goodness!!.

SECOND, We ordered the Carciofi alla Romanelli (artichoke hearts), Cozze Marinara (Mussels), Bruschetta and Vitello Polpete (Veal Meatballs).

The food was inviting, fresh, and incredible. I could tell they took special care in selecting where they source their ingredients from. Each bite we had you could hear our audible gasps of, "oh my god!!". We moaned, we laughed, we may have even cried a little out of joy. The power of food can be incredible especially eating and enjoying wine in the atmosphere provided here really was a wish come true for my friend. We could not contain the anticipation of our main courses at this point and dare I say, dessert!

I ordered the Bistecca Piemontese ai Ferri which was a 16oz black Angus sirloin with a red wine mushroom sauce; this was incredible. The meat was tender and the sauce was the perfect combination of sweet, tart and earthy. This, of course, paired beautifully with my wine. The side of pasta was perfectly cooked.

The birthday boy ordered the Carbonara and added Italian Sausage as that was an option as well as other proteins for an additional cost. Another friend ordered the Pesce Adriatico which was incredibly fresh native fish with shrimp and mussels in saffron, white wine and butter sauce butter with fresh herbs. This was all served with a side of pasta al marinara. And finally, our last friend ordered the Vitello Piccato which was veal stuffed with mushrooms, white wine, and lemon cream.

If you are looking for a painted atmosphere of comfort and great food. Ciro and Sal's has...

Upon making reservations for Ciro & Sal's, I was much looking forward to a classic Italian restaurant with homemade offerings. We chose the outdoor seating option (which is the reason for me bumping up the rating from 1 to 2 stars). If the rating applied to atmosphere alone, it would have received 5 stars. The outdoor patio is beautifully decorated with accent lights, ivy and other beautiful flora. You can hear the birds chirping along to the classic Italian music playing in the background. The 2 main downsides was the service and the food. There were at least 3 main servers along with assisting wait staff. I was able to observe that the two other servers were quite professional and genuinely accommodating. However, our server appeared to be very unhappy with her job and had a look of contempt on her face as if she absolutely hates waiting on people. Mind you, we are courteous diners who would never treat a server in a way that would warrant such an attitude. Though there was are least one vegetarian pasta dish on the menu, I was hoping I could get a dish with assorted vegetables. There were several vegetable side dishes listed such as broccoli, mushrooms, and mixed vegetables. When I asked if a vegetable platter could be made, I was told that the kitchen doesn't make any menu acceptions or modify dishes. As a result I ordered the side of garlic broccoli priced at $10. I received a bowl with three (I'm not exaggerating) broccoli spears. The cut of the broccoli included several inches of inedible stem. Oddly, the three broccoli spears were seved in a bowl with water on the bottom where all of the garlic that was supposed to flavor the broccoli, had settled. I also had a side of pasta with the marinara sauce. The menu described a light sauce with chopped tomatoes, celery, peppers, olives and fresh herbs. There was no light sauce at all. Just pasta with no herbs, overly cooked celery and what was clearly canned tomatoes. My companion had the chicken special which was prepared with a cream sauce. She enjoyed the dish but the chicken was drowning in the sauce, lending a visually outdated culinary presentation. We also tried the homemade chocolate mousse priced at $12. It was chocolatey, but a bit gritty and in no way deserving of its price point (and most likely not homemade). The complimentary bread was quite delicious and perfectly baked. However, the accompanying bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar was problematic. The olive oil was definitely not extra virgin and because it was dished in a bowl, we had to dunk the bread to the bottom of the bowl to get the balsamic vinegar on the bread which was now soaked in the cheap oil. If I didn't come from an area, where the Italian restaurants are truly authentic and amazing, and also, if the restaurant's menu didn't boast a history of excellence, I probably would have given 3 stars even with the unprofessional server (the assisting wait staff were very nice). However, this restaurant does not live up to is reviews and unless you haven't had excellent Italian food, I unfortunately would recommend skipping. Truly a waste of a...

BEWARE: Persons with gluten intolerance/Celiac Disease--stay away!!

My parents, partner and I had a very disappointing experience here last night. My mother and I both cannot eat gluten, and we saw reviews that this restaurant offers gluten free alternatives (e.g. for pasta dishes, regular pasta can be substituted with gluten free pasta).

First of all, at the very bottom of the pasta menu section, it mentioned a $5.00 upcharge for gluten free pasta. Accommodating? Yes, but it was not very reasonable considering it later turned out to be soggy, broken-down box pasta (probably Barilla brand since I am very familiar with gluten free products). In any case, before I knew that I thought it's a bit of an outrageous additional cost, but hey--if it means we get to try one of their specialty sauces, let's treat ourselves. That's where I was wrong.

My mother and I first asked the waitress about their "famous" meatballs, to which we were told very plainly they are not gluten free. No alternative suggestions, not even a polite/sympathetic "sorry about that". Mind you, under the pasta section there is no mention per sauce which is gluten free friendly, so the generic upgrade to gluten free pasta quickly became useless and more misleading than we thought.

Moreover, we then asked about the bolognese meat sauce, and the waitress was unsure and so went to the kitchen to ask. When she returned, again we plainly heard "no, the bolognese cannot be made gluten free". Again, no alternative suggestions/apology/support in finding another suitable option. By now, it was already very frustrating especially since those were the only options with a red, meat sauce.

My mother ended up getting the $21.00 marinara sauce pasta dish with gluten free pasta for another $5.00, so $26.00 for box pasta with a basic tomato sauce with no extra frills. I ordered the same but with an upgrade of chicken for protein for ANOTHER $9.00 (mind you, dishes already including meat like the meatball dish were only $23.00), so $35.00 for box pasta, simple tomato sauce and grilled chicken slices laid on top, dry and with no additional sauce.

After our meals were first served, the waitress essentially avoided us like the plague only skirting by our table once asking how it was while on her way to the next table. She did not even properly address us or deliberately stop at the table.

As we finished up, we were offered a dessert menu (since it too "had gluten free options"), but we quickly declined to avoid further disappointment.

That being said, when I plan to go out and enjoy a nice meal at such a location, I do not expect that every meal option can be made to meet my dietary restrictions. However, I do expect clarity on what options are available to me and I expect above average service including consideration and suggestions--especially given their reputation and pricing.

My family and I will never...