Tuscan Blu Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Raleigh

(((THIS IS THE PLACE TO GET AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD IN RALEIGH))) Folks, let's please try & understand that good chefs in Italy -- where this Owner hails from -- are viewed upon as highly-respected artists. What that translates to in English is that they're very passionate & sensitive: they feel every nuance of the food in front of them. Mark my words: these "artists" put their heart & soul into their craft. And, yes, they'll pay a little more just to get the very best. This Owner, true to his roots, takes the very best quality whole foods and transforms them into beautiful gastronomic masterpieces. The Specials are always, all ways, amazing. What's more, he cooks to order: that means if the dish calls for such & such sauce and you have a taste for such & such something else sauce, NO PROBLEM! His Marinara makes me stop in my tracks -- it's the only one I've eaten that tastes exactly like my deeply-missed Italian-born Grandmother's. It's an art form, Friends -- a gift that you're either born with or not. The Calamari Fritti, for example, is something I cannot replicate at home. The way he prepares fresh seafood -- another example, scallops -- or Lasagna or Veal Parmigiana or any Marsala or Tiramisu can make you ask for more. The service is attentive, the wine list is well-rounded, and the house-made bread is a treat. In fact, everything on the menu is deliciously house-made: boy, are we lucky to have the likes of Tuscan Blu here in downtown Raleigh . . . Amore!

First Review from year prior:

The silver lining of our months-long wait for a new stove during the pandemic was the discovery of this lovely "golden nugget." The menu is a well-rounded blend of traditional Italian restaurant specialties alongside dishes for palates hankering for something different. Quality extra virgin olive oil -- as opposed to just any olive oil -- is a staple component in tandem with the high-grade meats and produce offerings. The mozzarella and grated cheese are the real thing. As an Italian cook, something as simply complicated as the veal cutlet parmigiana preparation offers quick insight: here a cutlet pounded to the precise certain thickness and carefully breaded & fried delivers eye-rolling PERFECTION! What separates old-world master chefs from the flock is the ability to develop depth of flavor despite using few ingredients. Their marinara sauce, for example, is all at once light yet hearty, simple yet complex. Even when Tuscan Blu is buzzing with hungry patrons, the food is a consistently delicious made-especially-for-you quality -- truly a golden nugget in downtown Raleigh's food...

I placed a reservation here 5 days before my bday weekend, and I told the owner I was expecting 20. Well I had four people cancel at the last minute (which it happens things come up) So I call the owner an hour ahead of time to let him know I had four people cancel. My reservation is for 730 most of my guest arrived at 720 and where seated, and I arrived at 745. After 15 mins of waiting they finally get to our table asks us what do we want to drink. We had a party of 14 and we did not have at least 2 waiters for our table! It took them a long time to bring out our tea. later they take our food orders and we ended up waiting. The jumbo shrimp came out first which is very small over priced. We then where waiting after an hour and 45 minutes we told them to cancel the order. The owner comes out hollering and screaming and tells us we would have to pay him 300 dollars if we cancel the order! So he gets into an argument with one of my family members, what happens next is when it gets good. The manger yells "Where is the gentleman who placed this reservation?" I was sitting down and I said "I did I placed the reservation." He starts bringing me a "straw man argurment" With saying you changed your number of guest and you arrived late. I changed my number of guest to a lesser number. He is pointing at me from where he is standing and I tell him to put his hand down. Then he walks over to where I'm sitting and starts yelling at me so I stand up and get on his level and we say a couple of words back and forth and he leaves and sits by the door ,because he does not want no one to leave he is basically trying to force us to eat his food. We waited another 20 mins other guest are talking to us telling us that the manager was outline. The food comes out I tasted some of it put a fork in it and told him I need a check it took them 15 mins just to run my debit card I finally get my check and leave. My thing is this I took customer service in college. This manager needs to develop better people skills and lower the cost of the food its not worth waiting two hours for your food. Hope everyone finds this helpful I will never recommend this restaurant. Allow me to add this in one of my guest ordered a lasagna and he told him he didn't want it because it was taking to long. Then the wa waiter brings the lasagna out and drops it on the floor and then still tries to get him to pay for it. They offered no apology for there action no...

Let me start by saying - this was the worst dining experience that we had in a long time - I mean we all have some bad experiences - restaurant business is tough we understand - maybe the server is having a bad day or the chef is not in at his best that day - but when the owner of the restaurant goes at great lengths to spoil the evening for you - that is another level.

We reserved the restaurant for one of our friend’s milestone Bday - for later half of the evening near the close time. We slowly gathered and there was no one else in there except owner and 2 of his friends sitting/eating and drinking. Many times during our brief 40 mins stay there- we were told that we all are too loud - we need to be sitting down all the time - and that we are disturbing others - when no one else was in there.

Then came the fun part when we asked the server to get small plates for cake cutting - he clearly told us that owner mentioned $5 surcharge for each person present there if we need to do that - but when our friend reserved the place he clearly asked and they mentioned “ no problem - there is no extra $$ for that” . We talked with the owner and he became very loud - stating he can’t do this because not everyone has ordered food - he passed few racist comments which everyone in the group heard - stating he doesn’t want business from our kind of people etc etc. We all confronted him but then he went back to his little table and kept drinking with his friends.

This was a nightmare of experience - wish we had read a few comments from other customers with similar experience at this restaurant. People like to experience different places not only for the food but for the experience/ambiance as well - this is a mediocre place for food and worst place to ruin your special day - when all your near and dear ones are little excited.

I’d give negative reviews/stars if possible - but in all - avoid the...