Giuseppe's Italian Ristorante — Restaurant in Rosemount

Short version: The only thing authentic about this restaurant is that it matches the stereotype that is what most Americans, who have never actually been to Italy, expect. The food is mediocre, at best. Mushy pasta, boring sauce, etc.

Long version: My family is newer to the area and went here on the recommendation of a friend who assured us that it was great. (We have struggled a bit to find restaurants in Apple Valley that are a good balance of quality and value.)

As we arrived, and I realized it was in a strip complex, I became a bit concerned - though to be honest, one of the best Italian joints, outside of Italy, I have been to was in a strip mall in California. Once inside we were seated immediately. The service was prompt and polite. The decor looked like an attempt at kitsch, but in practice was more or less just really old junk.

I requested, as I usually do, the server to bring me his favorite dish. He asked if I likely spicy food and I replied yes, actual spicy, not Minnesota-spicy. He brought me a Sicilian sausage/meatballs in red sauce over pasta - I forget the name. (The other dishes we ordered were similar enough in quality that I will just describe this one.) I also ordered a glass of red wine.

Before we got our meals, a different person brought out a basket of bread and asked if we wanted Olive oil. When she poured it on the dish, it was full of herbs. Now, normally, an infused oil would be lovely, but in this case it was obviously trying to cover up that the oil was very low quality and very close to being rancid. The bread was also vastly over-salted making the combination unpalatable.

Our dishes came in a reasonable amount of time. My first impression was that there was a huge portion of cheese melted on top - why?. Clearly from under a broiler. Not exactly what I expected from an "authentic" joint but but I decided, "okay, they are just playing to what the locals want" and tried to proceed with an open mind. After all, even in-authentic food can be delicious! Unfortunately, from the first bite I knew it was as I had feared. The cheese was covering up the one of the least interesting red sauces I may have ever eaten. The sausage was also meh. But the biggest problem was that the pasta was so overcooked that it was mush. Seriously, someone must have taken a smoke break and forgot about it. It may have been because the dish was plated, then broiled to melt the cheese - though I doubt it. If there is one thing an Italian restaurant should be expertly proficient at, it is cooking their pasta perfectly. Nothing destroys a dish more quickly. Honestly, the only high point of the dish were the meatballs (+1 star). They were actually quite tasty. Sadly, there were only two of them.

We were not there on an especially busy night so, perhaps, it was just a back up cook in the kitchen? Or maybe just an off night? No matter, we will not be returning. There is a lot of great competition for our dining-dollars and the food was so poor that no second chances can be...

"Considerate" That's the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Giuseppe's. As the owner will often greet you at the door, he and his serving staff are always watching to ensure you enjoy every aspect of your dining experience. The attention to detail and outstanding service demands a much higher price than the menu charges.

Ravioli Callabrese Spicy Italian sausage at its best, coupled with a truly superior hand pressed beef ravioli and a fresh marinara to die for. I couldn't believe the texture of the sausage. Not fatty, not stringy, not from a poorly raised animal. Giuseppe's doesn't cut any corners in regard to their food. Despite having a tendency to control my portions, I wolfed down the entire plate without hesitancy and still felt great afterwards.

Tortellini Alla Romana Giuseppe's has a knack for making every dish deeply savory, even when it's a supposedly simple cream sauce everyone else tends to make bland. Here we could have used a bit more prosciutto, however that didn't detract from the deliciousness of each bite. The perfectly cheesy portions in each tortellini coupled well with fresh peas.

House Sangria I'm not much for alcohols, but wow! This was utterly delicious. Giuseppe's makes all of their own sangria and lemoncello and you can taste the difference. Fresh fruity flavors perfectly mingled with the right proportions of wine. Not only a perfect pairing with many of their dishes, an outstanding price you can take home with you. Word is the lemoncello is a mind-blowing experience, however I did not partake this time.

Cannoli I've spent a fair amount of time in New York and tried more than my fair share of cannolis. I had no idea one from Minnesota could blow the rest out of the water. I was prepared to criticize this and immediately asked the owner when they were made. He looked at me as if I were crazy and said this morning of course. Out comes a perfectly portioned pastry and I eagerly dug in. Dusted with pistachios, the creamy filling was unworldly in its texture, sweetness, and true origin. I find most cannolis to be nearly inedible by the evening, but this was unbelievably fresh. What knocked my socks off though was the lavender sauce it sat upon. I've never experienced this and the pairing was so perfect, it took a while for me to wrap my mind around it. If everything else failed me I would have to come back for the cannolis.

Suffice it to say I am truly impressed. Giuseppe's will be a staple from here on out.

*Note: Near impossible to get clear photo due...

The star rating here is an incredible head scratcher. The food is marginal at best. I can only assume something has changed between all of those 5-star reviews and today. Hubby and I have a shared birthday weekend. Craving Italian, I said - Guiseppes, let’s try it!

To start - the sangria was super popular and highly recommended by other reviewers. It tasted of cheap red wine masked by a sweet fruit flavored syrup. Definitely not “sangria”. Strike 1.

Caesar salad - large enough to share, tasted as though the dressing was homemade. No croutons. Consists of romaine, cucumbers (odd) Parmesan cheese and dressing. 2.5 stars.

Sausage di Sicilia - the pasta was over cooked to the point that when you pick it up with a fork the penne tore apart. Mushy pasta is never a great way to start your first bite. The meatballs were squishy, definitely premade frozen meatballs. Disappointing as we had heard they make their dishes from scratch. Strike 2.

Carbonara is a cross between carbonara (it has ham not pancetta) and Alfredo. The creamy sauce was full of garlic. Very very creamy. Not your traditional carbonara and they say as much in the menu but this was just laden with cream, super heavy and lacked depth of flavor as all you can taste is cheese. Strike 3.

The worst part of this disappointing culinary experience was what I saw after the meal. Glad it was after and not before, although we didn’t eat much as over half of our entrees were left on the plate and refused boxes. The decor is abundant which is fine, but the thick layer of dust covering each and every picture frame, banjo hanging in the wall, grapevine leaf, etc made my stomach turn. Perhaps health dept requirements are only kitchen bound but someone really needs to do a deep clean here. It’s like going into your grandmothers house who hasn’t dusted since the 1990’s. Definitely put a damper on our overall dismal experience and grossed me out enough to say we will neverbe back.

I hate leaving low-star reviews on small businesses. I really do. Having been a Google guide for several years, I rely on the experiences of others to guide me. As such, I felt compelled to share this experience with others to help them make an informed decision before choosing to dine here. At least you’ll know...