Daniellos — Restaurant in Roseville

Daniello's, a speakeasy-style restaurant, recently offered a special Valentine's Day meal that promised an exclusive dining experience but unfortunately fell short of expectations. For a price of $140 per person, excluding taxes and gratuity which brought the total to over $400 including drinks, one would expect a meal that not only tantalizes the taste buds but also satisfies the appetite. Contrary to expectations, the six-course prix fixe menu was disappointingly scant, with portions so small that they barely provided a taste of what was offered.

While I appreciate the concept of quality/presentation over quantity, especially in fine dining, the portions at Daniello's were exceptionally meager, especially considering the premium price. For comparison, my experiences at the Sacramento prix fixe kitchen, which offers an all-you-can-eat option, have set a different standard for what a prix fixe meal can offer in terms of both quality and quantity.

The service and presentation at Daniello's were commendable, with an 8 out of 10 rating. However, the taste of the dishes, with the exception of the dessert, was average at best. The inclusion of crab on the menu was particularly disappointing, offering merely two bites of crab atop a custard mix. Additionally, the champagne served was less than a standard pour, and a taco plate designed to be shared featured tacos no bigger than a sand dollar, highlighting the issue with portion sizes once again.

Despite the floor manager's kind gesture of comping some drinks after a discussion about the meal's portion sizes, the overall value for the experience was markedly low, rated at 2 out of 10. The situation seemed to reflect a disconnect between the restaurant's offerings and the expectations set by its pricing, making it feel somewhat dishonest. This sentiment was not lost on the staff, who appeared embarrassed but attributed the decisions to the owner's guidelines.

After spending over $400, the need to seek additional food elsewhere speaks volumes about the inadequacy of the meal provided. Comparatively, my experiences at Randell Sellands' kitchen, both before and after it was awarded a Michelin star, have been significantly more satisfying, both in terms of quality and ethical considerations.

In conclusion, while Daniello's attempted to create a special Valentine's Day experience, the execution was lacking in substance and value. The disparity between cost and satisfaction was significant, leaving much to be desired from a restaurant that positions itself within the higher echelons of the...

I literally had a five-star experience just last night. The atmosphere was absolutely incredible and truly nostalgic to the speakeasy era.

The bar staff are legitimately magicians. We asked Adrew to make something with Gin and he came up with an amazing concoction that's nothing like we've had before and nowhere near on the menu. The drink has no name so we called it "The Drew" and advised it should 100% be on their menu. We also had the Pure Imagination that is a must try for whiskey/bourbon lovers. The infusion process was like a science experiment resulting in whimsical citurs and herbal flavors sure to lead to shenanigans if having more than one.

Dinner reservations were at 6 so we arrived at 5:30. This was clearly not enough time to truly enjoy the speakeasy bar experience so I recommend going an hour early. This is not a reflection of slow service, we just wanted more time to enjoy the atmosphere and continue our conversations with the bartenders and other patrons. I also recommend having an earlier dinner reservation if you want lobster (which you should here!) as servings are limited. However my experience is from a Thursday so it may be different other days. The wait staff are extremely professional, joyful, attentive and know their menu well, to include giving recommendations that did not disappoint.

We started off with delicious bread and butter, then came the burrata and bacon appetizer (it's a 4 person serving) , which I highly recommend as the flavors and dressing outstandingly differ from any other bruschetta type dish we've had. Our main courses were the surf and turf and prime New York. Both were cooked to perfection with savory flavors that simply melted in our mouths. Honestly, the best I've had since dining at Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas a year ago. The depth of savory spices complimented our accompaniments of mashed potatoes and wild mushrooms. For dessert we selected their phenomenal warm mini donuts with three flavors topping each. I am almost positive they got the recipe from heaven because they are to die for. Oh and remember to also consume the cantaloupe leaves with the donuts. Easily in the top three desserts I've had in my life!

Lastly, on our way out we were able to greet the Chefs to let them know how much we appreciated our sensational meals. It was a lasting impression to see the pride beaming from their faces! The kitchen was also very clean, well organized, and fresh ingredients were visibly seen being used for their delectable creations and beautiful...

I was really excited to try this place as my husband and I are always looking for new food spots to hit - but after my experience in the bar portion of the speakeasy, I will not be back.

The Ambiance: Not sure what vibe this place is going for - it is too bright and loud for a traditional speakeasy. And pretty sure blaring hip hop music wasn't a thing during the prohibition. The music made it difficult to hear others in our group, and even when we were asked to "speak easy" by someone I couldn't hear them because the place was so loud.

The Drinks: I only had one - The Fizzy Lifting Bubble Drink was ok - it was purple, so that's cool. It does not come out in the fancy glasses or boxes you see on their social media. It didn't taste like much and not sure it was worth the $17 but it also wasn't terrible. We attempted to order another round, but the server left halfway as we were ordering. When we asked why later, she said we were too intoxicated and cut us off... I was completely sober at this point.

The Service: What service... there was none. A couple of us ordered waters with our drinks, including one person who does not drink alcohol. An hour into us being there, the water still had not arrived. It finally showed up after we asked a bartender for some. See "the drinks" portion for more insight on the rest of the "service" we experienced. When we finally received our tab, they attempted to overcharge us. The manager just kept saying, "we have only been open for 4 months"... OK, I understand that but you won't be open another 4 months if you continue to treat customers poorly.

The Dress Code: While no one in my group had an issue with the dress code, we found it quite confusing. Their website states "proper" attire but we saw people wearing beanies and sweats allowed inside, but some people wearing shorts and hats were not. Also, people should be turned away at the candy shop and NOT once they make it inside to the bar - we saw one poor woman embarrassed because she was told her clothing was not "proper" enough. It would be an easy enough addition to the website to say "no shorts or hats". Don't make people guess. And the lady in the candy shop isn't doing that much - she can tell people when they aren't wearing the...