Pazza Notte — Restaurant in Sacramento

We need a good Italian restaurant in Sacramento and I think Pazza Notte will be a fantastic addition in midtown. After noticing the floor mosaic "Pazza Notte NYC" at the entrance, I did some research online and discovered the first Pazza Notte is in Midtown Manhattan (my hometown) and has been opened since 2000. It's pretty awesome that they now opened a second location in Midtown, Sacramento!

First of all, I'm totally digging the décor. I just love the wicker chairs, black and white photographs in gold frames on the walls and inviting bar area. If my office was still by the State Capitol, you will find me here for Happy Hours or after work drinks for sure.

DRINKS You HAVE to try their Signature Martinis, served with another pour in the shaker. Perfect for sharing or you just want to have a small drink with your meal. I shared The Red Lantern - Fresh Lychee Puree, Vodka & Triple Sec. It was delightful! The others shared The Sicilian Martini (my second choice), Blood Orange Puree, Vodka, Fresh lemon & Triple Sec. Honestly, there are 12 different Martinis and you will find something you like. If not, they have a great list of Bianco & Bubbly, Rosso and Beers on the menu as well.

APETIZER and APERITIVO We were given complimentary bread and a garlicy spread. It was very nice. Since it was six of us, we ordered a bunch of dishes to share so we can taste as many dishes as possible. Started off with Calamari Fritti, a solid appetizer. The lemon caper sauce was addicting. Truffle Parmesan Fries is a MUST order. I was also eyeing the Salt & Vinegar Fries too. I would skip the Bruschetta Quattro Formaggi if you expect the typical Bruschetta with tomatoes on top. This was melted cheese on toasted bread with house marinara sauce. Not what we were expecting, but still good.

LE PIZZE and LA PASTA A house favorite (and now my favorite) is Pizza Frutti di Mare, with lobster, shrimp, crab, arugula, cherry tomato, red onion tossed with chipotle mayo citrus dressing served a crispy thin crust. It was deliziosa! If you like seafood, in general, you will love this. It's unique and different. Be prepared to get messy eating this pizza but worth it! Ask for more napkins. The Pizza Forestale wasn't bad either with roasted portobello mushrooms, mozarella, fontina, goat cheese, caramelized onions and truffle oil. Lastly, we can't leave without ordering at least one pasta dish. Pappardelle di Mare is with the same Pizza Frutti di Mare toppings, served with ribbon pasta and sherry shallot cream sauce. The pasta was fresh, al dente, creamy, rich and paired well together with the seafood.

You have to (or should) leave room in your belly for their Housemade Gellato, which is not on the menu. They had Tiramisu, Pumpkin, Coffee, Chocolate and Banana flavor Gelato (I think). They were out of Tiramisu (the cake) on a Sunday early afternoon, so that says two things. It was really good that they sold out or someone forgot to make more. In any event, I need to try that the next time. Tiramisu was my favorite and Pumpkin would be second.

Very good service. Our waiter was insightful and helped us with our food selection. One of the chef also checked on us to see everything was okay. I already got a reservation for another lunch...

My boyfriend really wanted to try this spot for our anniversary, and I went to read the reviews first and was immediately turned off. Lots of people saying that the food is bland and the wait was too long. Well, we ended up making a reservation anyways and when we arrived, we were greeted and brought to a table inside the middle area. My boyfriend ordered their mushroom and goat cheese pizza, and I ordered the bolognese pasta with a strawberry lemonade soda. Together, we shared the calamari, their complimentary bread, and a chocolate/vanilla gelato. The food was delicious and light, not too heavy or oily. I was pleasantly surprised because the reviews stated otherwise. The service was great, and our server answered all of our questions and made sure we were taken care of. It's a really cute spot and I think the prices are reasonable for the quality of food you're getting. We still had leftovers, so there are no complaints from us on the portion size. It was perfect. We did go at a time when it was less crowded, and that may have made the experience better for us than for others. Overall, I would highly recommend trying this place out despite the negative reviews and maybe trying to go earlier in the day to avoid the rush that they get later in the evening.

UPDATE: Came for New Year's Eve and was provided a free glass of champagne to celebrate at 9pm. We tried their steak skewers which were pretty good and held us over as we waited for our main dishes. This time for my entree I tried their Salmone Della Nonna and it was delicious, cooked medium. It melted in my mouth and was perfectly balanced with the mashed potatoes, asparagus, and diced tomatoes. Tried their creme brulee which was also really good. Pazza Notte has yet to disappoint and I don't...

I was really excited to try this new spot, scene Sacramento doesn't really have any Italian spots anymore since Lucca closed. I do know that this spot has been promoted as a "Fusion American Italian restaurant" not Authentic Italian.. so keep that in mind when going.

Food: I had high expectations on the food but was ultimately really disappointed. I assume they might produce better seafood dishes since a lot of those items were on the menu, so might give this spot another chance and see if those plates are any better? What we ordered:

Penne alla Carbonara: If I'm being honest -- This was terrible. It was box pasta and box sauce for $24.

-Margarita Pizza: This was standard, but nothing worth spending $22 on. I only ordered it because a lot of their PR was around the pizza being the star of the show and I just wasn't impressed.

-Side of Shrimp ($8): This was really good, and why I believe seafood might be their strong dishes.

-Truffle Parm Fries ($8): Pretty good, nothing special

Drinks: Their happy hour is great. I'm a wino so I appreciated the Italian wines on the menu. My partner enjoys craft cocktails and ordered the Sicilian, but it was HORRIBLE. We informed the waiter and she took it back happily for a glass of wine. Hopefully the bartenders are just still learning the menu and the cocktails get better over time. I also think adding in a mocktail list would do really well.

Service: Service was amazing. Nothing needs to be changed about this, server was attentive, the best I've had thus far.

Price Point: I'd say it's average.

Ambiance: Great vibes,...