Tuscan Table — Restaurant in South Portland

Update: Back to five stars! I spoke with Allie who left the reply below. She was very interested in my feedback and very apologetic about our Valentine's Day dinner experience. She sent me a handwritten thank you card (I gave her my address) with a gift card for a re-do dinner on them! We just returned and both of our entrees were spectacular, and the service was the usual excellence we had come to trust and appreciate. My husband had plenty of time to enjoy his salad before our entrees came out. My one wish is that they would add a gluten-free option to the dessert menu other than a scoop of a frozen treat. But honestly I was very full and brought half of my very generously sized entree home. (I ordered the sirloin special that came with an amazing onion jam, I hope they make it a permanent item!)

Been coming here since they opened. I am downgrading my five stars to three, sadly. First, they had revamped the menu and not to our liking at all. Bison, quail, no more mashed potatoes which they had for years. Our last visit before my review below wasn't good but figured it was an off night since normally they are excellent.

We went for Valentine's Day (had a reservation) last night and really hoped to have a special dinner. It wasn't.

I ordered the gluten-free "focaccia" appetizer for $10 but they brought out a supermarket-type gluten-free BAGUETTE (I think Udi's). I thought our server must be mistaken, but that is in fact what they are calling focaccia. Our entrees were brought out only a few minutes after my husband got his salad and my "focaccia." Our dessert came with a cookie which was a literal ginger snap Christmas tree. On Valentine's Day. We asked if they had any chocolates. No. A manager did comp the salad my husband never ate other than a couple of bites and baguette and gave us a $25 gift card which is appreciated and a generous gesture. However, after less than an hour of sitting at our table while still eating dessert, two different hostesses walked by and looked right at me then looked down on their ipads. It was a rushed, not special dinner. But we did enjoy the chicken parm and my gluten-free pasta was delicious.

We'll give them another try. I hope to update with five...

The highlight of my trip. We saw it while out shopping for the weekend in Portland and decided that was dinner. The website recommends reservations so we were worried being walk ins on a Saturday night. But the wait was only 30mins and it was actually 30mins. Walking in we were awed. The decor is beautiful, from the large wooden chandeliers to the white marble bar that goes around in a giant oval in the center of the room. We were, to my joy, seated in the mezzanine, near the railing. The better to people watch. The staff were delightful. Our server, Chandra was friendly, upbeat and attentive without being a nuisance. The food was fantastic. We started with the baked foccacia. Buttery and wonderful bread that comes with 3 dips, a marinara with a little spice kick, olive oil, and some kind of cheese.. I'm guessing of the ricotta variety, as it was a tad grainy. We skipped the cheese bit and polished off the rest. For the entrée I had the pan seared cod with roasted tomatoes and leaks. Also little pasta ball things that were reminiscent of cheese stuffed ravioli. The whole thing was to die for. Hubby got the NY strip steak. He said it was the best steak he's had in awhile. Please note we went to a steak place for dinner the night before. We both cleaned our plates, something I don't think we've ever done in a restaurant. We did not have roomfor dessert but we ordered some to go. The turtle cheesecake I'd been watching go by all night was a must try...and hubby can't resist chocolate cake. The whole experience was wonderful and we've decided we will be back for our...

Being in our 70's & retired for some time, we've eaten at many restaurants from FL up to Canada. Our reviews are [solely] based on our particular experiences, tastes & expectations. A relative & friend suggested the Tuscan Table so we celebrated my wife's B-day there recently. The restaurant interior is well appointed, clean and offers comfortable seating in an open concept surrounding; very nice. Their menu offers diners a variety of dishes to satisfy most but is not (overly) extensive which is fine. There were four in our party. Three of us ordered Chicken Parmesan, the fourth a Bolognese selection. We also ordered Burrata Caprese, their Calamari (very good), a glass of wine, a a sweet tea, an Arnold Palmer & a Coke. The waiter asked if we'd like bread with our pasta dishes, he did NOT mention the $2.50 up-charges. All agreed the food was tasty and the portions adequate - we actually took several "to-go" boxes. Even though we all agreed the food, atmosphere & service was good, we also agreed the cost far outweighed the experience. Because it was my wife's B-day, however, we just took the whole matter in stride. The total bill - including tip - was just over $240.00. Although we enjoyed our meals, they weren't any better than other local restaurants of the same class we've dined at...for less. Conclusion: for a "special" occasion where cost is not a factor...it's fine. For a family dinner where cost is a factor...better to search for another...