Trattoria La Festa — Restaurant in Stowe

Trattoria La Festa provided a delightful backdrop for my recent anniversary celebration with my wife, offering both impeccable service and a menu that skillfully navigated familiar Italian fare with a touch of creative flair.

Chef Tony's warm welcome set the tone for the evening, and the attentiveness of the waitstaff throughout the meal was truly impressive. Water glasses were never empty, and the swift clearing and resetting of a vacated table spoke volumes about efficiency and professionalism.

The bread service, featuring fresh-baked bread paired with a smooth garlic butter, proved to be a satisfying prelude to the meal. The bruchetta appetizer lived up to expectations, showcasing a harmonious interplay of flavors between the tangy balsamic glaze, juicy tomatoes, vibrant pesto, and creamy mozzarella.

My main course, the duck chorizo stuffed manicotti, presented a unique and deeply satisfying combination. The smokiness of the chorizo beautifully complemented the richness of the duck, creating a complex flavor profile that kept the palate engaged. The presence of chunky tomatoes in the sauce added a welcome burst of freshness, preventing the overall dish from becoming overly heavy.

My wife's shrimp scampi delivered a lighter yet equally captivating experience. The garlic-infused sauce struck a perfect balance between being light and flavorful, allowing the sweetness of the perfectly cooked shrimp to shine through. This dish exemplified the art of simplicity done right, showcasing the quality of the ingredients and the chef's deft hand in balancing flavors.

The desserts provided a fittingly sweet conclusion to the meal. The chocolate cream pie offered a decadent indulgence, with a rich, smooth filling encased in a melt-in-your-mouth crust. The lemoncello, served chilled and with a zesty bite, provided a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of the pie, cleansing the palate and leaving a lingering citrus taste.

In conclusion, Trattoria La Festa offers a commendable dining experience. The service is excellent, the atmosphere is inviting, and the food demonstrates a deft hand in balancing tradition with creative flair. Everything was executed with precision and attention to detail, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying meal. Whether celebrating a special occasion or simply seeking a warm and welcoming Italian dining experience, Trattoria La...

We went here for our first time tonight. It took forever just to get a meal ordered. When the waiter dropped our drinks off after sitting there for 20 mins, he said he had to deliver a meal quick and would be right over to take our order after. We watched him take at least 2 orders on top of delivering the food. Now we been sitting here and he goes and helps other people before us. It’s obvious they cater to the people they want to. I honestly felt like they didn’t even want to help us or want us there. At this point I said we have to leave by 8:00 and it took over 20 mins before he asked what we wanted. I said can we be out at 8:00? He said yes. So my fiancé asked if she could have something other than asparagus with her meal. He said I can do double potatoes. She said, so more starch? She was hoping for a veggie substitute. But said that’s fine. So she gets her chicken parm. It’s just the chicken on a plate with potatoes. We said doesn’t this come with pasta? It says on the menu it does? He said usually it does. So we said, then why isn’t it here? He said would you like me to get some? We said we told you we have to leave at 8:00. It’s 7:45 and she got half a meal? He said sorry I was confused. I said confused about what? We didn’t say we didn’t want pasta. So she tried the chicken, it was horrible and soggy. I tried a bite and I said it’s horrible. I asked if it was made fresh. He said yes, it’s fried so it’s crispy. I said it’s soggy and taste like chicken you would get at a gas station. And there no pasta! He brings the check to us for the full amount. I said my fiancé got half her meal and you guys are charging me full price? I said she didn’t even eat hardly anything it was so bad. He said I can talk to the owner, I said we have to go, I’ll just pay the bill and never come back. I go to restaurants all the time. This was one of the worst services I ever got from a restaurant! A customer there literally complained to my fiancé that I was wearing a baseball cap. Now I didn’t see a dress code anywhere. And feel like this place is very judgmental with people. My lamb was as good and cooked right. I had the escargot and that was decent. So half the food was good. But I’ll never go...

The best way to describe our experience is if your doctor told you that you'd have to go on a bland diet void of any flavor or seasoning; then this would be the perfect restaurant. My wife & I started with the butternut squash soup. Traditionally , butternut squash soup is a thick creamy soup. What we received was a mystery broth soup with undercooked beans devoid of any flavor. But we had fun with it, trying to figure out the soup mystery. My wife concluded the soup was or should be called " hard beans in warm water". Our next venture into the realm of the tasteless was an order of beef carpaccio. When prepared properly this is one of my favorite dishes;Simple but usually a wonderful savory flavor. This was not it! I knew it was beef only cause it was in the title. It was as though they soaked the beef slices in water until they leached out all flavor; then tossed them on a plate with a few capers. The entrees .... Well the chicken Marsala sauce was as thick as pudding; but without the pleasure of pudding. And the penne with meat sauce, the pasta was under cooked and still hard around the edges . The meat sauce...hmmm; I know it was meat , not sure what kind of meat? Had a really funky after taste that was not at all enjoyable. Now I've had bad experience at restaurants before. Maybe an off night for the kitchen, the regular chef out on holiday... Who knows? But usually one could at the bare minimum expect good service . Didn't get that either! At 7:30pm a food runner cleared our table. My wife and I debated about getting coffee; maybe dessert. But when the clock struck 7:50 and our server had yet to return to see if we needed or wanted anything else we opted to request our bill. Nine minutes later our server finally returned with the bill. Maybe we should consider ourselves fortunate that we had such poor service . We were spared dessert and coffee. That might have been the tipping point? At least we left the restaurant...