Ciao — Restaurant in Town of Lansing

The staff here is always very accommodating and friendly. Nothing but good things to say about the people here.

The food is not exceptional, but there are some shining stars on the menu. If you get a pasta dish, it will always, without question, be swimming in olive oil. Chicken Marsala? Oil. Pesto? Oil. I don't understand why every dish is drowning in oil. I mean, I'm not the world's greatest critic, but other Italian restaurants I've been to across the country don't have this problem with their dishes. I'd like to think it was a one-time deal, but it's been that way on numerous dishes we've tried over the years. Oh well.

Where Ciao really shines is their pizzas. The crust is crispy and light, the toppings are fresh, and the overall meal you get with a pizza is pretty decent. There are some personal preference factors here, though. The red sauce is on the sweeter side, which personally isn't my favorite. I prefer a bold and savory red sauce with more robust tomato flavor, but I understand this is just my opinion. Continuing my opinion, the best pizza available is their Quattro Forrmagio pizza, which I usually add mushrooms to. It's the perfect combination of their spectacular crust with a garlic sauce and cheese, and the mushrooms and a little truffle oil if you have it at home, make this a home run of a pizza. The other pizzas I've tried were the spicy sausage pizza which a strange mix between the heat from the sausage and the sweet sauce, and the pear and gorgonzola pizza which, nah. Just. Nah. You tried, and I'm sure some people find it appealing, but nah. You do you, Ciao.

Ciao is always busy as one of the only Italian options on this side of the lake. Or anywhere around Ithaca, really. The restaurant itself has a gorgeous dining room and feels very homey and comfortable, even on busy nights. The bar is sleek and dark and feels like you're walking into a private room with a personal bartender. If you're looking for Italian on this side of the lake, Ciao is still a relatively decent option, especially if you're really looking for...

Ciao! rhymes with Wow! WOW will be the word used to describe this restaurant. A spectacular treat of harmonious taste tantalizes the palate from every angle...

First, the restaurant is tastefully arranged. Allowing for both camaraderie and an intimate feel. We were politely greeted upon entry and seated quickly for this festive Saturday night. Having recently left our friend's engagement party, we were surprised to be seated quickly. Fret not; the restaurant was undoubtedly bustling that evening. Happy faces abounded.

For an appetizer - I ordered the Arancini. The order comes with three good-sized balls of risotto and the perfect mozzarella ratio. The sauce the appetizer basks in is, dare I say, drinkable?! Wow-the Pomodoro and pesto should be bottled and sold in 20oz. options! I ordered a pizza for my main course - not just any pizza! A wood-fired, well charred, pear and gorgonzola pizza. Wow, the taste! Wow, the yummy chewy wood-fired crust! Wow, the toppings; bacon-wow, caramelized onions-wow, thinly sliced pears-wow, salty gorgonzola that pairs well, well, with the pear-wow!

Not to outdo this fantastic review of party palate fare, but the star of the show, at least for this evening, and at least for me, was my Long Island Tea. WOW - The absolute best Long Island I've ever had. And I might know a thing or two about Long Island's. These were so good; I ordered two! The service was excellent. The ambiance and atmosphere were great. The energy from the staff and the patrons were great. Everything had...

I don’t even know where to begin with this. Saturday I came into eat with friends I live out of town now But when I used to live in the area and it use to be one of my favorite places to eat. Needless to say after coming in there on Saturday, I will not be returning and highly encourage others not to waste their time money or health by eating there. I should’ve known it was a red flag when all of the servers that I was familiar with seeing when I would come in were no longer present. The new staff seems to be Wildly under trained-and do not seem to know much about the dishes that they are serving when someone at my table asked if the lobster ravioli was made in house, We were informed that it was “premade”which I took to mean frozen not fresh. The whole environment is dark and dirty and unfriendly. We overheard the small little manager for rating of the servers publicly, which I I found to be wildly unprofessional, not to mention the same manager came up to our table and aggressively asked how everything was eating. We were kind of caught off guard so We didn’t even feel comfortable to express our concerns with how abrupt her demeanor was. But not only was the service questionable and the food not too far off from being the same I then when I went home I felt to my stomach. So anyone looking to visit or come into this alleged restaurant. Don’t waste your time. I also overheard that they don’t make their own sauce or pasta anymore. Really sad to see the quality goes so...