Cafe Torino and Bakery — Restaurant in Warrenton

Avoided them for the better part of 15 years then I found out I was the problem!

I have lived in Warrenton for about 15 years now and I have not frequented Café Torino much during those years, because I just did not feel they pandered to their customers enough. By pandering I mean things like their limited operating hours, and at some point, I got the feeling they just don’t care about their customers that much. However today while enjoying an AWESOME lunch it finally dawned on me. It’s not that they do anything wrong it's what I have come to expect, and of all people, I should know better. I have traveled and lived all over the world extensively, and thus I should recognize European style businesses and attitudes. They create great food without much fanfare, it’s not fast food and not white glove service either but I have loved every bake good or meal I have had there.

The employees and who I assume are the owners are probably more friendly than most restaurants, and while I could not put my finger on it before I think I can now. Their food is SO GOOD that they have regulars they know by name and of course I am not part of that click yet, so I feel slighted or un-appreciated when they are too busy to show me some attention. By the way while still not a regular they know by name, this area of their service has improved immensely over the past 5 years. They also run the place with what a appears to a novice like myself, a very minimal staff so they are very busy and no time for BS so they need their patrons to have their act together and not expect the wait staff to spend a lot of time with you. I think that everyone there does everything they don’t have dedicated wait staff, hostess, water boy or that type of staff. Your dish is just as likely to be brought to your table by the owner or the cashier.

More often than not they are not open when I want to eat there, and this has been frustrating but let's face it I can't go eat at the Little Inn in Washington VA any time either. Now I am not comparing these two against each other just trying to make the point that the food is so good at Café Torino that when they are open, they will have customers ready to spend money and I am one of that group. That they have hopefully found a work life balance that works for them is great and I will learn to go enjoy their food when they are open!

The bakery case is often lacking what I want but only because once again it is that good and well the early bird gets the worm. I will just have to get there quicker!

So, in a nutshell GREAT FOOD just get there early and of course when they are open!

By the way I ordered the cream of tomato soup and well after my first taste I broke out the camera, my wife took a bite and ordered her own bowl. She had a sandwich she enjoyed, and I had the ravioli with tomatoes plus chicken. By the way the saltiness of the bread with the tomato soup, I thought I was at a Michelin star restaurant.

Café Torino staff I hope my review comes across positive because it is meant to be and I am rather envious or your...

I'm from New York, I grew up on Little Italy, homemade Italian food, and little nondescript corner stores with the freshest prosciutto; I stumbled up on this place while driving through, and this beats 99% of what I had in NYC (as a rule, nothing beats mom's cooking).

The Chicken Marsala was the best I've ever had, bar none; not even close (Mom doesn't make Chicken Marsala). After I ate, and was full to bursting, I still had to get a sandwich to go, and the chef just whipped something up off the menu - that's about as Italian as it gets. The focaccia bread was amazing! I've gone decades believing no bread could beat NYC due to the water in the dough; I'm now reevaluating my life.

I even ate at Filomena in DC, a high-priced extravagant affair, a few weeks later, and while that experience as a whole topped this place (which is what you'd want when the bill is 10x as high - I was also comparing lunch on the road to dinner with friends) I cannot say the same for the flavor. Filomena was delicious and has the only lobster sauce I've ever had that actually tastes like lobster (and not just a cream sauce over lobster), but I found myself wanting Chicken Marsala at the end...

I do not recommend this place at all. They apparently do not understand the law or your rights. Executive Order 63, Section D. Exceptions. The requirement to wear face covering does not apply to the following: While eating or drinking; Individuals exercising or using exercise equipment; ANY PERSON WHO HAS TROUBLE BREATHING, OR IS UNCONSCIOUS, INCAPACITATED, OR OTHERWISE UNABLE TO REMOVE THE FACE COVERING WITHOUT ASSISTANCE; Any person seeking to communicate with the hearing impaired and for which the mouth needs to be visible; When temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to secure government or medical services; and PERSONS WITH HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT PROHIBIT WEARING A FACE COVERING. NOTHING IN THIS ORDER SHALL REQUIRE THE USE OF A FACE COVERING BY ANY PERSON FOR WHOM DOING SO WOULD BE CONTRARY TO HIS OR HER HEALTH OR SAFETY BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL CONDITIONS. Any person who declines to wear a face covering because of a medical condition shall not be required to produce or carry medical documentation verifying the stated condition nor shall the person be required to identify the precise underlying...