AMICI — Restaurant in West Stockbridge

Well I have to hand it to the proprietors of Amici: I have never eaten at a restaurant that so thoroughly nails "mediocrity" -- in its menu, food, decor, furniture, and overall dining experience. It is a true tight-rope act to create pasta, for example, that is so uninspired and uninteresting -- and yet really not that bad. The spaghetti with meatballs and fettuccini Alfredo are strikingly dead-center in the middle of average, being both woefully overcooked and lacking in fresh ingredients or well-rounded flavors. Even adding chicken to the Alfredo resulted in yet another overcooked (in this case dry and crunchy) component. The selection of wines is likewise sparse and profoundly boring. The desserts are as over-the-top sweet as they are loud in their elaborate presentation, but they have a nice mouthfeel. Even the odd mixture of deck furniture outside on the patio is at the same time both really uncomfortable, well-organized, and clean.

It all has the familiar feel of experiences I've had at food courts at state fairs...or maybe at the Oktoberfest in Munich: Not bad or offensive...just not very good...and with the distinctly fused flavors, overcooked mushiness or crunchiness, and rapid readiness of food that has been pre-made and reheated. I'm fairly certain nothing we've eaten at Amici has been cooked to order -- though with their lasagna this approach works just fine (and my wife actually enjoys that dish).

I will say that Amici does employ a surprisingly large number of energetic young servers, a very nice hostess, and a hard-working busboy -- all of whom are hard-pressed to keep on top of the needs of diners on a busy night, but who certainly give it their admirable best.

Unfortunately for Amici customers, the prices are anything but mediocre here -- even in these inflated times -- and it will cost $100 or more for two people to have dinner with drinks and dessert. Is it worth it? Absolutely not. But Amici is the only restaurant open for dinner on a Sunday night in West Stockbridge, so...I suppose beggars can't be...

We recently had dinner at this restaurant and, unfortunately, we won’t be returning.

The atmosphere was underwhelming—poor lighting and a general sense of neglect. The place is in desperate need of renovation. However, the staff and service were friendly and excellent, which we greatly appreciated.

For dinner, the two of us shared a bottle of wine and two appetizers: the meatballs and the Burrata Caprese. The meatballs were a generous portion but too firm and dense for our taste. On the other hand, the Burrata Caprese was excellent—featuring a large serving of arugula, burrata cheese, and tomatoes. It was so substantial that it could easily be a meal on its own. At this point, our experience was going fairly well.

For our main courses, we ordered the Chicken Parmesan and Lasagna, both of which we were told are popular choices. Unfortunately, they were disappointing. The Lasagna was borderline inedible, with an odd aftertaste—almost as if the spices were off or artificial. We couldn’t finish it and ended up discarding it. The Chicken Parmesan was passable but far from memorable; we’ve had much better elsewhere.

Overall, while the service was commendable, the food and ambiance left much...

I was very impressed by this place…when you first walk in the impression is sort of farmhouse Italian and I’m so here for it! Our waitress was literally the nicest waitress I ever had…she was super friendly and attentive. I couldn’t catch her name sadly. But our first foods that came out were the typical bread with herb and olive oil mixed to dip it in, which was very very delicious. The caesar salad was also really good. For my main meal I got the spaghetti with tomato sauce. If I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the sauce. I think that’s because I tend to like the sweeter sauces, but it’s still pretty good. But everyone else at my table loved their food, so I had to rate it 5/5. The spinach and ricotta ravioli, in my friends exact words, was, “Delicious, so so good, it makes me want more.” She loved it. My other friend got the fettuccine Alfredo and he liked it. Oh, I forget to mention, everyone loved the Italian wedding soup. They wanted more! Which leads me to everyone at my table was at least satisfied and we all agreed we would definitely come back here. It’s a solid restaurant, just how I like it. The staff is nice, the atmosphere is great, and the...