Ciao on Brookside

[Gaspar]

Location(s) Being Reviewed: Ciao
Date/Time of Visit: Saturday 6:00 11/19/11
Quality of Food (1-5): 3
Menu/Food Options (1-5): 4
Quality of Service (1-5): 1
Atmosphere (1-5): 3
Overall Rating (1-5): 3
Price ($-$$$$$): $$$$
What makes this restaurant unique:  Great location, nice atmosphere.

We were in midtown and wanted some good Italian before catching a movie.  Some friends of ours had recommended Ciao, but we had also heard negative reviews.  We walked by and looked at the menu posted outside.  The selections looked promising as did the prices.

We were seated at a table in the middle of the restaurant.  The first thing we noticed when we sat down was something under our butts!  Standing up, we realized that both of us were sitting on the cloth napkins from the couple who sat there before us.  The bus staff had neglected to pick them up off the seats, so we got to sit on the mouth-wipings of the previous guests. 

The server gave us menus and a wine list, and bread with oil & balsamic vinegar.  The bread was cold and the olive oil used was the cheap stuff.  Reading the menus, the first thing we noticed is that the prices on the menus were higher than the prices posted outside. Everything was exactly $1 more expensive.  Not a big deal, but a little annoying. I ordered the Chicken Marsala, and my wife had the signature dish, Lobster Ravioli (the small $10 portion). She had wine, I had a beer.

When our food arrived, my marsala was a good portion, served with risotto.  The marsala was a bit on the thick side and lacked any seasoning whatsoever.  My wife's lobster ravioli was beyond small, it was comprised of 3 small 1.5" wide round raviolis (more of a snack than a meal).  It too completely lacked any salinity or other seasoning.   We are not big salt eaters, so for us to complain about a lack of seasoning is rare.  Looking at the table, there was no salt & pepper.  We asked the server and she disappeared to retrieve some for us.  When she finally re-appeared (about 10 minutes later) we were mostly done with our food.  After getting the opportunity to salt the last bite of my marsala, I realized that the dish would have been absolutely delicious had it been seasoned properly.

When we received our check, the fact that the prices on the door did not match the menu, really sunk in, however the server forgot to charge us for my wife's wine refill, so I felt justified. My meal was enough to satisfy me, but Megan's 3 little raviolis called for the purchase of a hot dog when she got to the theater.

We will not be back.  Shame!  I had higher hopes for that place.

[Breadburner]

Try Tucci's or Mary's the next time you are in that area......

[Gaspar]

Try Tucci's or Mary's the next time you are in that area......

Love both those places!  We discussed Mary's but we needed to catch a 7:20 movie, and Mary's takes a long time (worth it!), and it's always hard to get a table at Tucci's. 

[Breadburner]

Love both those places!  We discussed Mary's but we needed to catch a 7:20 movie, and Mary's takes a long time (worth it!), and it's always hard to get a table at Tucci's. 

True....!!!

[swake]

True....!!!

not to mention that the service at Tucci's blows. The food there isn't worth the service, or prices.

[Breadburner]

not to mention that the service at Tucci's blows. The food there isn't worth the service, or prices.

Not true...!

[Gaspar]

not to mention that the service at Tucci's blows. The food there isn't worth the service, or prices.

I've always had great service.  I love me some "Angels on Horseback!"

[AngieB]

I think at Tucci's your service depends on how hip you look.

[swake]

I think at Tucci's your service depends on how hip you look.

I've twice made the mistake of bringing my kids. The the staff treats people that bring kids in like crap.

It's not like my kids are noisy toddlers, they are 10 and 15, order off the adult menu and have no issues with going to places a hell of a lot nicer than Tucci's.

[Gaspar]

I've twice made the mistake of bringing my kids. The the staff treats people that bring kids in like crap.

It's not like my kids are noisy toddlers, they are 10 and 15, order off the adult menu and have no issues with going to places a hell of a lot nicer than Tucci's.

I have a 3yo and a 6yo.  They have always been very nice to us, in fact, we usually order a single entree split for the kids.