+Service/Atmosphere: Second time here, but first time dining inside made me really regret our decision. My friend recommended this place to-go during COVID and we really enjoyed the pasta dishes! However, this time around, the atmosphere seemed super rushed on a weekday. Cute ambient lighting and great for a romantic dinner. Although, we came right during the dinner rush and it was completely bright outside. There were a lot of customers both indoor and outdoor. Luckily, we made reservations as we were able to sit inside on a tiny table for 2 people. Service was good, but didn’t feel very welcomed.
+Parking: Street parking or paid garage parking is a bit difficult in downtown Pasadena.
+Food: They ran out of the lamb belly (fettuccini) early on, so we decided to try this Pesto dish. We were also told to mix the cheese in with the pasta, but I’m not a huge fan of that much cheese. Would not recommend, but if you want all of the cheese flavor, then go for it.
1. Charred octopus with fennel - best dish and highly recommend! 2. Torchetti - Pork ragu pasta. This was the best dish and would recommend, but we definitely preferred the lamb belly pasta dish. Good portion and even flavors. 3. Bucatini - We did not like the vegetarian pistachio pasta dish. The pasta felt undercooked and lacked flavor.
Previously tried my friends tonnarelli cacio de Pepe, which was delicious and the lamb belly during Covid. Not sure what happened to the flavors, but oh well.
+Dessert: 1. Crostata di nocciole - hazelnut was a perfect complement to the raspberry 2. Not sure if we got the olive oil cake or the pear cake, but it was just okay. We preferred the vanilla ice cream.
+Drinks: 1. Nebbiolo Piemonte 2020 - This glass was very refreshing for a hot Summer day and a red wine. Good match for our dinner. 2. My BF always gets a sparkling / Italian soda drink anywhere we go, since he’s not a huge fan of drinking. We recommend any Italian soda drink.
Overall, the food is a hit or miss, atomosphere is just okay, but not very welcoming. Waitress was nice though and provided a nice wine selection. Order the meat pasta dishes.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Charred Octopus with Fennel, Torchetti
Tim T
Best dinner Italian restaurant in Pasadena. Their family size take out is amazing price, quantity and quality too. Love this place.
teadrinker
Food was flavorful. Service was excellent.
Reason for not a 5-star rating: 1)although everyone else enjoyed the taste of the food, I found it too salty; 2)we were confined to a table enclosed by the hostess podium at a corner; and 3)the tonnarelli was not al dente although the sauce was rich and tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tonnarelli Cacio E Pepe, Pork Ragu
Sean Huang
This restaurant offers well-executed Italian flavors, but the portion sizes are shockingly small. On my first visit, dining with two, we ordered three pasta dishes and two appetizers, yet the servings felt more suited for kids than adults.
With pasta prices ranging from $24 to $36, one would expect a more satisfying meal. Despite the commendable flavors, the tiny portions left us hesitant to order more, knowing we’d likely receive the same unsatisfactory size. While they deliver on taste, it disappoints in offering a truly fulfilling dining experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Ashley Mara villa
Sad there’s no complementary bread given it’s a Michelin star restaurant. Olive oil cake was great so was the cacio e Pepe. Overall pretty good reservations recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Olive Oil Cake
Jamie Rosa
Dietary restrictions: We were not satisfied with the meal. We had seven adult pasta dinners, and we're served 35 minutes apart, which is not acceptable. Our server was apologetic however, it was really disappointing and very expensive for an end result which was at best poor, it didn't used to be this way And it's sad the way there is now we were very disappointed and embarrassed
Parking: Crowded
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Shane Schaetz
Seated 30 minutes after our reservation. First dish was the bread which ended up cutting my mouth. Second dish was burrata which was just ok but the bread it came with was sublime. The best thing I ate there.
Third dish was mussels which was really good. They didn't have several things from the website on the menu tonight unfortunately.
Last dish was fettuccine with lamb belly. I like my food salty, but someone messed up. It was almost inedible.
I'll say I'm not much of a fan of Italian food so it met my (low) expectation. It could have eating been better though.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
A F
Ordered the squid ink lobster pasta but it came undercooked (not al dente). A large portion of the pasta's core was distinctly and unmistakably hard, and far from the 'firm to the bite' standards of al dente. We sent it back to the kitchen citing it was undercooked, but it came back the second round completely the same. Shocking considering that an Italian restaurant cannot properly cook pasta. The server did not ask if the pasta was ok the second time around at all. Since it was already late and we were hungry, we decided to cut our losses and leave
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
VK
Wonderful sharing experience. We shared three bowls of pasta, the Torchetti, Squid Ink Lumache, and the Carbonara.
The squid ink pasta was the least favorite. It does have lobster in it but the entire dish tasted fishy and I felt the noodles were too large to enjoy.
The other two options were amazing. I definitely recommend both the carbonara and torchetti!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Torchetti, Pork Ragu
Patrick Fong
Amazing !! Such incredible flavors and textures! Plus al fresco dining! It’s a recipe for an unforgettable evening in Pasadena!
Tight inside, but a lively atmosphere with a beautiful wine bar. A crostone appetizer of Tuscan bread, green garlic & cheese topped with prosciutto helped set the stage - so fresh! The bucatini was a bit firm for us, but the pistachio & burrata sauce was intriguing. The standout of the evening was the torchetti pasta with pork ragu. Rich, savory sauce atop perfect al dente pasta. We finished out with the delectable olive oil cake served with a dollop of amazing in-house vanilla ice cream. Would highly recommend a visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Olive Oil Cake, Torchetti
Jaya Lin
Is a heavy and mildly upset stomach after meal considered part of the dining experience? You are in for outstanding pastas that are rich in flavors, salty, creamy, and the right amount of al dente. But they are heavy on the stomach. If you get the red sauce, it overpowers others, in our case, the Bucatini was served after the Torchetti and the pistachio lemon zesty flavor was completely subdued by the rich oily spicy pork ragu. Salads are refreshing. Olive cake did not pop, but a cup or tea or coffee afterwards will give the meal a satisfying finish.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Hunter Liu
SQUID INK LUMACHE has lobster meat to upscale the richness flavor then combines with lemon to bring a hint of freshness. Amazing. Only downside is that if the lobster meat could be a bit more.
TORCHETTI soaked in perfect sauce, fried rosemary adds some crispy texture plus the aroma, perfect.
Mussel sauce is perfectly made tomato sauce, but there are a few dead mussels( closed shell).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Squid Ink Lumache, Torchetti
Vera Smirnova Koutnik
Really great food and service! Everything easy excellent. The only let down is that we were celebrating a birthday and weren’t offered anything cute or special for the occasion. Still giving 5 stars as food was great.
+Service/Atmosphere:
Second time here, but first time dining inside made me really regret our decision. My friend recommended this place to-go during COVID and we really enjoyed the pasta dishes! However, this time around, the atmosphere seemed super rushed on a weekday. Cute ambient lighting and great for a romantic dinner. Although, we came right during the dinner rush and it was completely bright outside. There were a lot of customers both indoor and outdoor. Luckily, we made reservations as we were able to sit inside on a tiny table for 2 people. Service was good, but didn’t feel very welcomed.
+Parking: Street parking or paid garage parking is a bit difficult in downtown Pasadena.
+Food:
They ran out of the lamb belly (fettuccini) early on, so we decided to try this Pesto dish. We were also told to mix the cheese in with the pasta, but I’m not a huge fan of that much cheese. Would not recommend, but if you want all of the cheese flavor, then go for it.
1. Charred octopus with fennel - best dish and highly recommend!
2. Torchetti - Pork ragu pasta. This was the best dish and would recommend, but we definitely preferred the lamb belly pasta dish. Good portion and even flavors.
3. Bucatini - We did not like the vegetarian pistachio pasta dish. The pasta felt undercooked and lacked flavor.
Previously tried my friends tonnarelli cacio de Pepe, which was delicious and the lamb belly during Covid. Not sure what happened to the flavors, but oh well.
+Dessert:
1. Crostata di nocciole - hazelnut was a perfect complement to the raspberry
2. Not sure if we got the olive oil cake or the pear cake, but it was just okay. We preferred the vanilla ice cream.
+Drinks:
1. Nebbiolo Piemonte 2020 - This glass was very refreshing for a hot Summer day and a red wine. Good match for our dinner.
2. My BF always gets a sparkling / Italian soda drink anywhere we go, since he’s not a huge fan of drinking. We recommend any Italian soda drink.
Overall, the food is a hit or miss, atomosphere is just okay, but not very welcoming. Waitress was nice though and provided a nice wine selection. Order the meat pasta dishes.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Charred Octopus with Fennel, Torchetti
Best dinner Italian restaurant in Pasadena. Their family size take out is amazing price, quantity and quality too. Love this place.
Food was flavorful. Service was excellent.
Reason for not a 5-star rating: 1)although everyone else enjoyed the taste of the food, I found it too salty; 2)we were confined to a table enclosed by the hostess podium at a corner; and 3)the tonnarelli was not al dente although the sauce was rich and tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tonnarelli Cacio E Pepe, Pork Ragu
This restaurant offers well-executed Italian flavors, but the portion sizes are shockingly small. On my first visit, dining with two, we ordered three pasta dishes and two appetizers, yet the servings felt more suited for kids than adults.
With pasta prices ranging from $24 to $36, one would expect a more satisfying meal. Despite the commendable flavors, the tiny portions left us hesitant to order more, knowing we’d likely receive the same unsatisfactory size. While they deliver on taste, it disappoints in offering a truly fulfilling dining experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Sad there’s no complementary bread given it’s a Michelin star restaurant. Olive oil cake was great so was the cacio e Pepe. Overall pretty good reservations recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Olive Oil Cake
Dietary restrictions: We were not satisfied with the meal. We had seven adult pasta dinners, and we're served 35 minutes apart, which is not acceptable. Our server was apologetic however, it was really disappointing and very expensive for an end result which was at best poor, it didn't used to be this way And it's sad the way there is now we were very disappointed and embarrassed
Parking: Crowded
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Seated 30 minutes after our reservation. First dish was the bread which ended up cutting my mouth. Second dish was burrata which was just ok but the bread it came with was sublime. The best thing I ate there.
Third dish was mussels which was really good. They didn't have several things from the website on the menu tonight unfortunately.
Last dish was fettuccine with lamb belly. I like my food salty, but someone messed up. It was almost inedible.
I'll say I'm not much of a fan of Italian food so it met my (low) expectation. It could have eating been better though.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ordered the squid ink lobster pasta but it came undercooked (not al dente). A large portion of the pasta's core was distinctly and unmistakably hard, and far from the 'firm to the bite' standards of al dente. We sent it back to the kitchen citing it was undercooked, but it came back the second round completely the same. Shocking considering that an Italian restaurant cannot properly cook pasta. The server did not ask if the pasta was ok the second time around at all. Since it was already late and we were hungry, we decided to cut our losses and leave
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Wonderful sharing experience. We shared three bowls of pasta, the Torchetti, Squid Ink Lumache, and the Carbonara.
The squid ink pasta was the least favorite. It does have lobster in it but the entire dish tasted fishy and I felt the noodles were too large to enjoy.
The other two options were amazing. I definitely recommend both the carbonara and torchetti!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Torchetti, Pork Ragu
Amazing !! Such incredible flavors and textures! Plus al fresco dining! It’s a recipe for an unforgettable evening in Pasadena!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Tight inside, but a lively atmosphere with a beautiful wine bar. A crostone appetizer of Tuscan bread, green garlic & cheese topped with prosciutto helped set the stage - so fresh! The bucatini was a bit firm for us, but the pistachio & burrata sauce was intriguing. The standout of the evening was the torchetti pasta with pork ragu. Rich, savory sauce atop perfect al dente pasta. We finished out with the delectable olive oil cake served with a dollop of amazing in-house vanilla ice cream. Would highly recommend a visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Olive Oil Cake, Torchetti
Is a heavy and mildly upset stomach after meal considered part of the dining experience? You are in for outstanding pastas that are rich in flavors, salty, creamy, and the right amount of al dente. But they are heavy on the stomach. If you get the red sauce, it overpowers others, in our case, the Bucatini was served after the Torchetti and the pistachio lemon zesty flavor was completely subdued by the rich oily spicy pork ragu. Salads are refreshing. Olive cake did not pop, but a cup or tea or coffee afterwards will give the meal a satisfying finish.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
SQUID INK LUMACHE has lobster meat to upscale the richness flavor then combines with lemon to bring a hint of freshness. Amazing. Only downside is that if the lobster meat could be a bit more.
TORCHETTI soaked in perfect sauce, fried rosemary adds some crispy texture plus the aroma, perfect.
Mussel sauce is perfectly made tomato sauce, but there are a few dead mussels( closed shell).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Squid Ink Lumache, Torchetti
Really great food and service! Everything easy excellent. The only let down is that we were celebrating a birthday and weren’t offered anything cute or special for the occasion. Still giving 5 stars as food was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wild Mushroom Polenta, Squid Ink Lumache
Javier was an excellent server, great food as usual
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