02/22/08

Mixed feelings...

by etudenc

Our concierge recommended Cassarino's, and after looking it up and reading some pretty positive reviews, we had to give it a try.

On the plus side, the atmosphere and service were fine. They seated us promptly (had a reservation), and the waitstaff was fairly attentive and courteous. Didn't see our waiter quite as often as I might have liked but there were enough servers running around that it didn't really matter.

Now the food... we had the Calamari Cassarino, Apple Salad, Frutti di Mare and that evening's special (name escapes me, but it was chicken and vegetables over what I'll assume was tagliarelli in white sauce). The Calamari was quite good with the peppers, olives and capers. I thought well enough of the salad, too... a little on the sweet side with the citrus dressing and candied walnuts (I know... what did I expect?!) but not bad. When the entrees finally arrived, however, all I can say is they failed to impress. My pasta was a bit overdone, and the white sauce was oily-er than I've encountered elsewhere. My girlfriend's Frutti di Mare was... well... just a bit on the bland side. The shrimp and scallops were great by themselves, but the sauce didn't offer anything special or compliment the seafood in any way. For my part, I don't wish to leave such a well-revered restaurant thinking I could have had as good at home.

In conclusion, I'd say go for the atmosphere and friendly service, but keep your expectations in check with regards to the food (or at least the dishes I mentioned!).

10/07/07

Very good Italian food

by phlordsfo

I came to Cassarino's with some colleagues of mine recently, and I was very very pleased with our dinner. We were seated at a nice table on the 2nd floor and had friendly, efficient service from a great waitress. Everything came with perfect timing. The menu had all the basics for a solid Italian restaurant, and the portions were huge. Everybody loved their entrees. I found the chicken & escarole soup to be extra fresh and flavorful. I loved the clear broth and torn chicken pieces. The flavors complemented each other perfectly and made for an ideal, uncomplicated soup. I had a special entree with pork tenderloin over pasta in a marsala cream sauce. Prosciutto and tomatoes were mixed in the sauce. The tomatoes tasted great, though the large chunks were a bit confusing, and I wished the pieces of pork were smaller...but I really cannot complain, the taste was out of this world. My colleagues had huge portions of eggplant parm and spaghetti. I'd definitely go back.

• Pros: Great, solid Italian dishes. Well-priced. Friendly service

09/03/07

King of the Hill

by nasdaq401k

My family and I had the pleasure of dinning at Cassarino's this past Saturday. I must say that it was fabulous. We were greated at the door in a timely and polite fashion. The server was there whenever we needed something. The food was just tremendous, the veal chops and the swordfish special were awsome, cant wait to come back to see what else they have up their sleeve.

• Pros: quality food good prices lively atmosphere
• Cons: take advantage of the valet tough