This is by far, one of the best restaurants in Raleigh, and definitely the best Italian restaurant in Raleigh.\r
My wife and I went there based on buzz and rabid recommendations. Usually, when you have high hopes for a restaurant, especially Italian, those hopes can be easily dashed. Not the case. The Ox Tail as an appetizer was perfect. Right resistance to the teeth, and an unbelievably colourful taste. Extraordinary. The waiters knowledge of wine was impressive. The information was obviously learned very recently, but learned very well. He brought a spicy Greek red that was so perfect that I had him give me the name so I could hunt it down later. The Risotto was perfect. Perfect resistance, perfect seasoning....Perfect. The steak was so good, I wanted to meet the cow. The house coffee and tiramisu followed suit.\r
Now, to the detractors. \r
-You think the total of your bill= the level of service you received? Seriously? That is all in your head.\r
-You didn't make a reservation, and you were upset that they were busy, and let that colour your whole visit? Come on!\r
-Being a server for 4 years, and a ""cook"" and sous chef for 6 is painfully mediocre. Easy on the Grappa. \r
-You are not comparing Italian Italian cuisine to American Italian cuisine, are you? Really? Come on! And saying that the good reviews are written by friends of the owner? THAT is a little ""clunky""!\r
-You experienced timing issues with your courses, the manager caught the problem and comp'd you dessert, and you still won't come back. Very reasonable...\r
-""Food was good, but not great"". Please, not so much information at once!\r
And to all, a great restaurant is going to be busy, crowded, and noisy! This is not a bad thing. If you want quiet, the museums have restaurants. And you won't need a reservation.\r
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Pros: Amazing kitchen, great service, great patio
Cons: Not a good place to go if like to whine about issues.
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