ref=”https://thinktasty1.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Pizzico.jpg”>Pizzico has been a favored restaurant for my husband and me.  Whether it’s just the two of us on a Saturday afternoon, an early dinner with the family, or a Friday night out with friends, this restaurant meets the needs of all of those configurations.  A place such as this can be difficult to find.  Typically if we find a restaurant that works well for all four kids it may work also as a night out with friends but would not be the place we’d go just for cocktails.  The same is true in reverse.  Places that we think of a place to get a well done martini typically aren’t places we’d want to bring the family.  However, Pizzico is able to do all of things, and does them well.

On our most recent trip to Pizzico we went to dinner with another couple.  Arriving there about 7:30, the restaurant was fairly busy with almost all tables filled.  Thankfully for us hungry diners, there were a few tables open, and we were seated immediately.  Our waitress appeared shortly after we were seated, and as we were still reviewing the menu, she left to get waters for us. When she returned, she handed waters to each of us, spilling a little water with every glass she delivered.

As I noted, we are regular visitors to Pizzico.  Every trip prior to this we have received fantastic service.  However, this evening, we had a waitress who apparently wasn’t very good at her job.  In addition to her spillage issues, she had memory and courtesy issues.  It took her 10 minutes to refill my husband’s water glass.  After delivering three of our four meals, she apparently forgot to bring the fourth, until she looked at our table.  As she started to ask how our food was, she noted the missing plate.  She also was far more interested in chatting with two men at a nearby table than checking on our dining experience.  Although she didn’t present a good image for Pizzico, we have been there enough times to know this isn’t usual (and to hope we don’t have her again).

With the disclosure of the poor customer service out of the way, the food should be mentioned!  As always, we started with fresh rolls, herb-infused olive oil, and butter.  The rolls were devoured quite quickly, as we waited for the delivery of our meals.  Only one of our meals started with a salad, and no one else added a salad to their dinner.  The salad was solid, filled with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion slices, and olives.  All of the vegetables looked vibrant- no pale iceberg lettuce in this salad!

When all four of our dinners arrived, finally, we were quite ready to eat.  My husband ordered the Veal Farcito, which was breaded veal stuffed with prosciutto and provolone cheese sautéed in a marsala wine sauce and served with mushroom ravioli.  The veal was tender and complimented nicely by its filling.  The one negative to that dish was the limited amount of ravioli served with the veal, it seemed a bit small for a main dish. Our friend, OT, ordered Pasta Primavera.  A plateful of penne tossed with zucchini, mushrooms, onions and broccoli, he had the choice of tomato or white wine parmigiano sauce.  He opted for the tomato sauce.  It must have been delicious, as he ate every bite of his dish.

We ladies also ordered pasta dishes.  Our friend, Vicki, went with her favorite Italian entrée, Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken.  As a connoisseur of alfredo, this dish makes her good list.  The sauce was appropriately thick and topped with a generous portion of chicken.  I ordered Tortellaci di Zucca, butternut squash tortellaci served in a creamy sage sauce.  The pasta was amazingly tender and had a good amount of squash filling in each.  The sauce was rich but not overpowering, creating the perfect combination of flavors.

We contemplated ordering dessert, but their supply was a little low.  Many of the desserts that they had on hand were chocolate-based, and none of us in our group enjoy chocolate that much.  So, with full tummies and no overwhelmingly tempting desserts, we ended our evening of dining.

Having enjoyed another meal of well prepared pasta and delicious cocktails, Pizzico assured us once again that we have found a restaurant on whom we can rely for good food and drinks.