Caffe Biaggio

great atmosphere! the service was subpar, barely checking on us and the waiter critiqued our wine choice? that was strange by itself. the food verged on being good but too many added ingredients to “upscale” the dishes made them fall flat. also be warned, some of the meats aren’t fully cooked through. we tried to alert the waiter but they didn’t come back to our table except to bring the check without a word to us. very strange. I hope it gets better because it could be a very cool spot

We have been trying to go here for months now but since they were not open for lunch we never made it. Well juneteenth for the win! We got to head over for an early dinner...well.let me tell you it was worth the wait our waitress Terri was very helpful and the service was top-notch. We got the gnocchi and another dish that was made with an Alfredo type sauce and had bacon and eggs in it. It was all soooo good and homemade. Very clean place and great ambiance. The owner even came over talked to us about upcoming specials and just general knowledge of the restaurant...we thought that was super cool. The kne suggestion I would make is ...they do everything homemade ...use real glass...fresh bread..but paper napkins. I think the cloth napkins would fit this place better. Ohhh and they make a very strong and tasty blood orange martini!

This place is awesome! The food, servers, atmosphere, everything. I honestly would give 100 stars if I could. Excluding the tip, the total for two people to get a main dish, and split an appetizer and dessert, the price was only 80 dollars, which, for the caliber of everything, is a great deal! If you're on the fence about date night, get some reservations here. You're welcome. ; )

Early dinner while dropping one of our kids at college in St. Paul. Awesome interior space and great service in addition to delicious food!

Delicious Italian food! The service was amazing, the atmosphere was cozy, and the food was delicious. Fresh baked bread was perfection.

Food was excellent You can't go wrong with any of your choices Definitely try to flour less chocolate cake 😁

The pasta was delicious and the service was excellent. The restaurant is a great choice when you are in the mood for Italian food. We had the Gnocchi Alfredo ($27.00) and the Neapolitan Lasagna ($27.00). There is easy parking on the side of the building.

Overall we had a good experience. There was one issue, the muscles we got, one did not open. There were only 3 on the plate, so 1/3 of them were bad. What concerns me is that the waiter said they could "help us open it"! My mouth hit the floor. If a muscle or clam does not open YOU DO NOT SERVE IT!! If others I know go back I will join them, but I have serious quality control and staff knowledge questions. Especially for something that can kill your patrons.

Food is superb and service is excellent. Menu is carefully curated. We were thrilled with everything. I wish I could eat more. I must come back to try more things.

Ambiance: The ambiance of this place was nice, low lit and cozy vibe. I love that they have their own parking lot. Service: We got really great service at this restaurant! The server was very attentive and provided really great suggestions. Food: We went for the Wednesday date night special which included an app, entree (for each person) and a bottle of wine & dessert to share for $75! This was a very great deal considering the amount of food we got! We ordered the house salad, ravioli, bucatini, white wine and tiramisu. We also tried the cannoli but wasn't a fan of the custard. Overall, the food was okay. It was a big portion which was perfect for sharing. Of the items that we got, I'd have to say the bucanti & tiramisu were flavorful and tasty.

I routinely have a mixed experienced at this place. Food: Always very good. I usually get a starter and the bucatini (spelling)? Service: It appears to me that depending on the waiter you receive; you have a bad or good experience. I have been 3-4 times in the past year. I can say that I usually have a waiter who is inattentive; acts like we or myself are a bother to be there, and I (or we) feel apologetic when he does bother to stop by the table. Frankly - it's exhausting to be a patron there with those kinds of waiters, because you are always on the lookout or feel a bother if you need something. Usually, all we need are refills or whatnot. On the other hand, I always here and see this very well spoken, energetic and attentive waiter every time I go there. I have never gotten him. This place is not cheap - ran me over 100 last time I went for myself and one other person. I shouldn't feel bad and kind of "duped" on service after paying that much. I always have a sort of disappointed, sad and angry feeling walking out of there, even though the food was good. Service really does matter. Recommendations: Training on providing (1) Kind; and (2) Attentive service for most wait-staff. Photos: Posted a photo of my food. Again - it was excellent!

I can't tell you how delicious this food was. The pasta was too die for but the sauces were so rich and filling! We couldn't even finish our food, and my brother took home a full meal of leftovers. So tasty.

I had dinner with 4 friends on a Wednesday night. The service was impeccable, the space is beautiful and the food is Italian, not American- Italian. My Negroni was huge! We tried the crackers with goat cheese and the calamari to start. I'm apprehensive to ever order calamari unless I can see the Ligurian sea, but it was surprisingly good. I also had the Warm Antipasto Salad and Gnocchi with Marinara. Both were outstanding. Others at the table had Sausage Ravioli and Linguine with Vongole. Everyone loved their food. I can also recommend the Lobster Ravioli and the Cioppino. They have a nice wine list with very fair prices. I need to eat here every week! And parking is easy.

The service was professional, the ambiance eclectic and the food superb! Very pleasant surprise!!!

We have always loved Biaggio. We have been going there for years. Their extensive menu always provides ample choices and the food, service and ambiance are great.

I have been here several times and recommended to many others. But last night I ordered my favorite Cioppino, and it was not goo. First of all the bread it came with was burned and left a horrible t in my mout. I asked for spicey but it came bland. It did not have crab or scallops only A few shrimp 3, a small piece of fish and three mussels. Very disappointing!

What a hidden gem!! I've driven past Caffe Biaggio countless times and I'm mad at myself for not trying it sooner. Be prepared for for fresh, delicious pasta and some of the best marinara sauce I've ever had. I've tried quite a few dishes here and they were all incredible. The potato gnocchi is soft and fluffy, paired perfectly with a creamy sauce. The Cioppino has so much flavor and was a huge portion and enough for two meals for me. They also have a great selection of wine and mixed drinks and a great dessert menu. I've tried the white chocolate bread putting and it was amazing. I've also had some sort of almond ice cream that was also very good. Service is always great and staff are very friendly. They also have a parking lot which is always a plus for me. This isn't your typical boojee Italian joint. It has more of a local feel with classic Italian recipes and I love it. It's one of those meals that you don't forget and constantly crave after trying. They also have some unique ties to Tony Bennet so you can read up on the history while you dine.

Every time I eat here I say, "why don't I come here more often?" In a perfect world, I'd eat here every day...

Excellent food, service and drinks. Great for small groups or just two. Highly recommended

Tuesday night is date night. We went for our anniversary and it was a fantastic evening! You each get soup or salad, main course, and dessert. Also a bottle of wine and bread is included with date night. This date night was super affordable compared to other multi coursed meals in the twin cities and it was delicious. We will definitely we returning on a Tuesday.

I love caffe biaggio! The last few times we've gone in, it hasn't been very busy so we could actually hear ourselves talk. It's a very different atmosphere from Bar La Grassa or Broders. Service has always been excellent. They take their time explaining the menu and are quick on offering you more warm bread. I have had the ravioli with sausage and really enjoyed it. My husband loves the bucatini! The menu isn't extensive but any of the pasta dishes will be good! There is a parking lot available for patrons which is awesome because university is always busy!

We ordered takeout and it was excellent. A complaint is that the person working the front wore a mask that was not covering her nose. It also fell off her mouth which prompted another customer to comment. PLEASE wear a better mask and wear it properly. We ordered 2 of the kits for 2. They come in divided containers and you just need to reheat and assemble. The Spaghetti and Meatballs had the most amazing and lightly textured meatballs. The Gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce was excellent. Both portions could have been larger for 2 people to share. The Blue Crab appetizer didn't look like much, especially after the hour drive home. I reheated in the oven and it was amazing. The Tiramisu was very good but the bread pudding was excellent. It was custardy on the bottom and had an excellent sauce.

Everything on the menu sounded delicious. We ordered the risotto balls as an appetizer and the marinara sauce raised them to a delicious level. My husband got the bucatini alla carbonara and said it was the best pasta he's had in the twin cities. It was so creamy and just the right portion size. I got the signature Cioppino dish and it was one of the top dishes I've ever had. The sauce was the star of the show. I could've just eaten the garlic bruschetta with the tomato sauce. The atmosphere was intimate but lively. The only negative comments I have are about the service we received once sat at our table. The waiter gave an audible sigh when we didn't order any wine and then neglected us the rest of our visit. Our waters were not refilled until we got our check. I saw other tables get baskets of bread, which we did not get, but I can't say if this was complementary or not. We will definitely be returning to try more of the menu and hopefully we will get better service.

Very intimate and romantic atmosphere, decent food and not-so nice service. 1. Reservation/wait time Never seen them full in the past, you can always find a table. I never made reservations no matter how big my party was. Always seated right away. 2. Food Food tastes good, but not exceptional. Very large portions. So the price looks somewhat high, but considering the sheer portion, this place is good. Typical Italian cuisine. Mussels- when I have over 5 or more of them not open, it makes me question the cooking. However, it tasted good and I didn't get sick, so it's good. Lamb- was really good! Lasagna: would not recommend, the sauce was nah. Lobster- quite good. I've had better, but would recommend it here. 3. Parking They have their own lot. 4. Service- bad They are simply put rude. I am not sure if they are running some sort of 'you-eat-whatever-i-cook regardless of my manners' service here. Okay I get you own the place and in a bad mood, but for god's sake, remember it is a service industry. Ruins the mood of the customers. There's no-nonsense service and there's rude and they're definitely pushing for the latter. Also, feel like they are quite racist. The neighboring table was very close to ours and the way they treat them versus us was significantly different. and those white couple only shared a dessert and drinks, whereas we ate and drank like pigs. For the amount of business we were bringing, could have been treated the same at least if not better. In short, I won't be coming back. I gave them 3 tries and I am done. I still won't mind eating here for the food, but the service is something I can't get passed.

This is a hidden gem if you like Italian food. The atmosphere is cozy and the food is authentic. We had the house salad and a bowl of tomato basil soup to start. This was the best tomato soup I've ever had. I would come back just for this. The spaghetti and meatballs is good, but there was too much sauce for the amount of pasta in my opinion. I had read reviews stating that the waiter was rude, which I thought the same thing at first. Turns out he speaks minimal English, so it is just a language barrier. I will be back for the soup and to try other pasta :)

Great little Italian restaurant. I ordered the clam chowder, arancines, and the carbonara. All were high quality and very delicious. I will definitely be back!

We came here last night for a family birthday. We called around 6:15 to place a reservation at 7 for 5 people and they could fit us in! amazing. We got calamari and the sausage/peppers for an appetizer. I got the spinach ricotta gnocchi and it was good! i did wish it came w/ bread to soak up the sauce, we ended up just asking for additional table bread for it and it was tasty! the rest of my family was all happy with their meals. they have cool cocktails as well. nice ambiance inside. they do seem a bit short staffed so i hope they can get more workers soon (:

I was so impressed by this place!! It doesn't look like anything fancy from the outside and it's not in a super walkable area but they make REALLY good pasta! I've tried a couple of their dishes including the bucatini carbonara and the basil ricotta gnocchi and really liked them both! I've also had the arancini which were also great! Also my orders for pick up were ready in under 30 minutes which was also impressive! Keep doing what you're doing, I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food here!

Bring your date here. Romantic! There must be a little old Italian lady in the kitchen. Her spouse must be the Italian man behind the bar who seats you. (You can tell he eats the noodles. lol) The reason I say this is because the food tastes like you are visiting someone in Italy! The servers are pro. Older gentlemen who know what good service looks and sounds like. So classy.

Overall experience was three stars due to differing reasons. Positives: There was a parking lot so you don't have to deal with street parking. The overall feel of the restaurant was really nice, paintings and fresh flowers on every table. Negatives: Service was suuuuuuuper slow. We waited a good ten minutes between having them take our plates away and receiving a check. There was only one other table with people in the restaurant so it was really shocking service was that bad. Food: I personally thought the food was a good basis to become better. The salad I had had a pool of dressing beneath it that really ruined it. Also, there was an insane amount of meat in comparison to the salad. The pasta my friend had was drenched in sauce. Overall, better control of sauces/dressing will elevate the food a lot. I also felt the food was *slightly* overpriced for what was received.

I've been here before and I love the atmosphere. I just came back from there. Please either retrain your staff or fire some of them. Two waiters tonight. One of them very nice and attentive. The way older man walking around didn't care or ask how our meal was or anything. I tried to call him twice and didn't answer. Also he got annoyed w my daughter because she kept trying to grab a glass for beer. He said well you pour it she won't let me do it. He came from nowhere to remove the goblets because weren't ordering wine. My dad and his wife ordered soda only and he brought just the cans. Not a glass or anything. He kept taking stuffs of the table without permission. I have been here before and this was a special occasion. I don't think I'll be coming back even tho the food is ok and I like the place. Service is awful.

I came here on a Monday afternoon with my boyfriend after the zoo since it was close by. We got there and it was pretty empty. The menu was small and there were no appetizers on it. We asked our waitress did they have any options for apps and she said they had 3 options for appetizer. I wasn't sure if they didn't want people to order apps and why it wasn't on the menu, but we were confused. Appetizer: We ordered the seafood stuffed mushroom caps. It came with 4 medium/large caps over a spring mix. These were soooo good and I think was 10 or 12 bucks. The table bread was nothing special to me. Entrée: I ordered the Bucatini alla Carbonara. The waitress recommended it and said it was very rich and warned us. I ordered it and she was right! It was very rich, but it did taste very good! I had to eat it with bread and stop for a little bit because the favor is so rich. My boyfriend ordered the orecchiette in pesto. It seemed undercooked and very chewy to me, but my boyfriend said that's the texture and that's how it was supposed to taste. I would not order it again! Service: She was good and everything came in timely manner, since it was dead. She kept asking if we wanted more water and more bread. I was getting kind of annoyed because I am so used to waiters giving us more bread if we were empty and more water instead of asking all of the time. Atmosphere: It seem like it was fancy or business casual. I was wearing leggings and a hoodie and seemed under dressed. It was small, but comfortable. I did like the atmosphere and they did have outside seating. It doesn't look like it could accommodate a big group, maybe better for smaller groups. Overall: 4/5. The prices were pretty fair and service was good. I would come here again maybe for dinner, but not for lunch.Next time I will try some dessert!

Had a chance to finally try CB for my moms birthday. The atmosphere was cozy and interesting with it's decor. The waiter was friendly but the food came out unorganized. Calamari appetizer came first and was good. We all received our salads next. Then one of us got our entree, a few minutes goes by then another dish came out, the wrong dish. Another 10 mins goes by while we waited for our dishes so we could eat together. There were 5 of us. In my opinion the food was average. The pasta (rigatoni) tasted like it was from a box! The Marsala, lasagna, gnocchi and flourless cake was all average nothing great. Tiramisu was delicious! I was really hoping to be blown away since all the reviews say otherwise but this human who use to live in Boston and ate in the North End many times was not impressed, if anything confused especially for the prices. Sorry.

Love, love, LOVE this restaurant. Perfect every time. Wonderful food and great service. Always a winner!

My family and I went to this restaurant on a Saturday evening at 5:00 pm. The food was amazing. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for our service. Our waiter never asked us if we wanted any additional cocktails or about how our meal was. We had to remind him to bring our bread and he did not come to clear our plates. And finally, we had to ask for our bill. If he had been friendly or apologetic, many of these things could have been excused, however, his demeanor was construed as rude. As a server, all of this is inexcusable. I am not cheap but only left a 10% tip. I told the hostess to reiterate this to our server. The hostess said they were understaffed. Again, all I want to hear is --- we are sorry. Ultimately, your server impacts your dining experience but I could not recommend this place based on our poor service.

1st time last Friday. Parking was a little challenging but could have been worse. No reservations, able to score a table in the bar area around 7 PM. Worried for a sec as the older gentleman who seated us was rather disgruntled that we had no reservation and had to move a stack of menus off of the table that was left. But then we got Jeff. Jeff was friendly and attentive. All around great service for the rest of the evening. The food was PHENOMENAL. Wow. Had the grilled romane salad, ravioli, lasagna (Neapolitan style) and chocolate moose dessert. Took the tomato basil soup to go. So glad I did. We will be back, and we'll make a reservation. Several got sent away while we were there (though reserved tables didn't re-fill - odd) including a group of 6 in town from NJ for Final 4.

We picked up a family order of vegetarian lasagna on Christmas Eve and it was absolutely fantastic! We liked it so much that we will get it in the future for sure! It was obvious that this was made by someone who cares about what they do. Thanks for a wonderful meal!

So we went back there tonight had an awesome meal, great food, good prices and the best waiter in St Paul MN.So i had the biaggio tomato-basil soup it was the best Tomato siup ive had.Then i had the home made bucatini alla carbonarathat was always superb Thank you, Basam and John D'Agostino Mama would be so happy to know that people love your restaurant and the food.

Food: 4 stars Service: 2 stars The food was great. I got the spaghetti with meatballs and it was very good, especially the meatballs (which I am somewhat particular about.) The service was not so great. We walked in and stood at the front waiting to be seated. Half of the restaurant was empty, they weren't very busy, yet we still waited for several minutes, to the point where we were considering leaving and going somewhere else. When I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs I asked for the meatballs on the side, because on occasion I've ended up not liking the meatballs and the taste gets into the sauce. The waiter looked at me like I had offended him, and replied "on the side?" In an incredulous and snobbish tone. Perhaps it's an unusual request, but given the simplicity of it, I found his response to be rude and unwarranted. We also waited several minutes for the check, even though the restaurant was even less busy than before. Verdict: the food is very good, but if you plan on asking for a spare napkin or water without ice, don't expect polite service.

I give this establishment a three stars. This is a beautiful establishment. The ambience and feel is delightful. The service was great. The waiter who served me was very friendly and professional. The only thing that stops me from giving this establishment a four or five is the food. I ordered spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were slightly dry and the sauce was watery. The meatballs had a great kick to it but it was ruined by the dryness of the meatballs. Also, the watery sauce lowered the quality of the dish. My dish was a letdown after the great service and atmosphere.

We are so thankful for Caffè Biaggios great service during the Corona Virus Crisis!!! They have a great deal for 30% off right now, and the food is worth well more than what is listed on the menu anyways. They even offered to deliver the meal themselves to our apartment. I had the hand made spinach-basil ricotta gnocchi and it was definitely the best gnocchi I've ever had!

First time here. Tried Muffeletta which was delicious but nothing really special to be $ 12. Don't miss their Amaretto tortena ice cream. It's wonderful.

Great service. Nice atmosphere. The food is very disappointing. My fiancée had the Veal Scaloppini which looked and tasted as though it had been boiled to death, then drowned in melted butter with capers. The lasagna was okay, but the gooey factor was non-existent. The pasta was also extremely thick and entirely indelicate. Boxed pasta from the supermarket is better. This was my second visit to this restaurant. My first experience was also culinarily disappointing, so I wanted to give it another shot. The reviews on here that exclaim this was the "best Italian food I've ever had" either don't know what Italian food is supposed to taste like or mistakenly reviewed this restaurant for another. Zero nuance to the food. The saving grace of the evening was our server. He was nice, intelligent, funny, but not overbearing as are so many servers in the industry today.

Wow Thank you for the invite John. Incredible veggie lasagne. Server Adel is awesome. Recommended a very nice red wine. Eneo 2009 from Toscana.

It's a charming place when you walk in, so my hopes were very high. After some deliberation, I ordered the pancetta wrapped trout. What a massive disappointment. There is no reason in the world to over complicate a piece of fish, but this place did just that, not only by wrapping it in an overly charred blanket of pancetta, but by stuffing the fish with lemons and an entire sprig of rosemary! It was difficult to eat and ultimately a very confusing dish. Served with an uninspired rice side made this one very forgettable meal.

Here we are ... great beer and wine menu ... regular menu was very complete with many great choices. Our server was a complete pro very attentive but not a pain. I had the spaghetti and meatballs which was very good angel hair pasta very good meatballs the portion was kind of small. The sauce was also very good as were the meatballs. The only thing was that the pasta was placed in the bowl before being well drained so it had water not mixing with the sauce... someone just needed to slow down two seconds and it would have been much better but over all 7 out of 10. My wife's short ribs were described as the best meal she has had in MN... now she is not overly generous with complements... I should know we're married 10 years But based on that alone you should make tracks down here.

The service here was appalling. I went last night with 6 friends to celebrate my birthday. The server was unhelpful and inattentive. I asked for a recommendation for a cocktail and was told to order a "vodka on the rocks." That's not exactly a cocktail or a helpful suggestion. It took over 30 minutes for the server to take our order. While doing so, he was unenthusiastic and rude to me and my guests. When the food came he offered Parmesan to everyone but me. I had ordered the veal scalopinne. When I asked for some he gave me a judgmental look and said "the Italians would not put Parmesan on the veal." I was shocked and asked that he do it anyway. He rolled his eyes at me as he grated the tiniest amount of Parmesan on my plate. It took a very long time to receive the bill and when we asked him to split it he got upset, said he'd thrown out our order sheet because we hadn't told him first and that we'd have to tell him what we had ordered. By the end of what was supposed to be a fun celebration I felt judged, mistreated, and hurt. This was the worst birthday dinner and one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. I will NEVER go to Cafe Biaggio again.

I was skeptical of the wonderful reviews, but this place has earned its greater than 4 star status. When I first hopped off the lightrail (there's a parking lot for car drivers, lightrail is what's convenient for me) I was thinking the neighborhood is a bit shady and the weird reptile store across the street didn't help. However, as soon as you walk into the place, it's a quaint setup that has way more space than you would expect just looking at it from the outside. I met up with a girlfriend for lunch and as soon as I saw the menu I immediately saw about 8 things I wish I could have ordered. We both ended up getting the same dish, the Capellini with Tiger Shrimp and an order of stuffed mushrooms to split. It was all heavenly and portions were more plentiful than I expected to get. Usually when I order stuff mushrooms they come in small caps with too few or one big cap and there's not enough. At Cafe Biaggio you get 5 medium sized caps that made for the perfect size appetizer to split between two people (though I'm pretty sure I could have eaten it all by myself). The Capellini came with 4 actual tiger shrimps - and if you don't know what a tiger shrimp is, look it up because they're huge! The capellini was a perfect lunch meal because it was so satisfying, but refreshingly light at the same time. I can't wait to go back and try more! And if you have a little bit of time to kill and are not scared to death of giant snakes and lizards, stop by across the street at the reptile store. It's like a reptile zoo exhibit, but you can buy the animals and take them home.

Italian cuisine that is sure to make you come back for more! Walking in for the first time, we start to notice the atmosphere and decor. Before we get a good look around we're greeted by a wonderful man that asks us how we're doing while he rests on a table with, most noticeably, a basket of reading glasses for the menu (not that the print is small, just a kind gesture!). We tell him that we'd like to look at the menu and, if possible, place a to-go order. He informs us of a discount for take-out and tells us that if we have any questions he'd be happy to answer them. Looking around, there's hand-crafted tiles (we later found out), beautiful art and murals, amazing light fixtures, and oh, the bar! The BAR! It's gorgeous! It has an awesome copper light fixture, real, antique wooden curio cabinet where they store the glasses (that you're actually served) and an AWESOME antique espresso machine (although they don't use it). We sit in the chairs located by the door and begin to peruse the menu. Try NOT drooling when reading it! We decide on an appetizer, salad, and some pasta. I go up to that same kind gentleman and place our order. I ask him for a dessert menu, as well. Sitting back down, the two of us start salivating over the choices and I think the gent noticed. He came over and asked if we had any questions or needed help. We ask his opinion and he mentions one that was in the top 2 for us, so we go for it. As we're waiting for our food, he comes over and starts to chit chat, very friendly, yet not pushy or overbearing (like some establishments I've been to). He tells us about his place (yep, that's right! The owner was the host!) He wasn't cocky or overconfident, just proud and matter of fact. We chat back and forth some more and I get up and sneak around for a few photos. If you noticed, which I did (and it makes a fantastic touch) there's linens on the table (hardly ever seen anymore) and FRESH FLOWERS in little vases at the table! Our food comes out and we pay a decent price and head home. The eating commences! First of all, they don't use styrafoam, Plus! That's always a good thing! The french baguette was a standard one. The beet, gorgonzola, walnut and mixed green salad was delicious! The dressing wasn't overpowering, but had a flavor that was just perfect! THEN! The GOAT CHEESE WITH FIG JAM AND PESTO served with sesame crackers was TO DIE FOR! Perfect form, just enough crackers, and nicely temperate, it just MELTED IN YOUR MOUTH! It was by far, my favorite of the meal! After that came the Beef braised in Borolo! The meat didn't need a knife and melted in your mouth, with wonderful sauce that had carrots and onions that still had crunch while being soft enough for the sauce. The noodles were cooked just right, but don't plan on saving them and them to not clump. They're real, This WILL HAPPEN. It's supposed to. We waited for a bit to settle our stomachs to make room for dessert. It was, BY FAR, the best Bread Pudding I've had in this state YET! The texture was exactly what it should have been, a portion just right for two and caramel sauce that got sweeter the more you dipped the bread pudding into the pool! Mmmmm. It was exactly the right thing to finish off the evening with! My new comfort food! To the owners and wait staff....you shall soon be seeing two more regular faces, as I'm undoubtedly sure you have a few already! Congrats on being our new Italian favorite! All in all....You should eat there. Or, miss out on some of St. Paul/Minneapolis's finest!

Totally pleasant outdoor dining, exceptionally astutely timed service, and delicious food. The outdoor space is right on busy University Ave., but the fence seemed to muffle the noise so that it seemed quieter and more private than the inside dining. I had the flank steak, my son had the three cheese ravioli. Both salad offerings were fine, the wine list was reasonable, the dessert list varied. A fine meal in a convenient location, with excellent service. We'll go back.

Wow! What a little gem. Took a group of 6 here on a Friday night. They don't take reservations anymore, so we were a little concerned about getting a table, but were seated right away. Our waiter was absolutely phenomenal. Great service. One person in our party is vegan and the waiter was extremely patient and helpful in trying to find something that would suit a vegan diet. The owner, John, came and visited our table more than once to see how our meal was. Everyone ordered drinks/entrees and the overwhelming consensus was good. I had the lobster risotto, which I would go back for immediately. Others ordered the bucatini, walleye special, cioppino and chicken limone. The portions are very big, so the price is right. We'll definitely be back!

We stopped here due to the 4.5 star rating on Yelp. We couldn't agree more with the high rating. My husband had the lobster roll, which was presented on a hot dog bun like it is supposed to be. The celery was diced and mixed in the lobster perfectly. I had the spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were great. We got our food very quickly and the wait staff was professional and helpful.

We took two mothers to brunch on Mother's Day including my 79-year-old mom. On arrival, we were whisked past lovely window-side tables to the very back corner of the restaurant, that turned out to be cozy and quiet and allowed my mother to participate in all the conversation. Bingo. The service was great! Everybody ordered something different so I got to sample more than what I ordered - the Torta Rustica (fantastic); and the chicken rustica that one of my companions ordered I almost embarrassed myself by thinking I could lick that plate clean. They have their own parking lot so don't worry about the light rail construction. It's worth a u-turn if required to get there.

Best Italian food in the twin cities! Love the spaghetti and meatballs! The carbonara is also another of our favorites the bacon is so delicious! Please try this restaurant and you will not regret it!

Great Italian restaurant. Loved the cozy atmosphere and the service was superb! We were a party of 5 and we all had different entrees and they were all equally delicious. We all agreed we would return again! And the tiramisu was decadent!

Absolutely LOVED THIS PLACE! Mom took me for my birthday. Very quaint patio with perfect shade. Even though you are right on University Ave it does not feel that way. Definitely a plus having a parking lot! Food was reasonably priced, drinks were reasonably priced. The food was beautifully presented and tasted sooo good! Definitely going back....

"Hands down, The best Italian food I've ever had in Minnesota." - my Italian boyfriend We had a wonderful experience here and I love that the menu changes quarterly, so we can come back and try something new at least 4 times a year! This is the best kept secret of St. Paul and their authenticity to true Italian food is wonderful (not much "Americanized" menu options). We ordered the arancine for our appetizer, which is deep fried risotto filled with mozzarella, and if our entrees weren't coming we would have ordered seconds! We enjoyed the gnocchi and veal medallions (melted in your mouth) for dinner and were so full we almost didn't get dessert! Alas, we could not pass it up. We ordered the almond semifreddo and had to resist from licking the plate! Can't wait to go back!

I hate to give this place anything less than five stars but the service was terrible. The server we had has to have been working there forever so it was a total shock how bad the service was. Asked for more tea and they brought more hot water...like an extra tea bag would be a total burden. We asked you split or main course our waiter said he would have no idea how that would work! Then when we asked to have separate bills...the response was..."Hell I can't do that!" Seriously! The food was good a bit bland but the atmosphere was charming with lots of locals. Overall it's worth your time if youre in the neighborhood...just don't ask for anything!