Heather C.
Yelp
After a day in Provo, I decided it was time for some dinner. When La Dolce Vita came up, I immediately decided I wanted to go there. Parking was super easy when I was here but I could see it being a problem for other people, as there isn't really a designated lot for patrons at this restaurant. I was a little bit early so I had to wait for them to open. Then I was the first one in the doors that day.
I was immediately greeted by a server who took me back to a table. If there was one good impression I had, it was the service. They were really nice throughout the entire interaction.
I decided to treat myself to a drink, so I got a raspberry italian soda. It was actually really good and a decent portion. However, knowing what we know about Swig and everything else, I would say $4.50 for the drink was a bit steep. For the dinner, I chose to get the entree with a combination of two pastas of your choice. I chose the alfredo pasta and the gnocchi. It also came with an appetizer of your choice and I chose the minestrone soup.
After my drink came out, they brought me a basket, wrapped in foil, with a piece of sliced bread in it. I appreciate the gesture but it came across really unauthentic. Unless I am at a Denny's, it is a bit weird to get a slice of bread. Usually, if it is some kind of appetizer, it is a basket of rolls or breadsticks. The minestrone came out next and it was given to me shortly after ordering. Similar to the bread, it was super unauthentic and just didn't come off very classy. It was in a flavorless broth, with what I am convinced was cans of mixed vegetables--the ones you get at the dollar tree that have potatoes, carrots, and corn in them. The noodles also tasted tough and tasted a bit old honestly. I hate to say it, but most soups at home, even ones from a can, tasted better than their minestrone. The entree also came out really quickly, but followed the trend of everything else. The alfredo tasted like it was from a can and just overall, the whole meal felt like it was lacking tremendously in flavor.
I am trying to word it as softly as I can, but in case you have not been able to gather this yet; I did not like the food. I left thinking, "I genuinely cannot think of a time that I have had worse food". This makes me so sad because I went into the restaurant with high hopes and tried so hard to like it. This business has been around for so long and I hope they still are around for years to come. The location is great, they have lots of seating, and the customer service is wonderful. They need a rebrand and they need to transform into a more authentic, fresh restaurant. Even that one chain that has an Olive in it makes their alfredo/soup/etc in house. Granted, I completely understand that the inventory has to come from somewhere but seasonings and fresher ingredients can go a long way. People rarely crave canned items, especially when they are treating themselves to eating out.
Unfortunately, I would not go back and eat the food. I would love to see the servers again. I would love to have the fun atmosphere in the restaurant again. I hope they have some kind of restructure of their menu and make their menu items more "homemade"--I'd be back in a heartbeat.