04/20/08

Food terrific, service atrocious

by PoetLariat

One of the best Italian meals we have had. But that said, we will probably never go back. Our party of 7 sat for over 30 minutes before any bread was brought to the table, and then after 15 minutes I had to flag a busboy to get our waiter (who was never further than 15 feet from our table in this tiny restaurant) to come over to take our orders. We also object to any but the toniest of 4-star restaurants who cannot provide a decent wine under $35. This is totally absurd, especially for a place as big as our living room, with no ambience, located in a strip commercial building.

That said, we highly recommend the roasted chicken in linguine with shiitake mushrooms in a madeira sauce, and the gnocchi with shrimp and linguine. Even the shaved parmesan was top notch. My wife was also impressed with the caesar salad, especially after requesting an extra anchovy, they brought out a virtual string of fish.

Please, Cafe, hire some waiters who will do your fantastic chef the appropriate service. And provide a reasonably priced vin ordinaire.

• Pros: The FOOD!!!
• Cons: The indifferent waiters!

09/13/07

They've slipped . . .

by figlittle

Cafe Torre has slipped. Everyone in our party had dined here before, so we expected the food, service, and ambience to be on par w/our last experience and Cafe Marcella in Los Gatos, which is where Vince Torre got his start.

Our welcome was not a warm welcome, nor were the wait staff friendly. We were ignored while other late-comers were served first while we waited and waited and waited. While we waited, we had plenty of time to notice the soiled table cloth which apparently had been used by the last evening's dinner guests.

When our food finally was served, the server knocked over a glass of water and offered no apology. Start to finish, the entire experience was a dismal disappointment, including the ladie's room, which could definitely use some sprucing and a bit more light.

• Pros: location
• Cons: service, lack of cleanliness, unappetizing food

01/25/07

fresh medittaranean food!

by j_guzzetta72

i have no idea what restaraunt some of these reviewers are talking about. Every time i go to Cafe Torre I'm greeted nicely and seated promptly. I usually order the seafood pasta and nothing was bland about it! the shrimp and clams were really fresh and the pasta was perfectly al dente. If your looking for something on par with Olive Garden then i reccomend going somewhere else. The prices are fair considering the caliber of ingredients used, its obvious that all the food is freshly prepared and not stored in a freezer until someone orders it. The extensive wine list was impressive and the wine tasting option is great for dinner with appetizers. This is one of my favorite italian restaraunts in the bay area from its delicious food to its exceptional interior. The food is really authentic italian/medittaranean seeing as how the owner hails from coastal Croatia ( right across the adriatic from italy) I reccomend this place for dates or family nights out.

• Pros: Fresh Ingredients, Quant Interior, Attentive Serive, Personable Staff
• Cons: Picky eaters may not find what theyre looking for, busy on weeknights