Cafe Carolina

10/08/09

The best Italian anywhere

by csolyn at Citysearch

My family owned an Italian cafe so I don't spend money on Italian food. When you know how to make everything from scratch, and grew up eating the stuff 7 days a week for years it tends to be something you don't seek out.

BUT, I had a friend tell me she loved Cafe Carolina's gnocchi. Well...making gnocchi is hard and time consuming. So I was like, let's go! I am sure glad I did because this food is unlike ANY Italian I've ever experienced. It had hints of Southern France and notes of Spain. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is home made including all the pasta, the bread, the desserts...well you get the idea.

Specials change weekly and I have a few that I check the website for so I don't miss out. Entrees tend to run no more than $18, and a corking fee is only $3. The place is small so be sure to call ahead.

• Pros: Fine food, excellent prices, friendly enviornment
• Cons: Make a reservation the place is small!

08/27/09

Amazing food

by MED at Citysearch

I love this place. Every time we take friends and family, they love it! My dad has been to the best restaurants that money can buy any he said his dish was the best he has ever had.

I always order the same thing because it is so good. I order the house salad (very tasty), Thomas pasta (incredible chicken meatballs), Buttera pasta (to take home and enjoy later), my own red wine ($3 corking charge?!?), and Tiramasu for desert (the best in the Valley).

You have to try it!

• Pros: The food. The service. The price.
• Cons: It is not closer to my house.

11/18/08

Simply the Best Italian

by DivineNTD at Citysearch

This is not your normal Italian food that's easy enough to just cook yourself at home. This is exotic Italian with perhaps a touch of French. We order 3 or 4 entries every time we go, and take home leftovers to eat the next couple days.

The only meal that was the slightest bit disappointing was the Lasagna, but if you're going to someplace special order something special.

Oh, and the chef is writing a book!

• Pros: Italian with a touch of Awesome!
• Cons: some dishes are plain

01/27/08

Decent meal at a small, quiet cafe

by valueman at Citysearch

This is a small restaurant, about a dozen tables, so make sure you have a reservation. Not much in the way of ambience -- white tablecloth with a 'drawing paper' cover, black chairs with pads...the basics. The food was pretty good - we had duck, fish, and chicken. Fish was the best of the three, prepared in parchment, with olives, capers, tomatoes. I didn't care for the chicken, though it sounded very interesting. When I tried it, the chicken was dry. The duck was pretty good. Liked the polenta and the broccoli was crisp and flavorful. Desserts we had were the cheesecake and tiramisu - both were excellent. Cheesecake has marscapone, adds a wonderfully light texture. So, not much ambience, o.k. food, service, and there's no liqour - they charge a $2 corkage fee (go figure...they don't have any alcohol to serve, so why the fee???...). I didn't bicker. Overall service was o.k.

08/12/07

It's all in the execution..

by olaviniao at Citysearch

This place was a disappointment. The menu looked great.. organic fare.. I was really hopeful. But this restaurant seriously lacked execution. I hope the owner reads this and either has a good talking-to with his chef or just gets another one. Advice #1.. don't serve a sirloin steak un-sliced. It's not a terribly tender meat but can be a cheaper cut done very well but it must be sliced across the grain when served. And also in addition get better steak knives!! Trying to hack away at sirloin fabricated filet-style was a joke. Someone needs a lesson in execution here.. get that right and this could be a gem.