Pasta Paradiso
180 Spear St
(between Howard St & Mission St)
San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 227-1616
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
61 Reviews for Pasta Paradiso
One of Pasta Paradiso's Favorite Reviews
Talk about a go-to. This is my favorite lunch spot go-to. Today's menu - (like alot of days) was the chicken parm sandwich. It's big, it's hot, it's melted mozzarella is fresh and all on the softest roll you can ask for. Side salad with balsamic vinaigrette is the perfect balance (especially when trying to stay away from fries).
And if it's not a chicken parm sandwich - it's usually one of their salads. The large spinach (add chicken) is phenomenal. Italian bacon, tomatoes, feta, pine nuts... heaven. OR.... they always have two salad specials. The Mango Chicken with walnuts or the Strawberry Artichoke are both phenomenal... & also a major go-to!
I always call ahead or fight the hungry line to pick up & take back to the ofifce.
Top it all off though - they cater too. I've had them help with two separate (& important 30+ person events) and they were an absolute breeze. Food was hot, prepped perfectly, serving utensils, & some extra bread & dessert. You can't ask for more. Ask for Paul. He'll do your event right. :)
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I came here for lunch last week and had the spaghetti bolognese.
Atmosphere - like how they have outdoor seating, though it's a little cramped during the rush hour
Entree - A little too salty and the sauce was a bit runny. However, the portion size was huge
Service - My entree came out a full 10 minutes later than my 2 companions, which was a little strange, as I ordered before them
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We came for lunch today and as always the service was fast and the food was good.
I had the fusili with chicken and sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms...yummy. My friend had the baked lasagna and it was good too. Our other friend had the penne arrabbiata which was my least favorite of the three but still good, it had a good little kick to it.
The ceasar salad was just okay but the pasta dishes are always super delicious!
The ratings for this place really baffle me. Is it only reviewed by people who work near the Rincon Center and are incapable of walking more than a block to eat lunch? If you're idea of normal Italian food is ravioli out of a can, then I can understand why you think this place is good. In fact, it's only slighter better than ravioli out of the can.
I mean, really, guys, you live in San Francisco. I understand the Italian food might not compare to Italy but c'mon, there's so much better out there. Do you really think Pasta Paradiso deserves 4 stars compared to Delfina? Let's think about this.... Um... NO!
The pasta here was less than half-hearted, it was pretty no hearted in the preparation. The ravioli looked and tasted like it was out of a can, which was corrobated by the fact it wasn't even warm. The other pasta was okay but was tossed with chewy meatballs, definitely a sign that they were frozen out of a package and not home made. I make meatballs at home and they are chewy in that meaty way, not the rubbery way that is indicative of preservatives.
I can say I will never come here for lunch again.
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I went here for lunch a few days ago with my boss. We ordered our food and they quickly brought out bread. I went to take a big bite of bread the bread and found a large clump of cooked blond hair. I am a brunette. It wasn't my hair. The hair had been cooked. EEEEEW!
When the server brought our meals I showed him the bread. He took it away and disapeared. Never to be scene from again. Not even to see if we needed anything else.
Normally I would have made a bigger deal out of the situation but my boss had taken me out to lunch (very kind of her). It was absolutely ridiculous that a manager didn't come out and speak with me.
Even if the hair-bread incident hadn't happened I still wouldn't eat here again. The pasta that we both had was watery and lacked flavor. The only upsides were that they had out door seating and served food quickly. I WOULD NEVER EVER EVER EAT HERE AGAIN! IT WAS TERRIBLE!!!!!
6/13/08: You can't go wrong here, I've had many items on the menu when I once worked in the neighborhood. I could only stomach their minestrone soup today (getting over a hangover) and one bite of the bread. The soup was great, simple fresh and hit the spot. A couple of friends ordered their daily pasta special (grilled fish over pasta) and another salmon red sauce dish, both looked and smelled great. Come early otherwise you won't get a table...
I love this place. It's yummy pasta for a very reasonable price (under $10 for a heaping bowl of goodness!) with great service. Everyone is so friendly and they bring out your food almost instantly! The pasta is a great bang for your buck, and I've enjoyed everything I've tried up till now (gnocchi, spinach ravioli, and spaghetti). When I'm in the mood for a hearty meal, Pasta Paradiso is where I go! No, it's not the best pasta you can find in the city - but during lunch hour in the Financial District, it hits the spot.
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This type of place reminds me of why SF the perfect city.
I went here for the first time today for lunch and it was delicious. I ordered the Raviolli della Casa and it was so flavorful that it was the equivalent to fancier restaurant servings. That's saying a lot for this town. Ingredients tasted fresh - not packaged or canned. Trust me, there's a huge taste difference.
You seat yourself and they serve food quickly so our lunch group was out of there before the lunch hour was over. We didn't even feel rushed.
No other city in the US could give you such yummy-ness for under $10!
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I've tried the Chicken Parmesan and the vegetarian sandwich (has eggplant), both equally great! Everyone I take there really likes the food. Great prices, good people and they always hook you up. Great place!
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I go to Pasta Paradiso every Wednesday for their Mango, Chicken, Avocado salad. It is so good, that even a salad-hater like me finishes every last bite!
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Immortalized in our office as "Stinky Bar" from its previous incarnation, where they used to set up a smorgasbord of all kinds of grossness right by the window, Pasta Paradiso is awesome.
It saddens me that the first place in SF that says "The Usual?" when I walk in is a restaurant, but at least they're saying it about their HH.
On the rare occasions that we eat here, everything's always really good, but I like the fact that they're so friendly and always throw in a cookie with your order, and the fact that they stay open later than usual for a place in the financial district.
Give me Stinky Bar over sceney Cosmopolitan any day.
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Oh boy, where else can you get good pasta in SF for under $7? And in the SOMA? The best part is that your plate of pasta is huge. I'm going to have to come when I don't bike, or when I'm super hungry, because I always feel horrible throwing away food. One thing though, they should really update their website (happy hours) because apparently it starts at 4pm now.
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Umbrella - $13.00
Rainboots - $17.95
Hot lasgane on a rainy day - $7.87
There is nothing priceless here.
Sure, it was pretty good at the time. And I think I got a lesser impression because any sort of takeout tastes worse than it would it would if it had been on a plate. I'll probably go again, but I wouldn't take a date. And maybe I won't order something so heavy.
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I went here for lunch today and serendipitously found myself sitting next to an old friend. We had both chosen the place as the perfect place to sit and read and relax over a solo lunch. In the heart of the FiDi but off the beat and track enough that none of coworkers ever seem to go there (one of us is a govt employee and one is a yuppie lawyer).
This is basic Italian cafe food. Nothing too spectacular but nice and cozy. Every table gets a bread basket and the guys who runs the place is oozing good vibes and hospitality. The food is pretty good and comes in good size portions, but it's nothing to rave about.
There are also a few outdoor tables for those rare sunny days.
Summary -- nice break from the busier louder lunch places in FiDi with decent but not spectacular food.
This place is good, but it is missing the last two stars for two reasons:
*their quality sometimes is inconsistent
*sometimes I don't like what I order, at all
Other than that, because it is a lunch place near my work, I go frequently. I do have gripes, but I understand why certain things are the way they are. It is always packed, and for a good reason too I think.
My favorite pastas are:
*Penne a la Vodka
*Arrabiata (with extra pepper please!)
My favorite salads are:
*Greek Salad
*Tuna Salad (sans anchovies)
The soup is never that good to me, and the vegetable pasta was down right gross when I got it. It is nice to go with a couple friends though, because sometimes they throw in a slice of tiramisu for free to share! :) Good place, just not spectacular.
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I've been here twice so far. The service is usually fast and I love its bread basket (and I'm usually not a fan of bread). I love how they toasted it beforehand so it's nice and warm. The first time I came, I wasn't particularly hungry, and ordered the strawberry salad (i believe it had spinach, strawberry, walnut, apple, chicken and some sort of cheese served with some very basic balsamic vinaigrette of some sort). It was pretty subpar and the chicken was quite dry. I could've easily made it myself with the ingredients. I tried some of other ppl's plates, and it seemed typical.
The second time, I had the Tricolouri Plate, it has cheese ravioli in a tomato based sauce, gnocchi in pesto, and fuscili in a cream sauce with chicken. It tasted much better, although not spectacular, just typical Italian cafe type. At the end though, the waiter gave us tiramisu on the house which was a great pleasant surprise. The tiramisu was great, esp when it's free, so that was the highlight of the dinner.
Overall, it's a great place to eat when you're on the go, good portions, and the food is what you'd expect of these type of Italian cafes, not great but good enough for a simple quick meal.
Italian or Spanish?
I wondered how to commemorate Columbus Day, which is today on the business calendar and this Friday on the historical calendar.* After all, Columbus was a sailor from the Republic of Genoa, but he immigrated to Castile in 1486, became an Admiral, a Governor, and a Viceroy of Spain through his accomplishments, and is now entombed in Seville.
In deference to the Italian community, I visited Pasta Paradiso. I ordered spaghetti with meatballs and a Coke, for $8.95 + tip. After all, this staple of the Italian highway was only made possible through the discovery of the tomato in the New World.
A hearty bowl of spaghetti Bolognese (meat sauce, not meatballs) was happily heated and served by an all Spanish-American staff. (No Italians in sight.) That mix-up seemed appropriate, as Christopher Columbus himself was sure to his dying day that he was conquering India.
The spaghetti was moist, with soft noodles in a tomato broth. It was exactly what I would expect in a fast-food store.
---------------
*But the stock market was open and I worked today.
Note to self: wash shirt immediately when I get home.
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Unfortunately my food tasted horrible in comparision with the price. My goodness did it taste like melted plastic. The waiter I had was rude. I came here regularly however the quality appeared to deteriate each time I eat here. Will not come again. You've been warned.
Pasta Paradiso is pretty good. I went with the Penne Rustica, which actually had a little kick to it! The only negative comment I'd say about the restaurant is that it's very small. We had a table located nearly right next to the register. Although my chair faced away from the line that went out the door, my coworkers and I felt rushed to eat and get out of there as quickly as possible. Anyways, I think we'll make it back there again sometime soon, perhaps at an earlier time before the rest of the lunch crowd.
"Oh think twice, its another day for
You and me in Paradiso
Oh think twice, its just another day for you,
You and me in Paradiso..."
Actually it's not another day...today was the first day I tried this place even though I pass by it on the way to my bus every day. It's always filled with happy hour revelers since beers are only $2.50 and martinis for $4.50. Say, that's not a bad deal.
But I was here for a lunch with colleagues I don't know that well. Pasta is actually a high-risk venture for anyone trying to look corporate since you can't quite be yourself. I am not what you call a cautious eater. That's why I have Tide sticks - one in my desk at work, one in my kitchen at home, one in my jacket pocket. I am a world-class spot producer no matter how careful I try to be. Today was sadly no exception.
The overhead menu is a bit overwhelming the first time you see it, and the prices are not that obvious either. Oh and people are waiting behind me. Decisions, decisions...and the pressure to be decisive in front of my co-workers. I felt a drip of perspiration sidling down the small of my back. OK, OK...I ordered the $8.45 Fettuccine di Mare, and I was given the choice of tomato or white wine sauce.
My brain tried to process the information. Tomato...red...bad. White wine...white...can't tell. OK, white wine. The three of us sat at a table waiting for our orders, and my bowl came stocked with clams over fettuccine noodles dripping in the wine sauce. Oh man, I'm in trouble. Not only do I have to shuck the clams, but I have to avoid the perils of the watery sauce. I keep staring at my shirt after every bite.
The pasta bowl was actually quite good, so hearty that I actually paid attention to the conversation instead of my shirt. By meal's end, I was relaxed but oh, there it is...three successive spots on the left side of my chest. Damn. When the hell did that happen? I tried to conceal it with my hand in what I though was a nonchalant manner. I realized I looked palsied when one of my colleagues offered to call 911 for medical attention. Oh man, where's my Tide stick? Damn, I left it in my jacket pocket.
As I left the restaurant looking like I was doing the Pledge of Allegiance forever, I thought I'd definitely come back if I could just remember to bring my own bib. Nothing says corporate authority like wearing a bib. But the bigger dilemma is what the hell am I gonna do for my 500th review?
FOOD - 4 stars...good, unadventurous pasta...but bring the spot remover, you pig
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...not much on decor, but it is for the working set after all.
SERVICE - 4 stars...actually very helpful once I got over my menu overload anxiety
TOTAL - 4 stars...a solid alternative for lunch and happy hour if you can find a table
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I liked Pasta Paradiso! I yelped this place for a dinner out with friends and it wasn't too shabby, although the menus are WAY outdated.
Their prices are pretty average (about 9-14 dollars per entree) and it tasted fine. We didn't end up finishing it because the portions were good-sized. We ended up sharing with each other because there was no way I was going to finish my spaghetti dish. The taste wasn't anything above average, but it was decent.
However, their staff was really nice and I liked their bread basket. I think it's a good place to chill with friends for a cozy lunch or dinner because it allows for conversation and privacy at the same time.
OH! And they gave us a free slice of strawberry cheesecake for dessert. That was really nice (and yummy).
Pasta Paradiso? More like Pasta Parablando! Some coworkers invited me to join them for lunch, saying they had a fantastic pasta lunch here recently. Boy, was I (as were they) disappointed! I ordered the fusilli paradiso, another ordered spinach ravioli with a pesto sauce, and another ordered a chicken pasta dish with sun dried tomatoes. We all commented how bland our meals were! I tried adding salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and even red pepper flakes to no avail. It was so bad/bland that I didn't bother finishing it. My coworker asked what I could do to improve it & I said to throw it away!
What's surprising is that the place got packed & there was a line out the door. Based on my experience I won't go back again. Perhaps it was an off day or the regular cook was out, but I don't want to spend money on a place where I already had a less than positive experience.
Ah, Pasta Paradiso. I love this place. It's close to my work and is a great place to come for a quick but good bite. I adore the chicken salad with mango and blue cheese- yum! Also, the bread is great to take back to the office and snack on later... I'm definitely guilty of the afternoon hunger.
Overall, this place is friendly, very reasonable and never takes too long! Great in my book.
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I would give this place 3.5 if I could. The pasta is fresh and the prices are good. It's a bit crazy during lunch time, but a really nice, quiet place for dinner. I have been here twice and ordered pasta dishes both times (one tomato and one cream sauce). And both times, my dishes were just okay. I feel like my dishes lacked flavor and a memorable taste. I had to add salt and pepper and cheese just to make it taste like something good. The staff were very friendly and I would definitely go back, but not nearly the best pasta I've had...maybe the marsala is better?
This is a fabulous Italian Cafe type of restaurant. Very busy and noisy during lunch but as far as I am concerned that does not diminish the wonderful food being served. The tomato soup on Monday is the best in the world. The bruschetta is scrumptious and so are the salads and pastas. I have eaten there dozens of times and never tire of tasting their very versatile menu. nancy
This place is the best neighborhood Italian cafes that there could be. I used to eat here almost every night - living at the Rincon. Great affordable food, great service and a very friendly manager.
I just grabbed lunch at Pasta P, and I was pleasantly surprised.
The gents behind the counter were friendly and helpful and the food came out so fast that I thought they must have the wrong table.
The bread and butter was generic yet appreciated, but the pasta was spot on what I wanted, and portion sizes are ample. Thick, viscous alfredo sauce that was more about the cheese than the cream, and gnocchi that were plump and tasty. Better than anything you can buy in a store, but I still like the gnocchi I make better. They have a fairly large menu as well as a long daily specials list that should not be overlooked.
The room is very clean and it was busy, but not so much that I couldn't get a table at 1:00. They also provide outdoor seating which must be great on a warm, sunny day.
I was genially thanked three times before I could cross the fifteen feet from my table to the door, and as I glanced back, they had already cleared the table before I walked out onto the sidewalk. Fast, efficient and friendly service, coupled with hot, hearty food makes this place a great spot to do lunch in the Financial District.
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If you are considering this spot for lunch do yourself a favor: walk a block down the street to Walgreens and get a can of SpaghettiO's instead. The food here tastes as if this is what the cooks have done anyway, so it will save them a trip too.
If the food doesn't scare you away the crowd definitely will. There are quite a few large law firms and corporations in the area, and this seems to be the place where all of the interns go for lunch. I prayed for my cochlea to uncoil as I stood among the crowd of H&M clad 20-somethings constantly spouting "likeohmygod" and "that's hot" and "ilikesototallylovethisplace" in the 5 minutes I waited for my food.
I went to this place based on Yelp reviews and the recommendations of my co-workers, all of whom raved about how cheap and wonderful it is. Maybe I'm just frugal and critical, because I felt this place was a rip-off -- veg arrabiata for $9! -- and gross.
Two stars for the friendly service and for the pleasant outdoor seating area.
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I have walked past this place a few times.I usually have one thing on my mind.Ahem,sushi from across the way or something else.
Moving forward I had a change of heart the other day and thought I would eat something from here.The menu is rather large.I couldn't decide and I wanted to make a choice quickly because people were behind me and it felt they were breathing down the back of my neck.I handled it with grace,because they were probably hungry like myself.
Some pasta w/side of salad,bread and butter about $10.I didn't eat the bread,but the salad was ok and the pasta was FILLING.
A few choices for the not so sure hungry explorer.
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Yes..I worked here too. Jeez, it's hard to find a place that I haven't put a two month cameo in.
Um, yeah, I was the cashier shouting "next!" Anyway, the food is great for being a quick, cheap, hole the wall stop.
Recommendations?
# 2, 4, 8 and 9, 12, spinach salad no pinenuts please... Chicken picata and grilled Salmon. Hmm. Skip the lasagnes and definitely get a soup if Vincente made it.
And Alex, my gay love, works there. Tip him bitches!
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So I had the daily special for lunch. A rigatoni with bacon, mushrooms, something else in pink sauce. Oh my goodness, it was great! Bread was also on the table. It might have tasted so good because I was starving but hey, that's my fault.
I'll be honest, I didn't know what I was ordering because I didn't grow up eating italian. Well, I had pasta and pizza, that's it. But next time I come here, I feel like I can close my eyes and point and whatever comes out will be right on. To be continued...
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Good food but not great. Affordable food but not cheap. Solid pastas, great for a casual dinner in SOMA.
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You can eat at Pasta Paradiso for at least a month straight and have something different to eat each day. They have a very good selection of different pasta dishes which is perfect for a quick lunch. Orders take about 10 minutes to prepare so its convenient to call in your order if you are doing take out.
I've tried at least 5 different pasta dishes which were all a little bland but satisfying. Just stay away from the Turkey Lasagna, one bite of that and you may not wanna come back.
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Quick! It's 12:30 and your stomach has imploded, creating a massive black hole sucking your will to live. Why did I go on that 18 mile run last night? Where am I going to find 1,000,000 calories for under $8? Is that homeless man peeing on the street?
Pasta Paradiso is THE BEST carbo-loading lunch spot in the Financial District. The daily special salads are excellent and the Fuscilli con Pollo is so filling that even your Mom couldn't eat the whole thing. Top it off with a little bread and a cookie from Specialty's down the street and you're ready for a cat nap (I take frequent cat naps). Bring (or be) a cute girl and the wait staff are likely to bring you a complimentary desert.
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awww...
sooo...
goood..
and cheap. A nice, scrumtious, mango, avacado, walnut salad for only $8. and then.. i was about to leave. but behold. the stud waiter brings free cheesecake to the table! that was the first time i have ever received free cheese cake for anything but bad service:)
thanks for being mi paradiso for a night
I had lunch here with Pirate T a couple of weeks ago. Reasonable prices, good, although unmemorable food, HOT bus-boy. I'd probably frequent this place if I worked nearby, but wouldn't go out of my way to visit unless to have lunch with a friend or to fantasize about the sexy floor-staff....
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I had lunch here today. I'll come here again the next time I am ready for food coma after lunch. Definitely not a South Beach diet friendly place. :D
The menu board had no prices, so at first it was a bit scary. But after we asked and realized that most pasta dishes were around $7, we ordered and looked forward to our meals.
The decor of the place was nice. Small, cozy and nicely decorated, made the place feel very much like a restaurant instead of an order at the register and wait for ur food place like it really was.
The portions were big. We ordered: gnocci, spaghetti, and lasagna. I had the lasagna, which was huge and yummy. The only problem was that it came out much later than my coworkers' gnocci and spaghetti so they were almost done (we were all starving).
Anyway, I am still combating my overeating and food coma even as I write this now so I won't be revisiting them soon but will definitely go again!
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Date: 4/27 Ate lunch at PP, and it was good. I ordered #8 which was penne with italian sausage. I will give props for the service though. The food came out in less than 5 minutes, and we were served with bread and water almost immediately (granted it was 2:30pm in the afternoon, but still the staff was def on top of their stuff).
The food on the otherhand didn't make my mouth water, but for the price, it was certainly a good deal. I will give it another try and update my score once i've had another try at some new dishes.
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Got a hankerin' for good Italian food on the cheap? This is your spot then because Paradiso is easily one of the best financial district sit-down (or take-out) eateries in the area.
Their standard alfredo dishes have a sauce made with egg and really quite thick cream, and there's parmesian cheese on every table - lay it down and you have the thickest alfredo sauce I've been able to find short of fancy-pants restaurants. It's delicious. Depending on what you like, you can get it with grilled chicken, plain, with crushed red pepper, or thick-cut bacon (carbonara). I love the bacon, but beware - their bacon is very salty so if you're not ready for it that might put you off. Their pasta for these dishes are always slightly al dente, which is how I like it - no soggy noodles for me, thanks!
Their Chicken Parmesian and other sandwiches are valiant efforts, tasty and big enough, but they're clearly second cut to the fork and knife meals.
On the sidewall, there are pictures showing their specials of the day. The variety is astounding for financial district eating - mussels, pesto, salmon steaks, gnocchi - you never know what's going to be up there, but you're almost guaranteed it'll be good. It's also really nice to see a photo of what you're going to get, since many times you're just in for a quick lunch and you wouldn't necessarily gamble on something you're not familiar with. These pictures make it far more likely you'll get something new each time.
As for service and atomosphere - it's top end luncheon. Clean tables, quick servers who speak english (yes, I said it!), and a host/owner who is friendly, courteous, and fast. What more could you ask for?
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I don't eat a lot of pasta, but when I get the hankerin' I like this place. I've only had the penne con salsiccia - italian sausage, mushrooms, pine nuts, tomato sauce. i can never finish it, even with my midwest appetite. i always start digging around for the sausage so I just leave pasta in the plate when I've reached my limit. It's reasonably priced, and the service is mucho speedy.
The seating is a bit cramped. Last time I was there, people kept knocking into my bag. ok., ok, it's a rather large "it" bag.... The place gets busy so don't go at noon spot-on.
Tiny Ladies, skip the entree/salad/soda combo. If I can't finish it, there's no way you twiggys will.
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