"Great Pastas!"

August 1, 2012

• Food: Italian
• Decor: Dark, Intimate, Romantic
• Service: Friendly
• Cost: $$
• Wine / Cocktails: Glass by the bottle, signature cocktails

Overview:

This is the perfect place for a date or group of friends for a fancier get together. It has a darker, more intimate vibe, but it's still lightened up with sky blue paint and sheer draperies by the booths. I was slightly disappointed that the wine selection was mostly by the bottle but it was still a quite comprehensive list supplementing the original cocktail menu.

We started with the Antipasto, which was a selection of very fresh cold cuts. If you're not a spicy fan, it may not be worth your while but I loved the creminelli salame felino and lamb terrine! I had only had a light salad for lunch that day so I had quite a hankering for some hearty pasta and I wasn't disappointed. I decided on the Cavatelli. The noodles were nice and thick and it was served with small bay scallops which were delicious. My friend had the Strozapretti and was just as impressed as I was. We finished up with the Blueberry Pie. While it was nice and light, it was more of a pastry. It was complemented very nicely by sour cream ice cream, which sounds odd but it was quite good.

Recommended Dishes:

Cavatelli, Blueberry Pie, Antipasto

"Worth the trek"

October 11, 2011

• Outdoor seating

• Food: Contemporary American/Italian
• Decor:
• Service:
• Cost: $$
• Wine / Cocktails:

Overview:

I went here on a quiet Monday night and got a table with no problem. There was so much on the menu that looked good, but my friend and I settled on the following: fried risotto balls, sea scallops, short rib, and barramundi. The fried risotto was really interesting, with cheese and (I think) goat on the inside with the risotto. The sea scallops was also a great presentation, with roasted baby vegetables, ravioli, and a great sauce to accompany perfectly cooked scallops. The short rib was very tender and delicious, and came with hand made pasta. We shared the pistachio creme brûlée and a $32 bottle of Montepulciano and the total for this feast came to $72 per person after tip and tax.

Recommended Dishes:

Short rib, fried risotto balls, scallops

"A secret gem"

March 27, 2011

• Food: Contemporary American/ Sicilian/ Italian
• Decor: Quaint
• Service: Hostess is fantastic, wait staff is good.
• Cost: $$$
• Wine / Cocktails: Good

Overview:

Ceres' Table is one of those restaurants you'll drive right by and never know you missed one of the best dinners in the city. Next to a towing company and across the street from a cemetery, the neighborhood is interesting, to say the least. But there's plenty of street parking, and the food that you'll find once you step in the door is the best kept secret on the North side. Quality ingredients, composed and elegant dishes, and house-made sodas are just some of the reasons to pop in to try this place. The atmosphere can be a bit noisy, but the kind and talented chef himself is often your runner, and his sweet wife is the usual hostess, which gives you the impression that you've just wandered into their kitchen and they're more than happy to have you join them for dinner. A neighborhood gem and one worth traveling outside of your neighborhood to try.

Recommended Dishes:

Beet salad, rabbit gnocchi, braised octopus, goat cheese ravioli, beef tartare.