Not what it once was
My martini was weak, my son received 2 glasses with lipstick stains, and that once wonderful crusty Italian bread is no longer served. The pesto oil, however, is still quite good. My dish of arugula in olive oil and grilled parmesan was bizarre-a huge chunk of salty chewy impossible-to-cut cheese sitting on a pile of not so great greens, with nothing else. (Suggestions: toasted pinenuts, walnuts, bits of dried fruit, or at the lest, shred the cheese!)My daughter's mixed green salad was very nice, though. There is only one vegetarian entree option-cheese tortolini with veggies. There have been lots of wonderful options over the years, but clearly they have moved away from this market. The boys ordered the tortolini, and either the broth was weak and unflavored, it was supposed to be drained. The dinner was sitting in lukewarm water! Not very appetizing. The mushroom strudel had a chewy doughy texture, although the mushrooms were good, it seemed that the dish may not have been particularly fresh. The brie with green onions and papaya was quite nice and somewhat suprising in its flavor. My husband's meal was underwhelming.

To their credit, they did not charge me for the uneaten parmesan cheese, but we chose to forgo any more disappointments in the dessert department, and opted to finish our meal at Sweet Tooth, a fine choice.

For our next special occasion, we'll be back at Rue Franklin's.    [19 Jun 2003 20:45:40]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: garden salad, brie appetizer

     ­Anonymous   

Great,
While I have heard they are changing owners, as well as a new chef, the new chef Paula Danilowicz, formerly of Fiddle Heads and Toro, is easily one of the greatest chefs in Buffalo. The bread, now baked in-house, is great, along with my all-time favorite pesto. The new pasta dishes which include homemade ravioli, and upscale Italian items, are clearly better than the previous menus from even just 2 years ago. The service, while not great, is still OK, new wine list is reasonably priced, and some great new wines as well. Nightly specials are a must, great Parmesan crusted Sea Bass, if you haven’t been there in a while you should definitely go back, it really is great, I can't say enough of my veal Saltimboca entree, thin veal with procuito and fontinila cheese, breaded and pan seared, served with an awesome fresh tomato-basil sauce, and who'd of thought to top this dish off with a fried egg!, but it works and is heaven on a plate.    [31 Aug 2004 22:52:23]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Veal Saltimboca

     ­Mark