Food: Francesca's Trattoria
Decent, sit-down Italian food in Gainesville is difficult to come by. Francesca's Trattoria is a new place on 43rd, across from Las Margaritas, one of Gainesville's most popular Mexican restaurants. Like Las Margaritas, Francesca's is not really concerned with the authenticity of its cuisine, but more about providing the right atmosphere for an oldschool Sicilian dinner.
The menu is fancy, and, while the prices aren't exactly cheap, there's little here that'll break the bank (I had a complete dinner, desert, and drink for about $20 - fair enough). Standouts included the eggplant parmigiana (which I think might be the best in Gainesville), the sausage, and the salads. The cannoli was also good; it had the subtle tang of the ricotta filling and a pleasing pastry exterior.
The service was exemplary, especially for lunch (heck, Francesca herself came out and talked with us a bit). I just hope Francesca's can keep up this level of quality, which, along with the average prices, are the only reason I'm holding back on the coveted 3 stars.
2/4 stars
posted by Mulliga @ 6:56 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
As someone who has already eaten here multiple times, I find this to be a relatively accurate and positive review. I, however, do have a couple of reservations. I do not understand the comment about not being concerned with authenticity. After speaking with my server, I found out sauces and pastas are made from scratch. I find that very authentic. Also, the focus is on northern Italian food so this may also have something to do with the reviewer's assessment. Yes, prices may be slightly more than Olive Garden, but you get what you pay for and I didn't go there for Macaroni and Cheese (not that you'll find it on the menu). Finally, the reviewer commented a final reason on holding back from 3 stars is based on uncertainty of whether or not the restaurant can keep up to its early standard of excellence. As long as business continues at a high level, servers of high ability will want to continue working in an establishment such as this.
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