Cuisine type: Italian
Atmosphere: deli store, a few small wooden tables
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 6.5
Nina
This was a pretty straight-forward eatery, so not too much to say. After an over two hour long class of exhausting English-style horseback riding (meaning smaller, less comfortable saddle than they have in Texas and US ranches in general), we wanted something quick and effective to give us some energy back.
This small family owned shop is located directly along Highway 1, and sells very authentic Italian (and mediterranean more broadly) groceries and prepared foods. It seems like they cater and sell food to-go, while their dining area is more of an afterthought, something that happened just because a few customers asked if they could just eat the food there.
We sat at one of their small wooden tables, surrounded by the shelves of imported olive oil, roasted pepper jars and olives. The shop attendant (who seemed to be one of the family) served us a basket of crusty freshly baked bread, which had a perfect balance of tenderness and crunch. We had to ask for butter (how could we not) since it didn’t come with the bread, and we got a little bowl with a few dabs of butter cut directly from a larger block - another reminder that table service is not their main business. I ordered the porcini ravioli with rose sauce (part cream sauce, part tomato sauce, mixed together), since I can never resist mushrooms on a menu. It was served in a styrofoam microwave plate and with plastic utensils, that gave the sad first impression of frozen TV dinner. The flavor was intense, balanced and the dish had an overall authentic feel, which redeemed the food in my mind even though the portion size was pretty small for the price. We left the shop still somewhat hungry, but with a roll of pancetta and a tub of tiramisu ice cream to extend our Italian food experience later, at home.
Food 9
Drinks 5
Atmosphere 5
Service 8
Value 6
Ben
A small, family owned deli/catering business in Half Moon Bay. The woman who was working there was friendly and accommodating, we started by buying a couple of cheeses, sausages, and gelato to bring home. We saw they offered sit-down meals, and we each ordered a ravioli. I ordered the "Cajun Crab" with rose sauce. This deli was so pleasant, with a rustic european feel and, in my mind, setting up to be a home-run. But the food that was served was for me very disappointing. It may be hard to fault that they are clearly deli first, but someone from the back did come to serve us, and there was a menu (this is a restaurant review after all, so I'll review the restaurant!). The ravioli was mediocre, very small portion with uninspired flavor, and felt like the dish had just been microwaved (our best guess was that the small raviolis were flash boiled from frozen, with a microwaved sauce poured over the top), at a cost of about $10. They were served in little plastic trays which we threw away. I'd recommend checking the place for the deli, but skip on the restaurant aspect.
Food 5
Drinks 5
Atmosphere 6
Service 8
Value 7
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