Have never been here before, heard the pizza was good. Â We tried it for Mothers Day Brunch today. Â It was an absolute disaster. Â
Tables packed too tightly together, even for thin people.  The brunch was not what it was advertised to be.  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Faffrescopizzeria.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F04%2FMD.jpg&s=56cddeb57fc26fc2fb7ac47fa8a31035c0d260b4f048bb8ea38e2c6f0ae178a3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://affrescopizzeria.…</a>  And there was no notice that it was not going to be as advertised, they just brought the food out that they decided to give us.
The ricotta pancakes were good, but cold. Â There was no ciabatta french toast. Â The build your own frittata was meh, and everyones was wrong. Â The salad was a basically a bag of spinach, some shaved carrot with a tiny (TINY) bit of balsamic vinegar on it. Â We were a party of five, and for the "seafood" portion of the brunch, they brought out 3 shrimp on a bed of the aforementioned spinach. Â They did bring us five more after we requested more, and again for 5 of us they brought 4 Â pieces of bruschetta. Â Then they brought out pasta, a thin maybe bolognese? sauce in a puddle of water. Â And then some chicken and some potato wedges that seemed like they were cooked several times, baked, fried then baked again? Â That must have been in place of the honey ham that was advertised. Â Then there was a sad little dessert bar. Â The drinks were supposed to be 4 bucks but we were charged 5. Â We decided it was worth it to pay the extra few bucks to know never to come here again. Â
Enzo was singing, he was good!! Â Enjoyed him, and we had a good time because it was so bad that it was funny. Â This for 30 dollars a person? Â Just wow, poor execution all around.
This review is of the Mother's Day Brunch only. Â I have had other meals there that definitely do not share this bad review. Â Not sure if this is the first year they have tried the Mother's Day brunch concept but please, go back to the drawing board. Â
Arrived at 12:35 for a 12:30 reservation. Â I noticed when we walked in the chalkboard sign indicating that the brunch was $30 per person, $15 for kids. Â Many tables open in the main floor, but was told ours was just finishing up. Â Club-like music with very heavy base playing. Â We were asked to wait at the bar. Â We went with our three kids (ages 3, 7 and 9) to the small bar. Â It was mostly taken up by four big plates of strawberries, apples and those dry little sprinkle cookies that you get at Italian bakeries. Â The kids wanted a cookie but I wasn't sure what these were for so we just crowded down in the remainder 1/4 of the bar that was open. Â After about 7-10 minutes of staff coming and going, a waitress or bartender asked if we'd like a drink while we waited. Â The kids had OJ, I had a bellini, my husband declined. Â 5 more minutes and the table was ready. Â It was now 12:52. Â Still a good amount of open tables on the main floor. Â
Waited another 5 minutes and we were brought water.  Kept asking for menus as I was not hungry enough for a large buffet (where was it?) and my 3 yr old barely eats a 1/2 sandwich at lunch.  Finally a waitress came by and gave us sheets to fill out of what we wanted in our frittatas.  Kids didn't want any, wasn't sure if I wanted one, either.  Told the waitress after a few minutes when we could grab her, we would rather order off the a la carte menu.  There isn't any, she tells us.  This is it.  My husband is now looking worried, said the website did not indicate this.  My daughter and husband are both celiac and cannot eat any wheat.  There were about  8-10 items on the buffet menu, less than 1/2 seemed to be something they could eat.  Noticed the table next to us just has large plates of salad on it, I think the buffet was more of family style plates.  $30 per person is excessive for anything as small as this, and to have no a la carte?  Occurred to me that the dry cookies and fruit was the "dessert bar".  We settled up and left.  Had to reassure my husband over and over he didn't "ruin" Mother's Day!  Would have been ruined had we stayed. Â
This brunch plan needs some serious rethinking.
Thought we would try their Sunday Brunch on Mother's Day and we would bring my 90 year old mother-in-law. Â Made a reservation for 10:30. Â Arrived a few minutes early and were shown to a high top table! Â Maybe Mom doesn't look like 90, no walker or anything like that, but she clearly shouldn't be sitting at a high top. Â The hostess was VERY irritated when we asked for a different table and said nothing else is available. Â Keep in mind that we could see other empty tables, but I get it, it is Mother's day, there are others with reservations too. Â
When we repeated that we could not sit at that table, the now extremely irritated hostess repeated that there isn't anything else available and walked away. Â Didn't see where she went, but she came back and said we should have told them when we made the reservation that we couldn't sit at a high top table, there are no other tables available. Â We asked to speak with the manager and she said that she is the manager and she had already checked with the owner who agreed with her.
I do understand it was going to be a busy day, but I think the owner could have at least come out and apologized. Â I really don't believe that nothing could be done for us, but if the owner or the so called manager had at least seemed like they cared, I would not be writing this poor review. Â
Now that I've read the other comments here, it seems like a clear trend with poor service. My past experiences here have been OK, 3 stars. Â There are many other options nearby, I don't feel the need to return.
I am very sad to say that I had better expectations of this place. Yes, the interior design is pretty romantic in a sense but the service is HORRIBLE!!! I would not recommend this restaurant at all; I can see why they need to take on various coupons. Â They do not honor the complete value of their coupons and then ask you to pay extra if you dont use the complete value of the coupon. Aren't they suppose to be happy that we didn't use up the entire coupon?
I believe that our waiter only came to us twice within our TWO hour visit and that is because we kept waiting for our waiter to come with our check. Horrible wait staff. Lastly, we wanted to speak to the manager in regards to our incident with the coupon and that is when we were confronted with an extremely young and unprofessional individual. She was not at all accommodating and frankly didn't care about taking care of their customers.
I would HIGHLY recommend going elsewhere. There are plenty of other great restaurants in the downtown Park Ridge area where you can have a better time.
Just get the pizza or a salad. I like this place, it's comfortable and has booze and is not a chain, which in this town is very refreshing, but the entrees area little hit and miss. Also, they have no idea what bolognese sauce is. Pizza is awesome, so just get that. Oh, and don't go on the night they have the magician go from table to table...it's weird since there are rarely any kids in this place. In the summer you can sit outside and have a glass of wine. That's nice.
Review Source:Really, really loved the food and atmosphere. Â Best shrimp rissotto I've had. Â The caesar salad was excellent. Â My friend had a fish special- was really good. Â Had a great meal and good, friendly service.
Bonus- Â used a Groupon and got the best table in the house!! Â That never happens!!
Environment and ambiance- 2
My husband and I decided to try this place for dinner after passing it multiple times. When we walked in, we were asked if we had reservations and upon saying no we're seated all the way upstairs. I'm 7 months pregnant and this wasn't the most exciting journey up two flights of stairs. (Nor back down them for the washrooms). We were seated at a high top table upstairs and it was quite chilly up there. I would get a cold breezy and then a small warm breeze. Towards the end of our time there a server turned the overhead heater on-- but my suggestion would be that they do that before the dinner rush.
Food-3
It was just ok.
Once seated, we received bread and olives with parm cheese but no oil. every table had to ask for it.. which was kind of weird since everyone wanted it. We ordered the arancini appetizer, which was slightly cold in the center. The sauce was bland and boring. I was so disappointed.
For our entrees we ordered the parpadelle bolognese and the fresco pizza. My bolognese was so bland. I added some of the table salt to it and it helped but the sauce tasted like it came out of a tin can and had no flavor. The pasta noodles were just right thought. My husband enjoyed his pizza and it would have been the perfect amount for 2 people as long as you have an appetizer.
Service-1
After hearing a neighboring table talk to our server like "you don't know who I am?!" I heard the waiter reply "I just started working here, Im still learning the customers". I get it. Some customers will want to intimidate or act like big shots. Whatever, it is not the servers fault. But where it effected our experience was that the waiter never paid attention to us the rest of the night. He would forget things we ordered too. Even the busboy gave poor service. I had to ask to have my water filled every time (reminder-Im pregnant) and I had to ask for oil. We felt like we didn't matter. I do love that we weren't rushed but for Pete's sake check in enough just to let me think you care about my money and business.
Parking- 2
Minimal. I even saw a car hit the wall and crack their number while walking in. I do believe they have valet but it didn't seem easy to get use of. We ended up parking down Prospect.
First time I came here for dinner w/ the ladies. Â It was great!! Â Very friendly service, clean, fresh ingredients etc. Â You can tell its good because there are so many regulars. Â The second time I came here it was for one of their private cooking classes. Â It think they're still working out the kinks on these. Â The food was still amazing, just not enough of it.
The class is upstairs so you're in the enclosed patio with a heat lamp. Â It was fine being up there but we were cramped around the lamp. Â The class was more of a demo. Â I heard they do a class where you actually cook. Â This one is called 20 min meals. Â The owner shows you portabellas, stuffed clams and chicken. Â You have what seems like unlimited wine which is nice but we were a group of 15 ladies. Â We needed bread to soak up the alcohol! Â After the class is over they bring up some plates but again no bread, no salad, just a few plates of the stuff he demo'd but it was like 4 plates for 15 people. Â Some of us in the back didn't get any mushrooms or clams. Â There was confusion about the dessert. Â We thought it was included b/c the guy asked us what we wanted. Â But then they tried to charge us...and then it was comped. Â A friend and I ordered a pizza b/c we were starving!
But still all of the food is fantastic. Â I would come back for another class and just to eat.
Hands down the best Italian food I have ever had. Â The ownership, the service, the ambiance, and again, the FOOD are the best around. Â Make sure you look for a coupon, as this place does a great job of promoting through coupons on different websites. Â Also make sure you try the vodka sauce...to die for!
Review Source:When you first walk into this place it reminds you of a mafia run joint from back in the day but friendly people make you feel right at home. Sergio the owners and main head chef is always there to great his guests. they make you feel right at home. It takes like a slice of little Italy. you have to try the linguine and clam sauce. The place is great , atmosphere amazing, people all have smiles and the food, from what I had.. was amazing. A taste of Italy. You won't be disappointed.. unless you try and get in without a reservation.
Review Source:Affresco Pizzeria is much more than a pizza place. They serve excellent Italian food, and provide great service! We hosted a luncheon there following a memorial service, and they turned the whole restaurant over to us!
Their General Manager Niiki is very accommodating, their food is excellent and reasonable, and their service is very attentive!
Located conveniently in the heart of downtown Park Ridge. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that you have to walk a bit from the parking garage.
We had a family dinner in the "wine room" since there were 17 of us. It was very tight and we had two people slightly handicapped and there were 2 flights of stairs that were hard to maneuver for them. The room was supposed to hold 20 and we barely got 17 at the table my husband and i had to share a corner to eat. Â The food did come out relatively quickly since we showed up about 5 mins after everyone had gotten there and they had ordered already. Â I had the spaghetti with marinara and there was too much water in the bottom of the plate so it tasted very watered down although my mom tried it and liked it. Â We also got the pepperoni pizza I was not happy with this at all the cheese would not stay on the pieces and the pepperoni slices were about 1/4" thick of the hard pepperoni. Â It was very strange and there were not many slices on there. Â My dad had the sausage pizza and one half had more sausage then the other some pieces had one small piece of crumbled sausage on it. Needless to say I would not pay for that pizza or spaghetti again. Â My brother had the prosciutto alfredo which was $20!!! Â So expensive. Â I tried it and didn't think it was anywhere near a $20 meal. Â I saw a different type of bread on the patrons tables as i was leaving and it looked really different from what they gave us and it looked better. Â We just had a sliced baguette. Â We also did the $10 for $20 which helped a little bit. Â HOWEVER, BEWARE!!! the bill was HORRIBLE!!! Mind you we had 17 ppl and they had the bill separated by order not by person so since most ppl ordered the pizza it said 11 pizzas for $44 and then below it had the different toppings with the prices. Â Most rediculous receipt I had ever seen. Â Made it very easy for people not to know how much their meal was. Â I would NEVER go back here based on this experience. Â There are plenty of places I can go to that are cheaper with better food.
Review Source:I have been to Affresco 3 times in the last few months and every time it's been amazing! Â The food was consistently delicious. Â On one occasion, we shared a flavorful antipasto appetizer, then enjoyed tortellini soup as our second course (which was quite tasty) and enjoyed a Fra Diavola Pizza as our entree (which contained spicy pepperoni, black olives, mozzarella cheese and crushed red pepper flakes). Â I couldn't get enough of the pizza - I usually only eat 2 pieces, but I ended up enjoying it so much that I ate 4! Â
The services was friendly and attentive. Â Our server recommended some different wines for us, which complemented our meal nicely. Â I loved the festive (beautiful white lights) and romantic dining atmosphere - it's elegantly casual and very comfortable as well! Â I've eaten in the dining room, the outdoor patio and on the rooftop - each were a bit different experience and all were wonderful! Â We finished off our meal with a rich dessert - a chocolate decadence cake. Â It was chocolatey and delicious! Â I can't wait to go back to Affresco for another great meal!
Great restaurant in Park Ridge. Â My mom & I tried this place out for the first time last night. Food was tasty, large portions of pasta entrees. Didn't try the pizza but will next time as the wood burning stove smelled amazing! Nice touch of bread and cheese brought to the table as you sit down. Our waiter was straight from Italy and spoke Italian to us which was wonderful! Prices were a little high, but we'll be back.
Review Source:It was friday and I was in the mood for Italian.  I looked on Yelp for a  suggestion and came across Affresco...the ratings were good and they had a $10 for $20 deal.  So I decided to give it a try.
So parking is located on the back of the restaurant just off Prospect but complimentary valet is available.
So my niece and I arrived at Affresco around 5pm and were promptly seated. Â From what I could see, we were the only ones there....soon our waitress arrived with house bread and cheese. Â They were both great. Â Bread was crusty and soft in the middle. Â Cheese was strong and slightly salty but in a good way!
I ordered the Saltimbocca pizza which was so good. Â The cheese was so well balanced with the slightly sweet sauce and the saltiness of the prosciutto was just greatly combined with the spinach and tomatoes. Â The crust was just perfect!!!! Â
Water and bread were refilled without mention.  Several staff members  checked-in on us periodically. Â
Overall it was a great dining experience. Â I loved the food and the service was just outstanding!! I'm definitely coming back (:
Went with six people so we were seated in the private wine room. Â The service was good and the owner was a pleasure to speak with. Â We were surprised when the bill came. Â The Delirium beer was $10 each perhaps due to the special technique the waitress used for pouring. Â
Anyhow, everyone at the table enjoyed their meal, all said their food was very good, except me. Â I had the stuffed pork loin which is not always on the menu. Â I will assume because of the newness, the cook didn't remember that over cooked pork is dry and difficult to chew. Â I could not eat it. Â The mozzarella topping and the stuffing were good but without the pork not worth the $20 price.
Park Ridge needed an italian joint and this place is pretty good!
The arugula salad was a bit dry, but the flavor was good.
I ordered the Gnocchi in a pomodoro sauce and it was delicious! The gnocchi were so tender. I will be ordering this again.
My sister had the Margherita pizza (which I tried) and it was awesome! The cheese has an extra saltiness that I liked.
Service was fast  but the waitress was just okay.
So my wife tells me we are going for a fathers day brunch here, so I'm very excited. We get here, and to my surprise, there is no brunch, so I'm like, let's go get sushi. Â We ended up staying and I'm glad we did, the food was delicious, they have an outdoor patio, and the staff is very friendly. Â I would have given this place a five star review, but they did not have calamari(what Italian restaurant, does not have calamari), two they did not have blue moon(my favorite beer), and thre they did not have tiremusu(spelling error for sure). So besides those three things, the restaurant would have been a perfect fathers day dinner. Â Oh ya, they have a check-in for a free glass of wine, and a yelp coupon, double bonus.
Review Source:What an awesome restaurant. Â Was staying out by the airport in a hotel for the night, and was looking for something close by. Â This no more than a 5 minute drive and AMAZING. Â It was a sunday evening, sat at the bar. Â Ordered the incredible Arancini appetizer, and the Fresca Pizza. Â Quality fresh ingredients, fantastic flavor, and nice presentation. Â Truly reminded me of the three summers I spent in Italy. Â Authentic simplicity is the key! Â While watching the playoff game at the bar, I was joined by the down to earth, chill, and friendly owner, Sergio. A great guy who takes pride in his restaurant and staff. Â He knows his stuff.
He has achieved the home style feel in his Sicilian themed restaurant honoring his own family heritage. Â Very classy, but genuine, not over the top. You will hear REAL Italian music playing in the restaurant and a super friendly staff. Â
One of the best dining experiences I've had in a while. Â Definitely hit the spot. Â Bravi tutti!
Had family dinner here Saturday night. Â We were seated upstairs right next to the balcony and really enjoyed the ambiance of the place. Â Very italian, romantic feel. Â Our waitress was very nice & quick. Â
Margherita pizza was fantastic! Â Also, the pasta in the vodka sauce (like a wide noodle pasta) was really tasty. Â The cheese that comes with the bread was delish (can't speak for the bread tho since I only ate the cheese). Â
We would def go back! Â Its a very good Italian restaurant. Â Perhaps not as good as Nonnos but it is up there! Â :)
Came here on a wednesday night, around 9 pm and we were seated right away (duh) there was barely anyone there, but the bar was pretty lively with people. I'm curious to explore further into this place like the back room and upstairs. We were seated kind of in the hallway area which was weird at first but we got used to it. I love the ambiance and decor of the place. The service was good and the food was delicious, we had the margherita pizza and the goat cheese app, both were delicious. The only very disappointing thing was that the bread for the table was gross. I expect much better bread from an Italian restaurant, this bread tasted almost stale and store bought.
Otherwise the pizza was veryyyyyyyy good. They COULD cut down on the oily-ness a bit.
Oh and on Tuesday nights they have a magician that Sergio pays for and he comes around and shows you magic tricks, all complimentary. They were very cool and it was very entertaining. This is a great date spot!
I definitely want to come back!
We're new to the area and had our first visit recently. Â Due to an event on the first floor, we were seated upstairs. Â That was fine but it seemed like our waitress either had too many tables or was just slow. Â She was perfectly pleasant but waiting to order drinks and generally having to search out our bill was annoying.
On to the food. Â We had arancini for an appetizer. Â I thought it was ok. Â For some reason I felt it tasted frozen not fresh. Â
One disappointed, especially considering those great wood burning ovens, was the bread you get once you arrive. Â There is something about warm, fresh baked bread that I love and I definitely expected that at an italian place with an oven like this.... but the bread tasted like store bought, meh, bread. Â Not great or worth the splurge.
Pizza. Â OMG, Loved the wood fired pizza. Â Totally worth it.
It was the good pizza that saved the day on this one. Â The staff was nice but not super great service thus the 3 stars. Â We'll go back for the pizza.
So, my friend asks where I'd like to meet her for Sunday brunch and I suggest Affresco, since she'll be coming from work and it's close for both of us. Â I'm seated immediately and given a huge cup of absolutely delicious coffee while I wait for my friend. Â When she shows up a few minutes later, we are still the only people there. Â I order the healthful-sounding arugula salad, mostly for the fried polenta that comes with it (don't you judge me). Â Our waitress (same one I had last time) is super nice and I feel the whole experience is going well. Â
I get my salad. Â Now, it looks delish, don't get me wrong, but it's not what I ordered. Â More specifically, it's partly what I ordered, plus some things and minus others. Â
The salad I ordered (description taken straight from the menu I had in my hand): Â Arugula, sliced pears, pine nuts, shaved pecorino Romano, pancetta croutons, herb vinaigrette Â
The salad I received: Â Arugula, shaved carrots, grape tomatoes, citrus vinaigrette. Â
There is a salad on their menu, made with spinach, that comes with the citrus dressing, carrots, etc. Â But that is not what I ordered. Â
Le. Sigh. Â
Still, I love arugula, so I dig right in. Â I'm not a complainer by nature (well, at least not until after-the-fact, apparently). Â
Munch Munch Yum Nom Feeling Healthy All That Jazz...
Hey....where's my fried polenta?????
So I raise my hand (I'm 38 years old and still do this. Â What is wrong with me?) and the waitress comes over. Â
Me: Â Um, doesn't the salad come with fried polenta?
Waitress: Â *blink* Â *blink blink* Â I don't think so?
Me: Â Your menu says it does
Waitress: (Looking confusedly at menu, approaching cook) Do we have fried polenta? (stressing "fried" and "polenta" like they're foreign words).
Turns out they don't even have any polenta, let alone fried. Â Okay, fine. Â Restaurants run out of stuff. Â But your brunch menu appears to be printed daily and I'm the first person here. Â Who ate it all before you opened this morning??
I want to stress that the waitress was VERY nice. Â Waitress-wise, she's one of the nicest I've ever met. Â My salad was tasty, the coffee was outstanding, and the dessert sent me into a Beavis-like sugar-rush. Â I also love the atmosphere, the location, and felt the prices were fair for what we ordered. Â
I've never worked in the food service industry and don't think I could, to be honest. Â I'd suck at it. Â But I'm fairly certain I could get one order right if there were only two people in the restaurant. Â Not sure who to blame for that one, and I'll go back anyway (the dessert is that good) but I'm still scratching my head.
I had dinner at Affresco over the weekend. Â This was my 3rd visit there. Â The parking lot is still small & needs repainting. Â For the 2nd time, I parked in a space that straddled the Handicap sign. Â I had to confirm with the hostess that my parking space was okay.
We were immediately seated, even though we were early (+). Â We got the table closest to the front door. Â Not the most private, but hey, it was an easy getaway if we needed it (-).
I had the arancini again. Â Came piping hot (+), but it wasn't as cheesy as I remember from the last time (-).
Hubby had the ribeye steak, which had tons of garlic slices on it. Â On the side were garlic potato wedges and spinach. Â Had a bite & it was very good (++).
I had the risotto. Â It came with sun dried tomatoes, grilled zucchini and 2 shrimp the size of my palm(+)! Â It was good, considering I normally don't like sun dried tomatoes (+). Â It had some crispy parts, which surprised me. Â I thought it was all supposed to be creamy. Â Maybe I got last bits at the bottom of the pot (-). Â
The busboy came to our table more times than the waitress. Â Had a long wait for my husband to get a new fork after the appetizer was cleared. Â He was so hungry, he started eating it with 2 knives. Â Plus, we were seated right by the hostess stand, I was surprised they didn't check in on us more (-).
We had a Groupon, so we had to meet a certain $ amount to use it. Â I'm starting not to like these, because it forces you to buy more than usual. Â We also had the cappuccino cheesecake, which was good (+).
Drawbacks: they don't have a dessert menu, the server just told us the sweets. Â I wouldn't have ordered it if I knew 1 slice was $7 (-).
Good place to go, just watch your tab if you need to hit a certain $$ amount. Â I have 1 more Groupon to use, maybe then I'll find a favorite. Â But this will be my last try for a while.
With the Groupon I bought expiring soon, we headed down to try out the place that we've drove by a million times but never stopped in. Â When a restaurant is located on a busy, cluttered street and parking seems like it will be a pain in the ass, I most often pass it by. Â But I am happy that Groupon gave us the push to try this place out.
Ambiance is  interesting - like you're sitting outside in an Italian market.  It has several rooms, so if it seems like it's a tiny place, know that it has an upper level.
Our server was great - very attentive and laid back at the same time. Â The busboy was a little overzealous - Please let people eat their food without looking at us every two minutes to see if you can grab our plate. Â When there is still food on the plate, don't keep asking me if you can take it away. Â This happened 4 times.
The food was awesome! Â The three of us shared the following:
Calamari - good
Clams - delicious, but at $18/dozen, I thought they were very small
Caprese Salad - Fresh, but it needed more cheese, and was more expensive on our bill than what it was on the menu.
Quattro Gusti Pizza - brother didn't like the pungent olives, but I did
Quattro Formaggi Pizza - fabulous - loved by all!
Cartocci desert - Oh Mylanta! Â Delicious! Â Sooo damn good. Â Not to be missed. Â It was fried dough with cannoli filling to dip it in. Â I was so full but once I tasted this, I wanted another serving!
They also have a great wine list that I will definitely have to try next time.
Overall, a few things on the menu seem overpriced (like the clams), and I don't like that the price is different on the bill vs. the menu. Â I also don't like that they don't show you the price on deserts, and I don't want to ask "How much is this or that", but I would visit this place again.
I got the chance to try Affresco's when a Groupon was offered a few months ago. Just like any other Groupon, I checked Yelp before buying it. The reviews were mixed but since I would be saving $30 off my meal that seemed like the best time to try it. I went on a weeknight, with no reservations. It was about 6pm and the restaurant had a decent amount of people. I was able to get a table with no problem. We were seated and given menus.
As we were being seated I overheard another table complain about something with their order. This alone should have scared me away. To the restaurant's credit, they did offer the patron a discount off their check for the inconvenience.
The next disappointment was the menu. With any restaurant I am going to for the first time, I checked the menu online to see what looked good. Several other people on Yelp said good things about the aracini and lasagna. I intended on ordering both. When I got there, the entire menu was different than the one online. Me and my girlfriend decided on a splitting the calamari, a pasta dish, and a fish dish.
While waiting for the food to arrive, another couple was seated. We overheard the person seating them explain the days's special tasting menu with unlimited wine. We would have been unable to do the special with the Groupon, but since they were unaware we had a Groupon yet, we thought it was odd we weren't told about the special.
We then ate our bread with oil and Parmesan cheese. The bread was average, but I enjoyed the small cubes of cheese. When our bread was finished, we sat with the oily plates in front of use for about 15 minutes waiting for the calamari. Not only should calamari not take that long, they could have cleared the plates while we were waiting. We realized we they didn't clear the plates when they brought the calamari and expected us to use the same oily plates. We waited another 5 minutes or so for clean plates. The calamari was some of the worst I've ever had, even though it cost $14.
For the main dish, the fish was good, but a little pricey at around $25 for the quality. The pasta was horrible. Some noodles were cooked fine while others we extremely hard. I'm not sure how it was even possible for the noodles to be cooked to such different textures (not stirring them as they cook maybe?)
We were then asked if we wanted dessert. Since other Yelpers commented on the inside-out cannoli, I considered getting it. When I asked the waiter for a dessert menu, he was confused. He had to instead brought out a tray of dry looking cakes and mentioned the cannoli dessert was available. With the luck I had with the rest of the meal, I decided to pass on dessert.
My girlfriend was extremely disappointed with the service. While I thought the service was bad, I would be willing to get the food from the kitchen myself if the place had good food. Unfortunately, they failed there as well. I really can't believe the restaurant is still able to stay that crowded. Maybe the brick-oven pizza? I will never find out since I will not be returning. Â A couple blcoks down Northwest highway, you will find much better Italian food at Nonno Pino or Zia's.
Really cute decor. Food is tasty but a little on the pricey side. I enjoyed the Gorgonzola ravioli.
They recently rolled a credit card surcharge into their tax line on the bill. I was shocked to see a 13.5% tax charge. I'm not sure this is legal. Also it is new the same week they did a groupon.
Tax oddities aside, I enjoyed my meal and will probably come again sometime.
Like Kathy said about Affresco, I also concur with Patty, Gayle, and Kellie's reviews.
Service wasn't the best, and I agree with Patty about the waiter(plus liked her Addams Family comparison!). He had a weird character of not being the most talkative person when it came to taking orders, but still doing friendly gestures, such as patting me and another yelper on the back. I personally wasn't offended by that, but I know others can be about this gesture! Waiter description aside, I ended up getting a half order of Pollo Allo Spiedo, which is the roasted chicken on a spit. It was decent, but was a little greasy to eat. The oven-roasted potatoes were also good, but there was something about their taste that made me slightly wish they had a wee bit more interesting flavor.
However though, I kept eyeing the wood-fired pizzas so much that others ordered throughout my meal, to the point where it almost was unbelievable! Regardless, I know if I ever come back(and I am in Park Ridge from time to time, since my brother lives next door in the Edison Park 'hood), I'll definitely order one of those, especially since I'm curious to know how they compare to the wood-fired pizza at Graziano's. My favorite thing about this restaurant was probably the nice interior and exterior decor, including for whatever reason, those barrel waterfalls by the bathrooms! The upstairs rooftop patio looked interesting, though I couldn't see what the patio looked like, due to the fact it was dark outside.
Basically, I'd say decent but not the best food I've had(or service), but it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't come back.
On second thought, I should have ordered the pizza. But I simply couldn't stomach my 3rd pizza in a row. I ended up with the veal saltimbocca or was it bacco .
The only saving grace of my meal was the linguine. Wonderfully al dente and not overloaded with sauce, and I generally love robust sauce. The veal tasted grounded and overcooked, the proscuitto overly salted and the mozarella was s'alright.
I was eyeing George R's chicken pesto hungrily. It looked creamy and delicioso. Let the record show that he did offer me a slice, but I declined.
The prices are comparable to Osteria di Tramonto, and I know where I'll be spending my dough in future.
It goes without saying that Mike O successfully pulled off a great gathering and the company was wonderful -- meeting new people, sitting next to my favorite monkey, getting free things from my queen "Bee" Gayle. Alas, the table is long and doesn't make for good conversation with the other delightful yelpers. But trust the good ole social eagerness of yelpers that rounds were quickly made after dinner and I got to make the acquaintances of other delightful yelpers, the new, the legendary and the old faithfuls.
Without reading any further reviews, let me sum them all up. You can't miss if you order their pizza. Order anything else on the menu and you may be disappointed. Oh, and you'll have problems if the waiter is the one we had.
Affresco is a relatively new Italian restaurant in Uptown Park Ridge. Since I pass by it on my daily commute to and from work, I watched it with great interest as it was rehabbed from an old building. Affresco displays old European charm with its exterior and once inside, you see bare brick with semi-finished stucco walls. There are old terra cotta roof shingles used as wine racks. The place has this intimate feel with closely spaced tables. The bar is towards the back.
Since we came here for a NW Suburban Yelp dinner, we had the back room behind the bar. A black metal staircase in the room made gave the room an added touch. This is really a nice place and the food was great, but we had a weird waiter.
Liz recognized him as a former waiter at Piano Piano, a local restaurant that burned down. The guy seemed awkwardly funny yet distant and not really helpful with menu explanations. He also disappeared for long stretches of time. Considering his primary job was covering our table of 14, he should have been around more. Perhaps while he was away from us, he was playing with matches in back.
Affresco's main claim to fame is their wood-burning brick oven. They make personal-sized cracker-thin crust pizzas. While I was tempted with a pasta or sausage item, I ordered the diavola pizza: pepperoni with black olives and hot red pepper sprinkled generously as a topping. It had just the right kick without being too hot. George R let me have a piece of his chicken pesto pizza in exchange for 1 of mine. George had the right idea as he assembled what amounted to a pizza sampler platter by slice-swapping with everyone else who got pizza.
Liz M's stuffed artichoke appetizer was good too, from the sample she offered me. After dinner, it seemed a long time before the waiter returned and offered us coffee or other dessert items. Other than the complimentary slice of cheesecake in honor of Dee M's birthday, nobody wanted dessert. I did order a cappuccino for myself though. It came in a rather large cup, not one of those pathetic child-sized teacups like some places have.
In summary, great food and ambience, needs a better waiter. But it is a good overall experience.
My opinion is simpatico with those of Patty V., Gayle G. and Kellie K., who were among the 14 Yelpers here to have dinner. Â It was o.k., but I thought it mostly missed the mark.
I should have gone with my first impulse and ordered a pizza (made in wood-burning ovens; it's their specialty). A few people, including Mike O. (diavola pizza) and George (chicken pesto pizza) really seemed to enjoy theirs.
Instead I got the chicken, which was rubbed with herbs, fresh garlic, olive oil and lemon - spit-roasted, then finished in the wood-burning oven. Â As others have mentioned, they were heavy handed with the salt. Â The marinade was surprisingly pungent. Â I liked it while I ate it. Â But when I woke up 8 hours later? Â I STILL tasted it in my mouth, which made for an "ew" moment.
Probably more so than anyone, I had an issue with service. Â Our waiter was just not around enough, for one thing. Â i.e. My iced tea tasted nasty (as in, old) but it took 20-25 minutes before I had a chance to ask him for another glass.
I had to leave about 8, so before I ordered, I asked our waiter if that was enough time to cook and eat my entree. Â He assured me yes, yes - plenty of time. Â My meal arrived at 7:58 (Patty V. wore a watch). Â It was not pleasurable to inhale my chicken.
I would have just had most of my food wrapped up to go - but waiter was MIA. So I abandoned it, when I just couldn't stay for one more minute. Â Double boo because I didn't have a chance to bid most people goodbye, making me appear to be rude and unsociable. Â Which I'm not. Â Really.
According to the website, this is a rustic little Old-World Italian joint in the suburbs and its star is a brick oven. Â OK, I'll bite, except next time I think I'll just stick to the pizza.
The menu features dishes you'd expect to find in a generic Italian restaurant: chicken, beef, pasta, and pizza, nearly all hitting the brick oven in one way or another. Â I tried the Pollo Allo Spiedo, a spit-roasted chicken, finished off in the brick oven. Â Extra stars to whoever wrote the description, because that's what sold me. Â
When my dish arrived, I was impressed by the presentation. Â Beyond that, it fell short of the mark. Â The chicken was tender, with a nice garlic flavor, however, as the menu indicated, I think they missed a step and forgot to finish it off in the brick oven. Â Moist is good, almost soggy is not. Â Also, it was a little too salty for my preference. Â Then again, I wouldn't have minded it quite as much had my water glass been maintained. Â It was empty more far more often than full.
Our server was nice, when we saw him. Â It took a long time to place our orders. Â I do understand that I was with a large group. Â Regardless of the size, drinks (water or otherwise) should flow and you should see your server more than a few times throughout the visit. Â Affresco, go ahead, it's acceptable to send more busboys to a big table with at least water! Â
While the decor was "rustic" and had charming highlights of the claimed Old-World Italian feel, I couldn't help but think that it was just a smaller and a little classier version of your average Olive Garden. Â Still, if you're in the area, it does have potential as a good date spot. Â
I'd be willing to try it again if was in the area. Â The oven has its appeal, but I'm in no hurry to go back.
I had my Yelp cherry popped last night and...wow. Â Just wow. Â Interesting.
I've been Yelping for a while, but hadn't had a chance to attend any events. Â Last night's dinner out was fun! Â What a great group. Â
The restaurant, it was ok. Â Not stellar, but not hideous. Â
My Margharita pizza was good, but I've had better wood fired pizzas. Â George graciously shared a slice of his pesto chicken pizza and it was tasty too. Â There were several comments about over salted food, too. Â I also wouldn't say it's a "deal" for a local Italian joint, it's not too pricey, but you can easily drop $70 on dinner for two with a drink and app. Â More than some want to pay for a quick bite out.
The service was good and the space itself was nice. Â If it was closer to me I might give it a second chance, but given that I live in the city, probably not a place that I'll add to my rotation. Â
The company, however, was a hoot and I look forward to meeting more of your crazy, Chicago Yelpers!
Oh noes.
My husband and I went there for dinner. Â We are not your typical Park Ridge people (e.g., I am not a soccer mom, we do not have kids, etc.) Â We waited until around 9:00 to show up for dinner, with the hopes that all the rugrats would be gone by then. Â Parking was a bit of a hassle, but what do you expect in "downtown" Park Ridge?
Walking in: Â cute place. Â Pretty surprising, actually. Â Classier than we expected. Â They have some saloon doors that block the (small) hostess stand. Â Sort of odd, but whatever. Â We are seated. Â Then the husband realizes he has left his wallet at home. Â Guess what, I had changed purses into a tiny purse and also had no wallet. Â Husband goes home to get wallet. Â I sit at table, expecting to order wine and whatnot.
Fast-forward 11 (yes, not 10, 11) minutes. Â Husband walks back in. Â Drink order has still not been taken. Â Waitress comes around RIGHT after the husband gets back, and I say "We are leaving." Â Oh, she had stopped by about five mintues before and said she'd be right there . Â But I am sorry, I sit there for over ten minutes and don't even get to ORDER drinks, much less receive them. Â
So, all I had was some "on the house" tapenade and water. Â Cute place, menu looked great, full bar, open late (the only place in Park Ridge that I know of that meets these two criteria.) Â I am sad. Â Maybe some time to work out the kinks is needed...I know this place is pretty new. Â
Went to Moretti's in Edison Park, much less stuffy crowd anyway. Â The ladies at the table next to me were talking about their latest rounds of Botox, I kid you not.
I know this entire scenario had to look strange to the outside observer. Â LOL
I heard this restaurant mentioned on the Johnny B Show and had to try it.
I decided to try the pizza. I liked the pizza. Â The flavor was very good. The crust was more like soft bread sticks in texture. I personally like a crunchier crust, but still enjoyed the pizza.
I had an Italian sausage pizza. The Italian sausage itself was very high quality and tasted great.
I went on their website, when I got home, and found many other dishes and sandwiches I want to try. I may go for lunch one day.
I liked the atmosphere inside. They had music playing and the decor was something I would associate with dining in Italy. (though I have never been there)
It's also a short walk from the Park Ridge Metra Rail Station.
I will be returning to try some of the other food.
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