I know I'm fussier than most about Italian food as I come from a long line of wonderful Neapolitan home chefs.  But  Enoteca Emilia's food was mostly a disappointment. It looked great on the menu, but what appeared on the plate did not please the eye or the palate.  The stuffed figs appetizer was  overwhelmed by a red sauce of indeterminate origin. Wasn't sure if it was sun dried tomato or red pepper or a combination.  Two of us ordered the cavatelli with sausage and kale. The broth was overly salty and the portion size skimpy for $17.00.  I had a hard time finding the sausage which was  crumbled into the dish.  The black kale was kind of sparse, too. Worst of all, some of the  pasta was a bit gummy.  Something else  I really cannot get over: the  "bread" they brought to our table  soon after seating us was inexplicably nothing close  to Italian or European-style  bread.  They were sweet, puffy yeast rolls, more appropriate to breakfast.  They served better, more traditional  "crostini"  with my friend's steamed  mussels appetizer, so I asked for more of that for our table. The service and wine list were good. The bar patrons seated right next to our table were quite noisy, so the dining ambiance was less than ideal.  I'd be willing to give this place another chance, but this experience was expensive and not at all satisfying.
Review Source:We had the best service, delicious appetizers, great wine, a great salad and main course. Â I am never disappointed in this restaurant. Â Try the stuffed figs wrapped in bacon. Â I will never share that appetizer again! Â I could have eaten all five of them. Â This is the first time we had a table upstairs---nice!
Review Source:I've been here 3 times and each meal was just ok and drastically overpriced.
Dishes to try: black pepper pappardelle, and cheesy bread.
Dishes to avoid: bucatini (imagine pasta floating in a bowl full of grease- literally!)
I will, however, commend this place on its gluten free pasta options, which were cooked perfectly al dente, and the quartino wine servings.
At this point I'd only come back if there were happy hour food and drink specials.
Let me preface this by saying my friends and I went here with empty stomachs and a desire to try a new restaurant. Â There were a lot of groups / couples that clearly went intending to spend the evening there - sipping wine and nibbling on some food. Â It seems like a good place for that crowd.
Why we didn't like it:
- Wait: Â We ended up being there for nearly 3 hours! Â We waited for almost an hour and a half (after being told the wait would be 45 minutes). Â And then everything took a long time once we sat down - ordering, waiting for the wine and appetizer, waiting for our meal...
- Selection: Â Pretty much pasta and pizza. Â An extreme lack of vegetables, particularly green: Â the only option was brussel sprouts which they were out of. Â A lack of meat entrees - aside from skewers of chicken, the only other meat was cured pork as an appetizer with cheese or pizza topping. Â They had no soup - which is what I was hoping to get. Â And don't say it's because it's an Italian restaurant - I've been to Italy and gotten great meat and vegetable entrees.
- Price: Â SO overpriced. Â Small portions. Â Nothing included - no sides, and no free bread or anything when you get there. Â I got $15 ravioli which came with probably 5 raviolis (no meat - basically squash with butter sauce over it). Â It was good but not amazing. Â The one exception: Â the $5 cheesy bread appetizer was fabulous. Â
- Service: Â With those ridiculous prices, you'd expect amazing service. Â But we didn't experience that. Â Several staff members seemed to be texting more than working. Â The hostess didn't update us on tables even though we were the only ones in the small waiting area and we'd waited much longer than she told us. Â When a table finally opened up, it remained unbussed until someone in our group said we'd like to sit down - even at a dirty table - just to get off our feet. Â When our waitress came, we said we'd been waiting for so long and were so hungry and she made no attempt to hurry - we had to track her down several times to order, to ask where our appetizer was (it was at least 15 minutes)... Â And no apology from anyone.
I will not be going back.
FOLLOW-UP REVIEW.
So, now that the hype has died down, I made  another trip back.  Armed with the knowledge gained on the  first experience, (see it here:  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/enoteca-emilia-cincinnati#hrid:wA8xxflt2jbKeqgyE3YIcw">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a> )
here's how it went:
PLUSES: The hostess was both on her toes, and welcoming beyond her job description. Â My dining companion and I ordered strategically, and both felt we walked away with a much better value than the first time. Â The pizza crust and toppings were actually even better than on the first visit, putting them in line with their peers this time, Â This still visually wonderful restaurant almost got bumped to a 5-star rating, until...
MINUSES: Our attractive, kind, well-spoken, and friendly server was thoroughly unencumbered by any sense of urgency. Â Zero. Â She missed the opportunity to sell at least two more glasses of wine by virtue of her vanishing act after the manager served our meals. Â Perhaps it was because she only had a total of six people to wait on that she was in her lowest gear...who knows? Â While I can say that I've never been neglected by a more pleasant server, it was some pretty bold neglect. Â This was the one black mark that kept Enoteca from upgrading to a 5-star.
SUMMARY: Â I still recommend this restaurant, and will quite likely return. Â By all means go, but watch out for prices that can sneak up you very quickly, and be prepared for one less-than-perfect aspect at each visit.
Enoteca Emilia is always where I bring out of town guests who are skeptics about good food in Cincy. Â The pizzas are crispy and delicious. The bar snacks / starters are delicious. Â The pastas are always interesting and unique.
We love chatting it up with the servers who are passionate about what they do -- knowledgeable about the wine, enamored with the seasonal specials, and just interesting people. Â
Minus one star for the menu being sneaky expensive and it always being freezing in the restaurant. I do wish the wine list had better/more info, besides just names/prices -- given how interesting and off-the-beaten path the wines are, with a little more background, I'd enjoy ordering/drinking even more.
i only had drinks and some chz and bread. Â it was good.
i have to admit, visiting ANY place in this seemingly DOOMED lcoation gives me the heeby jeebies. Â
:)
but, i shall be back. Â good service, great price, nice ambience. Â just try and forget the brickyard and the 8,000 other places this has been!
Ok so I was bordering on a 3 or 4 here but opted for a 4 with some reservations. Here is the open and honest review.
Arrived with no reservation on a Sat. evening around 7. There was about an hour wait so we opted for the first 2 seats at the bar and ate there. We don't mind that so it was fine and we got a chance to mingle a bit.
Stuffed figs: amazing. Slightly salty with the cured meat wrap and sweet and spicy on the inside. Red sauce not over loaded with spices which is the way it should be. This one is a winner. There were 5 wrapped figs which was nice for the price and we split the appetizer.
2 glasses of red house wine. For 5 bucks a pop it was worth it. A notch above your typical table wine but very good for the price.
The entrees:
My wife had the cavatelli with sausage. I would doubt these cavatelli were homemade. The sausage was good and the olive oil mix was very tasty. The pasta was not great and texture and taste screamed dried pasta. The bigger issue is the portion size. Very small for the price. My wide does not have a big appetite and she walked away still hungry.
I had the pappardelle bolognese. A truly superb dish. The pasta tasted homemade...light and al dente. The bolognese was perfect with some chunks of meat. I really liked this dish a lot. Again, the issue is the portion size. Very small for the price.
After entrees we decided not to order any more food. We were actually contemplating ordering a pizza as we were still hungry but opted to leave and get some yogurt. Their dessert menu did not do it for us.
We were happy when we saw the menu online and noticed the pasta dishes in the 17-20 dollar range. A little less than some of the other decent restaurants in this area. The difference...the other places are about double the portion size. They really need to look at their price value equation because the food is good.
They don't even give you bread. They charge for that as well.
EE...if you read your customer reviews you should see that there are numerous calling out portion size. I could see if these were listed as tapas for maybe 5 bucks cheaper. I guess since you are doing well from the looks of the crowd on a Sat. night you will ignore this post. But, if you care about customer satisfaction, word of mouth and value for your guests you will take this to heart.
4 for food. 3 for value.
Go when you can afford another course. Other places you will walk out full with 2 courses. Here you will need 3.
This is a great bistro style Italian restaurant. Â The atmosphere was so relaxed and inviting, it really had the feel of Italy; no rush, great food, great time with friends. Â It has so many options. Â You could go in for a nice glass of wine; wine and cheese&meats; wine and small plates; wine and pizza; or wine with entrees and/or all the above. Â I went with my husband and another couple, so we each ordered a little of each to share.
The wine selection is amazing, and the servers or bartenders will steer you in the right direction. Â The cheese and meats are so fun, because you have the option to mix and match. Â We had Prosciutto di Parma, Duck Prosciutto, and Calabrese which was a chili spiked salame. Â We let the server pick appropriate cheeses to accompany the meats we chose, and it was all like stepping back in Italy. Â
The meatball sliders, stuffed peppers, and lamb skewers were a great selection of small plates. Our friends had a pizza, which they insisted we try at least a bite of; phenomenal, the crust was perfect. Â The hand rolled pasta was amazing, no matter the shape or accompanying ingredients. Â We had no room for dessert, we opted for a second bottle of wine instead. Â It felt so much like Italy, we didn't want to leave, but we will be sure to return.
Pricey Italian that is good but not o-mazing. Service was great. Scarlet is an awesome server and was quick with the food, refills and some witty interjections.
I had the Lasagna ($18) and it was rather unique in appearance and flavor. I enjoyed it but didn't love it, so take that however you want. I think EE is one of those places that is just a little too fancy for me and would possibly be the perfect place if I was on a date or just wanted a special occasion meal with some foodie friends.
Yum. Â SO DELICIOUS. Â My husband and I are starting to go here more often now that the buzz has died down a tiny bit and you can actually get a reservation less than 5 days in advance. Â :) Â
Things we love:
1. Â The cheese & meats platters. Â Perfect portions, well priced.
2. Â The small plates, including the bacon-wrapped dates. Â
3. Â The wine choices. Â
4. Â The service - the servers are very friendly, helpful and on the ball.
5. Â The atmosphere. Â Casual enough for nice jeans, fancy enough for a special night out. Â
6. Â The food in general. Â Just very delicious! Â
The Thing That We Don't Love
1. Â Only taking reservations for a few tables. Â I'm 31, I don't wait 2 hours for a table anymore. Â (Yes, this causes problems for me downtown, A TAVOLA I'M LOOKING AT YOU) Â
Last week, we called at 6, asked if they had any last minute reservations for the next 15-30 minutes or so, and they said, "No, but we aren't too busy, so you could just walk-in and hope we have a table available." Â We decided to stop by because we were realllly wanting some bacon wrapped dates!, and what do we know... lots of available tables. Â So why didn't they just give us a reservation when we called? Â To me, that isn't the attitude of a restaurant that WANTS their customers to come in. Â
I love everything else about Enoteca Emilia so much that I have a hard time reconciling that. Â (That's the reason for the star knocked off) Â
I guess I should just be thankful that Enoteca Emilia is NOT downtown and so probably HAS to at least take a few reservations a night.
Its OK, kinda pricey for what you get, and the 1/2 price bottle of wine is deceiving... only if you sit at the bar. Â The caprese salad was solid, but the caesar salad was weak. Â The lettuce was brown. Â The garganelli was very good, lasagna was OK, but the corn pizza wasn't the best... the truffle was just too overwhelming.
Review Source:My husband and I have made this our date night go-to. Everything I've had here is phenomenal! The pizza's are great, the cheese platters offer a wide variety, the pasta is not overcooked or over-sauced. They frequently change their menu, which would normally upset me since I'll order the same dish again and again. However, even with the menu changes, I always find something I love the same amount or more than the visit before.
The atmosphere is relaxing and laid-back. Great place to sip wine and have casual conversation. This is one of my favorite Cincinnati restaurants.
I dined here for my 30th birthday on a Wednesday evening. We made reservations and were seated at a nice half table/half booth in the corner. It was the 1st time I had visited and I will for sure be going back at some point. We had the ricotta appetizer, which was delicious and i would highly recommend. Our server said that the fig appetizer is popular, but a couple different friends of mine had tried those and they all said that it wasn't that great. Â Then, the three of us ordered 3 dishes and sampled each other's choices. I had the lamb pizza, my mom got the ravioli and my sister had the gnocchi. All three were delicious- but I think my favorite was the ravioli. The service was great. Our server was knowledgable and attentive. She explained a lot about the dishes on the menu and made great recommendations. It was a bit pricey, but I think that our wine consumption contributed to that!
Review Source:Have been here twice and both times were great experiences. Great place to go if you want to sip on wine and try a bunch of small plates... stuffed figs, deviled eggs, and meatball sliders were all excellent.
Pizza was cooked perfectly! Had the Quattro Formaggi with truffle oil... so good!
Pastas are good, but portion sizes are okay considering price. Gnocchi and ravioli are definitely among the best that I have had. If you are a lasagna fan, be aware that their's is not traditional.. lots of flavor but baked in a very shallow dish.
Finally, service couldn't have been better! Very knowledgable and attentive! Will be back to this place soon!
We started with the Pane Formaggio "cheesy bread." Â This was by far the highlight of my meal. Â Bread, cheese, garlic - my favorites.
I was trying to decide between a pizza and a pasta. Â Our server told us the pasta dishes were large. Â That sold me on the eggplant ravioli because I planned to save half for lunch the next day. Â When the ravioli came out there were only 4 raviolis on the plate. Â It appears the waiter and I have different definitions of large. Â I rarely finish my meal at a restaurant, but I had no problem finishing my ravioli. Â I wish I would have gone with the pizza.
Went for a late dinner with my wife and boss--we needed reservations and that's what was available--but it was definitely worth the wait. We tried a lot of different things and enjoyed everything. The presentation was gorgeous, but paled in comparison to the flavor of the food. Very enjoyable.
Review Source:As a vegetarian, I don't really get fine dining, because most of it isn't geared toward me. Oh, your steak dinner cost $100 a plate? That's... great for you. I'll take a decent $8 veggie burger, thanks.
Now I get it.
That being said, Enoteca doesn't have a ton of veg options, but what they do have is amazing - including the best four-cheese pizza I've ever had. Seriously, it was just a cheese pizza and yet it was bursting with flavor and perfectly cooked. (The July 2012 issue of Cincinnati magazine has the recipe, BTW!)
We also had a stuffed pepper appetizer that was SO good - there was corn and cream involved, which may not sound that great on paper, but you really have to try it. One of my dining companions had a pizza topped with fresh arugula; I didn't try it because there was meat on it, but I could smell the peppery arugula from across the table. Yum. And my boyfriend's truffle pasta dish was awesome as well.
Prices are moderate; entrees are $10-20, appetizers are around $6-9, and portions are small so you'll probably want to get both. Booze prices are decent, though - I think my Yuengling was $4, which is pretty average for Cincinnati.
Can't wait to go back and experience that pizza again. Yum.
My expectations for Enoteca Emilia were high. Too high. My Cincinnati Magazine had just arrived, and Enoteca Emilia scores in both the Top 5 Pizza and Top 5 New Restaurants lists.
So I enthusiastically bustled my husband and sister off to the place, my mouth watering for a delicious pizza. And the pizzas we got were... pretty good. You know, interesting enough to remember for the next ten minutes. Duck bacon is slightly sweet... who knew? Truffle oil is pretty overwhelming on a pizza. Good to know.
I concluded that either the pickings for new restaurants are slim, or the owner knows someone on the Cincinnati Magazine's editorial staff.
Here are the good parts, though, and why I would return:
If I had gotten the bucatini pasta my husband ordered, this might have been a completely different review. It's an authentic Italian dish, prepared the way Italians made pasta before tomatoes were brought over from North America (and you thought pizza sauce was immemorial?). Delicious food is my favorite way to study history.
The atmosphere is incredible. I loved the wallpaper bursting with poppies and the rustic feel of the interior. It's a very chic place to hang out and quiet enough for good conversations. And our server was super nice.
Went here tonight for a Cincinnati Habitat YP event. Â Great pick, guys. Â Everything I tried was awesome.
The Garganelli is AH-MAZE-ING! AHHH! It has truffle in it, so of course I loved it. That amazing, rich flavor and the pasta was perfectly cooked. It was so. So. good. Â In fact, I was kinda mad when the server started to take it away. I almost stabbed her a little with my fork, because I was trying to get at a last minute noodle.
The Black pepper Pappardelle is also great, reminiscent of a bolognese. It was really delicious. The noodles are a bit weird, but the great taste made up for that.
Beet & arugula salad was crazy delicious. Enjoyed the charred asparagus as well.
Basically, this is fancy and what I might assume to be authentic italian, had I ever been to Italy, which I haven't.
They can even turn water into wine. (Bit of an inside joke, the bartender played a mean trick on our server who came out with a carafe of water instead of the house white which my friend ordered.) We all had a good laugh at that, however, if it had been a stuffier crowd (which I imagine this place probably draws fairly frequently...) it might not have gone over so well.
Pretty pricy but you boys should think about taking a lady here on a first date. She will think you're a baller and also very hip for even knowing what this place IS. :)
The atmosphere is really nice, and I think I'd have stolen one of the light fixtures at our table if I hadn't downsized my purse. Kidding. Stealing is bad. Know what's not bad though? Â THIS PLACE!
We had dinner at Enotecca Emilia last night. Â Overall a decent experience - nothing too great, no major flaws. Â They do have a great wine list with mostly Italian offerings. Â
We had 2 appetizers; the polenta balls and the mussels. Â The polenta balls are a deepfried polenta stuffed with cheese and prosciutto in a tomato sauce. Â The were fine, the sauce was good, there was a dearth of prosciutto. Â The mussels were in a nice saffron broth but did not have the spicy tomato as the menu desribed. Â They were just fine - nothing special. Â (If I ever have a craving for mussels I would go to The Senate).
We also had 2 pasta entrees; a very rich duck liver ravioli and the bucatini. Â I actually preferred the ravioli. Â As for the bucatini, the pasta was cooked perfectly and the guanciale was nice but there was about a 1/4 cup of oil left in the bowl after finishing the dish - just a little bit too much oil if you ask me.
Service was fine - although we never did receive the bread we requested. Â I also thought is was sort of odd that the placemat was also the menu and they don't provide a cocktail menu unless you ask for it.
They did do a nice job with their renovations (although there was visible water damage above our table in the bar area).  I also think they did a great job with noise control - although the tables in the bar area are close together, we didn't feel like we could hear other conversatoins.  Also note that In the bar area, the tables along the windows have chairs with backs - the other tables in the bar area have stools with no backs which was not tremendously comfortable.  Overall Enoteca Emilia is A-Ok, and a nice place for the  O'Bryonville neighborhood.  I don't think I would go back for a meal, but with the nice wine list I would return to share a salumi plate or maybe a pizza.
Cute on the inside. Pretty good service. Extensive wine menu. Food was absolutely delicious, unique and perfect portion sizes-on the smaller side, but satisfying (I like leaving the table feeling like I could eat more).
Tried the fennel, potato and arugula side dish with lemon dressing (with was light and tasty), mussels (great sauce with unique taste), chicken spiedini (again, delicious sauce), and chocolate mascarpone mousse, which left me literally licking the plate clean, it was so good... and I'm not a big dessert lover!
Overall, great place and I'll definitely be back again.
I've been looking forward to trying Enoteca Emilia for dinner. The space looked beautiful and is in a great location close to our apartment.
The space is cool and really well decorated, interesting layout and great lighting. Service was good, although when the restaurant got busy they forgot to bring out one of our salads.
We started the meal with bacon wrapped dates and whipped ricotta + bruchetta. Delicious appetizers! The spicy red sauce on the dates was fantastic, especially when combined with the bruchetta. I wanted to try more of their cured meats & cheeses, but alas, only so much my belly can fit.
We got an order of cheese bread between appetizers and entrees. It was topped with a generous amount of super stringy & delicious melted cheese, but too garlic buttery for me.
Entrees were less impressive.
Salads and skewers were voted 'just ok' by the table, beet salad got the highest marks. Squash ravioli was considered too sweet by most at the table. Boar lasagna was cheese / breadcrumb / herb heavy and rather dry. I was expecting more sauce! Finally, the pizza got good marks.
Dessert was disappointing - chocolate mousse was firm with a very gritty granulated sugar whipped into it, and the fried ricotta was like a poorly executed ball of funnel cake dough.
All up, I'd say this restaurant specializes in small plates and appetizers more than they do entrees & desserts. That's somewhat unimpressive, given the prices. With wine, appetizer, and entree, you'll spend 30+ bucks pp. Easy to go higher.
Stick to small plates & pizzas, and I think you'll get the best of the bunch. I'll be going back to try a bit more appetizer variety, especially the cured meats & cheeses. If those rock my rating might improve a star.
We arrived early on the weekend for dinner because we were informed it would become crowded. Â At 5:30 we were able to walk in and not be put on a waiting list. Â As time passed it did become very crowded and very loud. Â We were sitting on the first floor in the bar area. Â
We began with the figs as an appetizer. Â I was told these are popular, but I however did not care for them. Â Rubbery bacon wrapped around a fig and smothered in tomato sauce did not cause me to look forward for what was next.
I had the shrimp and scallop skewer. Â It was ok. Â Nothing bad, but yet nothing great. Â However, I did very much enjoy the cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Â There was a fair amount of oil in the vegetables, so undoubtedly that helped with flavor. Â The brussel sprouts were a bit too sweet with the balsamic glaze.
As for wine, they do offer a 6 oz and a 9 oz pour, which I found refreshing. Â The house red was quite good.
As we began our meal, the crowds started closing in upon us. Â It was difficult to carry on a conversation. Â I loved the simple and rustic/model decor, but I don't think it damped any sound.
All in all, it was on ok experience. Â If I do go back, I will be trying a pasta.
The food was great.
Wine was ok- my dinner partner ordered a Sauvignon Blanc and I ordered a Chardonnay and there was very little difference in the flavors. In my opinion, if they are only going to have one of each type of wine by the glass, they should be pretty different, or at least have an oaked Chard option...
Restaurant was LOUD. Very loud.
We were seated in the bar at a high top and it wasn't the most comfortable seating/table arrangement, but we were near the wall of wines so that was something fun to look at during the evening. There is an upstairs that might be a little quieter/more intimate.
We got there around 7 on a Thursday, and by the time we left, around 8:30, the bar was 2-3 people deep. It seems to be a good place to get a glass of wine after work if you are an attractive 30-40 year old woman. Preferably blonde.
We had the bruschetta of the day, and it was very very amazing. White bean puree with kale and crispy pork and cheese, but I forget what kind.
Dinner partner had a shrimp and scallop skewer. He said everything was really fresh. I had a pasta dish with mushroom and truffle and oregano that was good, not great.
We also tried a side of  farro salad with mint, beets and ricotta I think. It was really good and a really decent portion for a "side."
Overall, I'd like to go back again, and maybe try one of the pizzas. I know it sounds like I had a lot of complaints, but it was a date night and the noise level really threw everything off, I think.
When most people think about going out for an Italian meal, they think, Spaghetti, Meatballs, Lasagna, Veal Marsala, etc. Â You will not find that here. Â Instead, they are more the type of aged and cured meats and artisan cheeses. Â Having gone there with my parents, we all thought that the menu was needlessly complicated. Â It wasn't that there was a huge variety, but the descriptions were overly sophisticated (we had forgotten our food dictionary at home). Â For example, three of the meats on the menu were Speck, Guanciale, and Nduja. Â This is fine, and maybe I'm not high-brow enough, but when you have to ask your server about pretty much every item on the menu to understand what you'd be getting, you end up feeling foolish/stupid/unsophisticated = negative. Â
I got the Margherita Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella. Â It was pretty good, but not life changing. Â Both my parents got the Butternut Squash(I believe) Ravioli. Â I was given one to sample, and I honestly have no idea how my dad finished his plate. Â It was soooo rich and sweet. Â I really thought it was inedible. Â It was almost like if you were given 6 heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter and asked to eat them all in one sitting. Â Possible, but difficult, due to richness and flavor constancy. Â It really needed something to break up that richness, like something sour. Â I guess everything is a la carte, so we could have ordered a salad to break it up, or possibly our server could have informed us of this?!?
I don't know, the place is OK, and now that I know what I'm getting myself into, I'm not saying I wouldn't go back. Â I just might bring my Foodie Handbook to make sense of the menu, and order more variety. Â I ended up giving half my pizza to my parents because I felt bad that they'd both ordered the super-rich Ravioli.
Stopped ay Enoteca Emilia on a Wednesday night, an experience that will be repeated. Enoteca is a new venue in located in the old Balboa's in O'Bryonville, near Roncker's Running Spot and Bon Bonerie, two of my area faves. It caught my attention in Cincy magazine's top pizza list (I think they are #3). Â I arrived around 7p and quickly found a place at the bar. The bartender was very helpful and knowledgeable. Enoteca, I learned, is the Italian term for wine bar and Emilia is the grand daughter of one of the owners. She went on to describe the partnership which opened Enoteca (Fall 2011) as a local restauranteur and former chef from Boca - good enough for me!
I was tempted with an order of Grissini, which is basically a serving of 10-12 thin, crispy breadsticks with a strong, but pleasant cheesy flavor. It wasn't my favorite, but it did go well with the craft beer that I ordered. I was feeling a little risky and tried a pizza with vegetables (usually a faux pas for this beer and wings guy) called the pizza bianco, which is a combination of garlic, ricotta, fontina, caluiflower, parmagiano, and truffle oil. Truffle oil is one of those ingredients that just makes everything better, but I asked the bartender to go half/half on the cauliflower just in case. Less than 10 minutes later, my pie was ready. Thin, crisp crust which seemed to come from a wood fire oven. The ingredients worked well together, but it confirmed my bias against veggie pizzas - just not for me.
As for the ambience, think urban cool meets classy chic. Maybe that was redundant as I'm admittedly not a copy writer. The floors are battered hardwood, the walls exposed brick, and a fireplace has a charming, rustic old world look. Modern light fixtures cast a low glow on the interior and pleasant, upbeat music played through speakers in the corners. Chicks would dig this place. I think.
Back to the menu, there were four or five other things that looked incredibly edible on the menu, including pan e formaggio (cheesy bread), skewers of lamb or shrimp and combination plates of salumi (cured meat) and formaggi (cheese). It was also pleasant to see that pasta is only a small portion of the menu, much like the restaurants my friends and I hit up during a trip to Rome, Torino and Florence. Delizioso!
Pretty good little restaurant in O'Bryonville. The wine list was very good, lots of options at price points.
We were upstairs in the balcony area which made it a little quieter than it seemed downstairs.
Food was quite good. One friend wasn't that hungry and just had the meatball sliders from the bar menu, and they were very good. I had the butternut squash ravioli which was well prepared. I thought there was a little too much cinnamon but I usually do. The other person had the bucatini with guanciale and loved kit.
Desserts were good - I had the ricotta fritters which came with dark chocolate sauce (YUM) and blood orange marmalata. I liked that the sauces were in cups on the side so each person could create their own combination.
One person had the affugato, which was hazelnut gelato with espresso over it. Oh my. I will get that next time.
Noisy, service is slow and maybe a bit under-trained. Our waiter didn't bring serving utensils, brought a frozen bottle of water to the table, and didn't clear empty dishes for longer than seemed reasonable. He was nice enough, but he didn't seem experienced enough to have some of those details down.
The food, however, once it arrives, is quite tasty. We had pizza and some kind of cheesy appetizer. It was very good. I'd definitely eat the food again--might take it to go, though.
It's important to know that there's a bathroom upstairs. The one by the bar is usually occupied--and not by you!
It's definitely good stuff.
I love it's location and decor inside. It's spacious and trendy. Also I can see that they try to make somewhat Europe-like atmosphere.
The food is also very good. I haven't tried a lot of them although I really want to dive into their appetizers. Pasta and ravioli taste great with details they put on. The pizza.. I don't know about that. Maybe it's something I didn't expect, but I wasn't impressed about their pizza. Of course it wasn't bad at all.
Their service is great, very friednly and helpful.
I don't have much to complaint about this place and will come back frequently. There is one, though - the price or portion. I thought the portion is too small. I admit that I always put quality over quantity, but to me the portion was too small. Maybe because my party and I like to share the foods and taste different dishes. We ended up taking a bite of each or so... It's just a little complaint from a big eater I guess.
But overall, I see this place can be great!
Always on the hunt for new restaurants in cincy, a friend and I hit up this Italian establishment. For a Sunday night at 7:45 pm, there were plenty of patrons but the place was not full, so we were seated immediately. My friend and I split the pizza bianco and the garganelle. The pizza bianco was delicious - flavorful with a light, crispy crust and the corn topping was crunchy and sweet. The garganelle was less impressive. Not only was it in need of more flavor, but it wasn't even cooked fully! Al dente is one thing, but straight up hard is another. It was still edible, but definitely a lowlight of the meal. In addition, the pasta dish was not nearly as large as what a typical Italian restaurant would serve. After half a pizza and half the pasta dish, I was not very full.
My friend and I decided to try dessert but each wanted different things; she the tiramisu and I the ricotta fritters. The logical solution was to order both. That was probably a mistake since neither of us could finish what we ordered. The ricotta fritters essentially were richer donuts that came with an orange marmalade and a dark chocolate dipping sauce. I did not like the orange marmalade at all! I actually removed it from my plate so I didn't have to look at it haha. The chocolate sauce was divine however and I asked for more because without it the fritters were boring.
I think this place has the potential to be a great spot in Cincinnati. The pizza was really good and next time I will be trying a different pasta dish that is hopefully more interesting (and cooked).
If you live in the Cincinnati area, you might sometimes feel like the dining trends that are sweeping the bigger cities are passing you by, unless you travel extensively and/or subscribe to the slick food and dining mags. Â Count me among those who feel like they're out of the loop too often.
So I don't know whether the concept that Enoteca Emilia has latched onto is typical in New York or San Fran or whatever. Â Or whether it might even be traditional to Emilia-Romagna itself. Â (Despite having spent three summers in Italy as a kid, I was a bit too young to learn much about Italian food and consider myself an Italian-food dolt to this day. Â Growing up down south sure didn't help.)
Anyway, the concept (or format) at Enoteca Emilia seems to be an Italian version of tapas, as others suggest here. Â And it is a great one. Â Â
Went with my wife and visiting-from-out-of-town brother. Â We started with an antipasti (salumi/formaggi) plate, which I thought was terrific, although I'm no decent judge of this stuff. Â (Although I do agree with Amber A. that serving this stuff on a raised pizza pan is a dumb idea.) Â Two additional "small plates"--three deviled eggs (one of each topped with pesto, smoked trout, and breadcrumbs) and bacon-wrapped figs--were also big winners. Â We shared the caprese and asparagus salads, both of which were super-fresh and bright-tasting. Â
I took a wrong turn with the pizza margherita. Â It was a resounding dud, with really subpar crust: Â virtually flavorless, with no distinctive texture and even mushy in the middle. Â The tomato sauce and mozzarella didn't even help very much. Â Yuck.
The wife and brother had much better luck with pastas. Â Both the black pepper pappardelle (with a pretty subtle bolognese) and the bucatini (prosciutto, white wine, frisee, and black pepper) were pretty great, Â especially the latter.
I like the decor and atmosphere--think high-end casual--which I think suits almost perfectly what Enoteca Emilia is trying to do. Â (It's in the former Balboa's location, and it's quite a transformation from that misbegotten place.) Â Don't agree with the reviewer below who says the crowd is "straight up Hyde Park," at least not on the Saturday night we were there. Â There weren't that many young people, period, that evening; as somebody who lives near Hyde Park, I was picking up on a Clifton-type demographic as well, a bit less staid and conservative than the HP average.
Agree with others that the prices seem a little high, even with the quality of the food, given how casual the experience seems to be and that we are talking about some pretty small plates. Â I thought our server was pretty patient with us, and informative, as the three of us struggled with putting together a lineup of food for ourselves and ordering an appropriate bottle of wine. Â
Despite the pizza, we came away thinking this is one of the better restaurants to open in the city in the last couple of years, and it's definitely filling a void both cuisine-wise and within the O'Bryonville area, which was previously a culinary Bermuda triangle.
Had high hopes for Enoteca Emilia, but was pretty let down by the food and not impressed by the atmosphere. The decor overall is OK, but with a number of details, they clearly cut corners. The bathroom is one example--it seems they tried to appear hand-crafted with the paint, but it looks cheap and sloppy. Also very strange not to have a mirror in the bathroom.
The crowd is straight up Hyde Park, where even the young people seem old. And yet it got really loud, which doesn't bother me in a trendy urban spot, but in an Italian restaurant, it didn't fit the vibe.
The wine was fine. In fact, their pinot noir by the glass was quite good. I enjoyed their bruschetta of the day, which featured an asparagus pesto. I thought it was earthy and light. I was excited about the prospect of the Grilled Squid and Shrimp Salad, but the execution was gross. Advertised as grilled, I expected charred, flavorful seafood, probably served hot. On the contrary, it was slimy, cold, and totally devoid of flavor. The vinaigrette was also lackluster. I left food on the plate--a rare occurrence. And we had to ask for bread, which turned out to be average, but with pretty good olive oil and balsamic. Seems like bread (excellent bread) should be standard at an Italian joint.
Summary: I'd return for wine, olives, and perhaps try meatballs or cheesy bread, which can be easier to execute.
We went in for lunch and didn't want to go back to work. The atmosphere is amazing. The restaurant has a lot of character, they did an excellent job renovating the inside. I can see myself coming here with friends for wine and small plates or for a big dinner.
Service was great. The staff was very friendly and attentive.
I ordered the Pizza Bianco and my boss got the Lamb flatbread. Both were very good. My favorite part of our meal was the Deviled Eggs for a starter. The dish came with three eggs (all prepared differently) and was the perfect amount to split between the two of us!
The wine list looks amazing. I will be back very soon!
More like a 3.5 but I like to round up when places are new. Â (Hey Yelp, half stars would be awesome!)
Great Space
Nice atmosphere- felt relaxing and would be a nice romantic place for a date. Â They put in benches which made for much more appropriately placed seating. Â Close but not so close you feel you are dining with your neighbor. Â Loud enough you didn't hear everyone's conversation. Â The put a lot of effort into the appearance of the restaurant and it shows.
Good food: loved the olives, meats and cheeses, lasagna, and Buscatini. Â Their pasta was cooked perfectly (More of a rarity than it should be) and the sauce was just the right amount of tomato without tasting like Chef Boyardee like so many other Italian restaurants. Â
Price wasn't bad: $85 per couple for 5/$20 meats and cheeses, a bottle of wine, two other appetizers, an entree each, and two desserts, a soda and a cappuccino.
Pacing: Loved that we were able to order and enjoy our starters before being asked for our dinner order. Â Not sure if this was an accident or not but it really made for a nicely paced meal. Â Didn't feel rushed. Â Let us sit and talk and enjoy our wine. Â Made it feel much more upscale than the order everything at once and get out restaurants that are becoming more and more common.
To be Improved: Â Just little things that could be fixed easily
Waitstaff:
  Our waitress was nice and personable but seemed a little overwhelmed and underprepared for questions (I feel it is the restaurant's job to make sure they have tried all menu items and know how to pronounce and explain what is being served). Â
Meats and Cheeses:
  The are served up on a pizza pan with no cheese knife (hard cheeses were very difficult to cut and we almost flipped the pan twice which would have been very embarrassing).  It would be much better if it had been served on a cutting board down on the table so people didn't have to reach up and over.  Also, we had to ask for more bread twice.  You should never want for bread at an Italian restaurant.  We got about 6 slices of baguette for 4 people with five types of meats and cheeses.  Even with the very small serving sizes it was not even close to enough.
Cappuccino:
  My husband ordered a cappuccino which came looking like a coffee with milk added.  No foam at all.  He was disappointed there was no cinnamon on top or sugar cubes offered. Â
Extras: No fresh pepper, or grated cheese offered for entrees. Â Some fresh bread would have been nice.
Overall, enjoyed the night and will be back without question. Â This is one of the best new restaurants I have seen in their first couple of weeks. Â Pretty impressive if you ask me. Â They are going for more upscale and just need to make a few tweaks to really complete the picture. Â The food was well done and well timed which is the most important thing. Â With a little work this restaurant will be a wonderful success and could easily make it in with other greats spots such as Honey, La Poste, and Quarter Bistro. Â Similar intimate feel without being super expensive. Â Glad they are here and wish them lots of success.
Before I get into the review, a caveat: this was the first weekend for Enoteca Emiia, and I fully-intend on revisiting the restaurant and this review in a couple months. I currently would rate our overall experience at 3.5 stars (choosing to round down so I can come back and make forward progress).
--The restaurant--
Great location at the end of the main strip of O'Bryonville. The building is gorgeous and the interior is very well-done, with exposed brick, lots of natural light, and a unique bar anchoring the first floor. The atmosphere is nice and balanced, and would be perfect for a first-, or any, date. Those seeking intimate family Italian may be disappointed, though.
--The food--
As alluded to above, Enoteca Emilia is more a modern take on Italian cuisine than an authentic, family-style Italian restaurant. The menu is structured to share appetizers, not entrees. If you're a bit skeptical, I encourage you to head down and try it. There are no sacrifices on substance in favor of style... I think there was a very clear vision that was very well-executed for EE.
--The lowlights--
As I said before, EE is a very new place. And with that come certain growing pains that I fully expect the place to grow out of. The most glaring instance of that portrayed itself in the staff-- I won't dwell on it, but general disorganization sums it up. Also, I had a Buscatini entree that I would not recommend.
--The highlights--
2 appetizers and 1 of our entrees were pulled off marvelously: a bruschetta of the day, the stuffed figs, and the white pizza (combination of corn, truffle oil, fried egg on top was positively mind-blowing!). We also had a nice Syrah by the glass that I would certainly order again. The EE menu is also priced right.
--Conclusion--
EE fills a gap that I, personally, had for the Cincinnati area, which is for great Italian outside of downtown. With the kinks worked out, I think EE will be a favorite date night spot for us for a long time.
The atmosphere is just perfect. Â Gorgeous building and oh my goodness, loved the wall paper.
The menu is simple and restrained. Â Try some bar snacks or go for a full meal.
The ricotta fritters were moist, soft and delicious (reminiscent of a funnel cake, but like, actually really good) and the peach & strawberry cobbler (more like a crisp) was ridiculously good.
The wine list is all Italy.
This is the first time I can remember being at a restaurant and making reservations while I was still there. Â It's just that great of an environment.
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