Nice place. Â More upscale than the local chains. Â Ate on the top floor by the bar with a group from work. Â Great atmosphere, although out of the six tables we pulled together, every table required a combination of one to several drink coasters to level. Â Food was good with small portions that nearly broke my consultant daily rate. Â I had the steak and lobster which was actually a half-lobster and a petite steak. Â
Would recommend.
I was in Franklin for Business and my co-worker and I were looking for somewhere to eat and grab a couple of drinks. Â Incontro was suggested to us by some of the people we were visiting, and I have to say, I was not disappointed. Â
I had the Hanger Steak (recommended by the server) with the risotto and penne as sides. Â The steak was cooked exactly as I ordered it and was delicious. Â The server also brought along his favorite sauce for the steak, which was good, but I did not need it at all. The risotto was also amazing. Â The Penne was good, but the only thing that stopped me from giving a 5 star review, it was not phenomenal.
We also shared "Bang Bang Shrimp" as a starter and had a couple or martinis. Â All were amazing. Â I would definitely recommend.
Great hidden gem. Hit the lounge upstairs. Great food,drinks, and the pool tables as well. I stick with the simpler Side of the menu and its always good. Lots of beer to choose from
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Oh wow... have I really  never reviewed Incontro?  I suppose I ought to fix that now!
I was introduced to Incontro on my company's holiday outing the first year I started working for them, back in '08. Â I remember having fish of some kind, but what really stands out in my mind is the prime rib my boyfriend got. Â Oh my god, was it good! Â Unfortunately, it's not a permanent part of their menu, and so you have to get lucky and be there when they have it as a special. Â
Since then, we've been back to Incontro on several occasions. Â My favorite part about it is that it's in a renovated old mill, and it still has that really cool, dimly lit, almost castle-y feel to it. Â We don't go too often because it is on the higher end of what we typically pay when we go out to eat. Â We typically reserve dining here for special occasions, or if we have a half-off deal, which they run through various deal companies (such as Groupon) a couple of times per year. Â Just keep your eyes peeled for them, because they typically sell out fast!
I will say that as the gnocchi queen, I was pretty disappointed with the gnocchi I had here once. Â They just weren't at all what I love about gnocchi. Â Rather than being soft and pillowy, they were firm and kind of chewy and I just didn't love them. Â I have to keep reminding myself of that, because typically when I see the word gnocchi on a menu, I order it by default. Â When we went this past week, I actually didn't even see it on there anymore, so maybe they don't offer it anymore, which is a good thing, in my opinion.
Otherwise, everything else I've had here has been unbelievably delicious, from their steaks to their pastas to their fish. Â They also have a phenomenal wine list! Â Definitely a good place to go when you're feeling like a fancy splurge!
Nice upstairs bar with pool tables and flat screens. Food was delicious. Â Mac and cheese with lobster. Â Kobe burgers American style, not real Kobe. Â Good for intimate dinners, not large groups. We had 11 people on a slow night and wait staff a bit slow, 2 orders not prepared as ordered.
Review Source:Went here twice while on a business trip as it was close to our hotel. Â Great looking building and I like that the interior has both a fine dining area and a lounge area. Â The lounge area is more my speed. Â
On my first visit, I got the proscuitto appetizer and the bruschetta appetizer. Everything was great. Â Everybody I was with raved about the wood-fired pizzas, so on my second trip I got the Margherita pizza and it did not disappoint.
Happened upon this place with a large group of coworkers. The downstairs is very formal and it looks like it requires a jacket. Upstairs is more casual.
The restaurant is very dark. I'm still in my 20s and have decent vision...it was really hard to see the menu.
The menu items weren't very appealing. They had a lot of burgers, "American" Kobe, risottos. Nothing really cohesive. I ended up ordering the lobster Mac and Cheese.
It wasn't out if this world. It was very heavy and didn't have much lobster in it. There was a lot of cream, little cheese and lots of macaroni. I was pretty disappointed, especially since this dish was $25.
The service at this place was decent. Our waitress was attentive. I just wasn't so impressed with it that I'd make a special trip to come back anytime soon.
Incontro is a very nice dining option in the burbs. The space is beautiful, and the cocktails are well-mixed. We sat at the bar before dinner, and I saw the bartender in action, and she seemed to know exactly what she was doing and my Cucumber Martini was potent and delicious. From the bar, I also enjoyed looking at the brick oven and the pizzas baking in it - this makes the restaurant a lot more inviting and warm. Once seated, we had a very comfortable booth, and we ordered a good assortment of food. The lobster / corn / bechamel sauce pizza was my favorite: rich, creamy, satisfying with a great blend of flavors. We also got the lamb lollipops, a tomato-based seafood appetizer, and steaks. For dessert, we opted for a light, fluffy and fresh tiramisu. Was the food as good as Boston's finest Italian steak house? No, but it was a very solid dining experience, and I would definitely come back. Really good service and no extensive wait (we did have a reservation), even though it was a Saturday night, and the restaurant was packed.
Review Source:I've ventured over to Incontro probably 3-4 times now, mainly for their great billiards room upstairs and their decent selection of harder to find craft beer (the Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale being one of my favorites.)
On my last trip we sampled some of their wood fired pizzas while watching the Bruins-Rangers game at the bar (the Alsatian Tart Flambe pizza was excellent.) The bartender was friendly enough and the crowd seemed fine, although maybe a little older than I'm used to being around. The entire upstairs environment feels warm and cozy, a lot like a winter lodge in the Rockies which would make it a pretty special place to take a date when looking for a more romantic night out. I managed to quickly scan the wine list and there are a few bottles I was somewhat surprised to see. If you know what you're talking about you could definitely impress her with what they have available. Order a bottle guys.
The pool hall is the one of it's kind in the area. I like it because I don't smell like Marlboro Reds and Coors Light at the end of the night. The ladies who frequent Incontro also make for some nice eye candy while hustling some 40 somethings in a game of cutthroat.
Some may have a problem with the price but for the type of establishment encontro is, it's very reasonable. I'll be back for sure.
Nice restaurant in this old mill building.
As you arrive at parking lot your car will be parked for you.
The restaurant has 2 levels.
1st floor is the normal restaurant with a lot of good wines and very different food.
Specialties from meat and fish...
In 2nd floor there are about 15 pool billard tables and a lot of big flat TV to see the latest (sport) news.
Really aplace to enjoy to have a nice evening with your relatives or having fun and enjoying fine food even in big groups.
Second time I've stopped in while on business in the area. Â This visit was with a group of 8, one being local. Â Sat upstairs, started with duck confit spring rolls and mozzarella and prosciutto. Â Both were good, not great, but good. Â I had the skirt steak. Was supposed to come with fries but came out with risotto and broccoli, better for me but not what expected. Â Everyone else seemed to like their meals although no one was raving.
Service was ok but the meal seemed to take forever, about 21/2 hours total.
All that said I would go back when in the area.
Went here last night with a group of 8. Â Food was yummy and they have a pretty good wine list. Â
For apps, we got: Calamari (yum!), Fried ravioli (yum and nice presentation!), bruschetta (yum) and duck confit eggrolls (meh - duck seemed overcooked or reheated).
For dinner, we got: Haddock (well-cooked and yummy with a lemony-caper sauce on top), Osso Bucco (not bad, but not great), basic margherita pizza (pretty good!), lobster alfredo (the person who ordered it cleaned his plate), gnocchi with steak tips (again, person who ordered it cleaned his plate), trio of steak filets (nice presentation, person who ordered it was happy, but not blown away), lamb shank (excellent - very well cooked), and butternut squash ravioli (delicious).
For dessert we got gelato and creme brulee. Â Creme Brulee was just ok. Â Gelato was good.
Atmosphere is nice - restaurant is in an old warehouse of some sort and it's very rustic feeling inside with exposed stone walls, exposed beams and subtle lighting. Very romantic. Â Would be a nice place for a date. Â Food is a bit on the pricey side, but for a special night out, it's worth it.
I wish I could give Incontro a 3.5 because I have a split personality when it comes to this place. I was ready to write it off after eating downstairs in the dining room a couple of times. Although I liked the rustic feel I just felt that it was just way overpriced for what you got. The items on the menu seemed so promising but never delivered. If you want to charge Boston prices in Franklin then your food better be as good.
Then our friends told us to eat upstairs in the lounge. There's a different, more casual menu, a wonderful drink list, and a great atmosphere. I do still think it's a bit overpriced, which is why I grab the Groupon any time I see it.
First time dining here. Â Groupon expiring so went for lunch on a Thursday. Â Found the food very good. Â Bruschetta was great, shrimp cocktail was not. Shrimp was warm and tasted like they just defrosted it.
The Baked Haddock was very good. Â The service was just ok. The dinner menu prices are higher than we usually spend. Glad we went for lunch.
The ambiance was warm and cheery.
The only real complaints (besides the shrimp) Â was that the table wasn't cleaned off very well when we sat down. Â The dishes and debris between courses weren't removed in a timely manner. Â One more thing, the pizza chef should not be wearing a baseball cap backwards while working. Â I noticed the kitchen staff were wearing proper caps. For such an upscale place that struck me as inappropriate.
I had a groupon to use here, and went last week to catch up with a friend and eat some good food; I wasn't disappointed! Â
We were able to sit outside on the deck, the weather was beautiful. Â My only complaint about this is that it was a bit hard to get wait staff over when we needed something. Â But, WOW that food...
My friend and I adored the bread that was brought out with olive oil and... Â garlic/hummus?? Â Sooooo good. Â We asked for more bread. Â I think we would have been happy just eating that! Â We ordered some bruschetta as an appetizer, and were SO happy we did! Â It was cheesy deliciousness!!! Â
My friend ordered the mac and cheese, without the seafood, and was extremely happy with her choice; Â I tried it- it was amazing, and if/when I ever go back, I'm getting that!!! Â I got a pasta with veggies and scallops and garlic sauce, and it was quite good as well. Â
One star off simply because of the pricey-ness and the slightly slow service; but if I can ever afford it again, I'm going back for that mac and cheese!!!
Really delicious Italian food in a very cool building. Â Friendly, informative service and fantastic food. Â Prices are pretty high but the quality of ingredients is impressive. Â I have eaten here for dinner and lunch. Â I had the eggplant flatbread for dinner, and it was really good. Â For lunch, I had the lobster roll sliders, which had large chunks of lobster and very little mayo -- just how I like it. Â I recommend!
Review Source:I love when my Franklin-based company throws an event at Incontro!
This place uses truffle gratuitously on their fries and I love them for that! In addition, they have a great gourmet pizza selection (I personally recommend the Alsatian Tart Flambe: smoked bacon, parmesan, crème fraiche & scallions), an exciting entree menu, and a scrumptious wine list (I always go for the Hayman & Hill cabernet sauvignon).
What really makes this place special is the excellent customer service and the amazing atmosphere. It is situated in a renovated old mill that was originally built in the late 19th century. This is NOT a McRestaurant! It has genuine class because it is inspired by the building's rich history. Come here for a family dinner, a work outing, or a date night. This place is classy without the high-ticket price tag.
PS. Feel free to stop by for a drink, too! They have a beautiful bar and billiards room upstairs.
AC broken, no infants upstairs because they are under 21, even though we had a group event. Incontro gets a 2 for stupid decisions by the owners, and we havent eaten yet.
Update: Food was good, building was lovely.
Still a 2 for the annoyance factor, particularly when it became apparent that the AC breaks every summer and the the issue with infants has occured many time before, according the manager. It seems odd that the group party contract wouldn't spell out 'no children' in addition to the standard '21 and older' clause, if that was such a sticking point.
I've read all the reviews... Here's a straight answer...
Many people on Yelp think they are the NY Times food critics..Picky and not realistic...
In the last 18 month since I've moved out from the Boston area I've eaten here about 40 times. Â ( not fibbing) Â Most of the time I've had the best food in the burbs... Best service, best food, good wine list. Â Place is ALWAYS busy.. Â The parking lot is always full, so people vote with their wallet.
Occasionally they have been slammed and taken a bit longer on the food.. Â It happens. Â Still my # 1 in the area!
A not bad neighborhood restaurant catering to the business crowd as well. An Italian plus menu. I had the plus with a nicely done veal chop, sauteed spinach and underdone green beans. The chop was good and perfectly done. Service was pleasant and the wine list interesting but with affordable selections that were better than average.
I'd eat here again.
Had dinner here the other night to celebrate a friend's new job. I had always wanted to eat at this beautiful restaurant and was happy my friend picked it. Unfortunately, there weren't any tables available on the patio so we ate inside. The dining room was beautiful and the booth we sat it was comfy. The reused mill atmosphere is quaint.
Our server arrived promptly and took drink orders and reviewed the daily specials and was off to get our drinks. The waitress was a bit slow, but pleasant. Our food arrived quickly and was very hot. It was an enjoyable meal, but I can't say it was tops as there are so many good Italian restaurants in the area and a lot of them are less expensive (try Trattoria Romana in Lincoln)
One major complaint was the bathroom. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in over a year, except for the occasional wipe-down. There was brown stuff on the walls behind the toilets and actual cob-webs between the stalls. It really made me question the cleanliness of the kitchen . . .
Overall, not a bad place to eat, but I wouldn't drive out of the way to eat there.
Hadn't been here in a few years. Nice atmosphere.
The service was leisurely, if not a bit slow. Our waitress also didn't take the time to walk us through the menu at all. They were accommodating to a gluten allergy. Drinks were very pricey and average at best in quality.
We has an appetizer of Mussels and Clams steamed in a garlicky, olive broth. A little salty but good. Entrees were the sea scallops with truffle fries and broccollini. Nothing was very hot, but the scallops were excellent and the fries fair. We also had the seared tuna steak with risotto. The tuna was prepared well, but the risotto was tasteless and gummy.
Overall, eh. For the money there are better choices.
I was a little bit disappointed in my recent experience here. We had made a reservation in advance and asked for a table instead of booth to accommodate some of our older guests, but this was not fulfilled. Also, I found service to be a bit slow; I had to chase down a different waiter to get a missing chair and to get our food ordered. The fettucini bolognese was very salty.
I would only come back to this restaurant as a "hang out place" post-dinner, as opposed to for dinner itself. The whole restaurant has a nice atmosphere, but food and service leave something to be desired. Upstairs seems especially nice to watch a game, play pool, or to hang out with friends.
Girl's night out and we were looking for a great place to grab a glass of wine. We ended up settling on this location. We got there a bit early for a Saturday at about 7pm. The bar upstairs was already packed. The tables and bar area are all first come, first serve so it can be a bit crazy trying to get a table. You have to pick out who is settling up and stalk the tables!
We ended up with a table about 30 minutes after we arrived. The server seemed extremely busy and was slow to wait on us but we were in no rush. Disappointed the bottle of white wine we ordered was warm but they did provide a bucket of ice for it to chill.
I shared the lobster mac and cheese with a friend. It was amazing! For dessert we ordered a few and shared. We had a brownie sundae (I was disappointed to find nuts in it that were not mentioned by the waitress) and the strawberry shortcake (also amazing). The dessert portions were huge and easily enough to share.
The wine choices were varied and it was nice to see a price range (you could get a 7 dollar glass or wine or a 13 dollar glass). The glass choices were somewhat limited but the bottle selection was very decent. I do plan to go back!
Blah blah blah, Incontro is really fine despite all the suburbs hate. I love that you can park here (kind of, the parking lot was really full on like a Wednesday) and that the food is nice. There are so many phenomenal restaurants in Boston but there are still bad restaurants in Boston. Just because a restaurant is in Boston, it's not necessarily awesome or upscale. There is just more of a market for it. Whatever... The BF had a gift certificate here and I was really excited to go.
We went here before New Year's and sat upstairs and had a really nice waitress. She was hustling around the bar and it seemed like she was really busy even though there were several bus boys and girls. She was great and listened to all of my dietary restrictions. It took a little while for drinks because I ordered a blended drink and customized it, but that was perfectly fine.
We ordered the fried mozzarella appetizer, and I ordered a spinach pizza. The BF ordered the baked rotini with some kind of meat. He loved it. I loved the pizza. Our waitress was great, the seating was really cool and trendy. The drink menu was extensive.
Here's the problem. The mozzarella appetizer had a specialty salami on the top. We enjoy splitting appetizers and often get our meat on the side so the BF can enjoy it. I specifically told the waitress that the meat needed to go on a separate plate. She understood and I hope made a note of it. When our appetizer came out, there was a giant slab of salami on each piece of mozzarella. There was also a swirl of balsamic reduction on that. I told the bus boy that I wouldn't eat it and I wanted a new order with the salami on the side. He left and went down to the kitchen area, then comes back in five minutes with the same salami on a plate and the same mozzarella on another plate.
WTF. I'm sorry if I'm overreacting. Vegetarianism is not a food allergy but if you took the same reaction to a food allergy or dietary restriction, you could kill someone. I do not think it's acceptable no matter how much your food costs to give back the same plate. Salami is slimy and coats the things it touches, especially hot mozzarella. I waited off on writing this review to see if I cooled down, but I didn't. They get one star because their bus boy is an idiot. A complete idiot. I am a vegetarian, I do not eat meat. Ever. I eat fish, but that's beside the point.
They have some good gift certificates (50% off) and I would love to go back but I felt so disrespected. Even a dinky chain restaurant understands "meat on the side." I haven't had trouble with that in years!!
PS: I lost my ID and called the manager to see if they found it. Left a detailed message with my number and never got a call back. Guess he's too busy to let me know if it's there.
I went there for the first time with my boyfriend this evening. I was actually pretty impressed with the decor. It was very open, has high ceilings, plenty of tables and booths (I like sitting in booths :-) ). The restaurant itself was pretty full, Â but it's expected since it's a Friday night. We ended up sitting upstairs in the lounge area across the room from the pool tables. They had quite a number of pool tables which was quite surprising! I thought they would of only had a few. The lighting was very dim, but I wasn't bothered by it. It was perfect for a romantic setting.
Service wise: it was so so. I mean, the staff was nice. They weren't over bearing, yet they did not forget or neglect us. Service was really fast and very accommodating, but i feel as if I could of gotten the same service at Fridays, Applebees, or any other one of those chains. The good thing was, food came out very quickly!
Food: Food was pretty good. I got a Kobe Burger with fries that were sprinkled with Parmesan Cheese. The fries are similar to Wendy's fries when it comes to size. i didn't find anything special about it even though it had Parmesan Cheese on it. Actually, I found it a little bit undercooked. They weren't crunchy at all, they were mushy. The burger was good. Cooked the way I liked it which is really surprising! This is the first time I had a Kobe Burger, and I don't really taste/feel the difference. Kind of wished I had gotten a regular burger and saved some money. LOL! For my drink, I ordered a lemon drop martini with a sugared rim. Stupid decision on my part....martini and a burger? NOT a good mix. The martini tasted funny after awhile. There wasn't a lot to choose from the menu. The food was kind of pricey too.
My overall opinion? Would I go back? Sure, why not? It's quite refreshing from all the cheesy, dull, lack of character food chains out here in franklin and the surrounding area. Of course, as unique and charming as this place was, the price....not so much. But oh well, what do you expect?
Good restaurant, both for private and business occasions. Large venue, they have a large restaurant area, several event rooms as well as a bar with pool tables upstairs, so a little bit for everyone.
Food is pretty good, some unique dishes that you won't find in your standard-US-fare places around here. A little too pricey, but a nice and welcome change from regular fare.
One really annoying feature is the "valet parking" offered on some evenings, made mandatory and even though it's free, it takes forever and just adds several minutes in the (potentially freezing cold) outside for absolutely no benefit: walking to and from the parking lot takes about 20 seconds! I end up parking across the street and still am much faster than the valet. Needs to be eliminated!
Service is consistently so-so, could be somewhat faster and friendlier, but, again, it's a nice change to go there from time to time. One of the nicest features in the summer is the outdoor patio, in the sun (with umbrellas) and, albeit a little noisy from the road, it is one of the few places in town with outside seating. It certainly ups the average restaurant quality in Franklin and surrounding areas.
It is only 2 minutes from Forge Parkway industrial park on old Rt 140, close to BJ's and across from 99.
We arrived at 7:45 for an 8:00 reservation. The parking lot and valet parking were full and we had to find a spot across the street. The restaurant was packed. Despite this, we were seated on time and attended to quickly by our wait staff. I had American Kobe skirt steak and it was one of the best steaks I have had, both flavorful and tender. The Caesar salad and side dishes were awesome. Prices are a little high but fair for the quality of food and sizes of portions. You will not leave hungry!
Overall it was refreshing to find such a great Restaurant option in Metro-west. Highly recommended.
Living in Franklin it's always nice to have a restaurant that is not part of a chain. Incontro is a unexpected change and I encourage you to venture in for a good time; Located outside of Boston or Providence it is extremely easy to get to being less than a half mile off 495. On busier nights you arrive to non-optional but complementary valet parking which is a nice alternative to locating a parking spot. Â You can dress up or casual depending on the occasion and still feel comfortable. The mix is somewhere in the middle.
The overall vibe of the converted mill makes for a comfortable and unique atmosphere. You have an option to eat on the main floor in large booths overlooking the dinning room, smaller tables and a 10 seated bar or head upstairs to an expansive area filled with, black leather couches, pool tables, fireplace and wrap around bar with large TVs. Private rooms for parties are also upstairs and outside dinning is an option during the warmer months.
Down stairs is dimly lit great for romantic night out or family gathering. It has a full menu, that changes seasonally with items brought in from the local community. The protein portions are large while accompanied by a "correct" serving size of the sides. To some these may seem small but keep in mind we typically don't eat in proportions.
I have been there many times and tried almost everything on the menu, including desserts. I Â find the prices to be reasonable for this type of restaurant. Â My meals have always been consistent, with the exception some items are too salty for my taste. I have yet to receive bad service from either the waitstaff or the crew that attentively assists with delivering meals and getting tables cleared when finished.
If you are a wine drinker you will be impressed by the extensive menu. They offer flights, limited specials and prices range from $28 to the hundreds. You're sure to find a perfect match for any meal. Plus you have the Massachusetts benefit that allows unfinished bottles to be taken to go.
You get to the second floor by stairs or an original elevator. The upper level offers a partial menu still it covers a little bit of everything. The fire cooked pizzas are commonly seen being served. Â The music's louder, pool tables are free on Sundays, it's casual with an upscale vibe and the patrons are mostly older. The weekend nights can get crowded, still with a good mix of people. Although even with a full bar staff you make hit moments of waiting.
I have also gone in for lunch and to watch sports on TV, I don't remember if they are still serving brunch, but this a one meal I was not impressed and do not recommend. Â Check to see the events hosted live music, dinner events etc. Call to see if reservations are needed that night. I haven't made any advance arrangements and 90% of the time was seated immediately.
Overall if you're looking to enjoy an upper scaled meal, great mix of people and out of the city location Incontro can be a nice change. I give it 4 starts with an opinion that there is always room for improvements.
So I came here a couple of weeks ago on a business lunch. I have been working in Franklin for almost 2 years, and only living in Franklin for just shy of a year. All the while, I heard only great things about Incontro. When my boss asked me and my coworkers where we wanted to go, I pretty much demanded to go here because 1) I heard it was great, 2) I wanted real food, 3) It was free. :)
First off, ambiance-wise, I love it. Set in an old mill, and with brick and beams exposed on the inside with rich wood and leather all around, it's pretty damn swanky for lil' ol' Franklin...
I'm not sure how it is for dinner, but for lunch, it's pretty darn good. I ordered one of their combo-type meals (protein and 2 sides). I went with swordfish with asparagus and spinach as the sides. While I was a tiny by surprised as the small size of the portion of the sides, the taste in general was enough to forget about that. Now that I think of it, it's about time that restaurants began serving portions that are "smaller" to buck the whole American mentality that bigger is better. I can't get into culinary terms to describe how things tasted, but in summary I'd say "wicked good".
Two of my coworkers has scallops and another had salmon. I don't remember what they chose as their sides, but they pleasantly enjoyed their experiences here, just like myself.
I'll definitely go back... Obviously the best meal is a free meal, but I have a feeling that I'll even go when it's me footing the bill.
I ate here last night and the entire experience was outstanding. Â The food is well prepared, well presented, and even the simplest menu items are delicious and interesting.
The classy atmosphere and great service really makes this place an experience. Â It is not pretentious in it's sophistication, but rather has a comfortable and tasteful sensibility to it. Â I have been hearing about this place since it opened, and it definitely lived up to the hype.
The valet service is not every night (we went there on a Monday), but it is free when they have it. Â The food prices were not cheap, but they were not outrageous (and we were able to get a very nice bottle of wine for under $30.)
This place is a amazing!! Â The food is out of this world and the atmosphere is nice as well. Â The chef has a great selection of dishes to please any palette. Â
My only grief was that our waitress seemed to have to many tables so getting drinks took a bit longer than normal. Â
I would highly recommend this place and we will definately be hitting there on a regular base.
I was impressed with this gem located 30+ miles outside of Boston.
They have mandatory valet service, but it is free. Â I usually don't use valet, but whatever, it wasn't a big deal.
They did a terrific job renovating the mill to convert this place to a restaurant. Â I loved the exposed stone and wood beams, especially in the billiards room, very unique and very cool vibe in there. Â The place was huge, you don't see restaurants like this in Boston. Â There are two floors. Â The first floor is the main dining room. Â The second floor has the billiards room, a bar/lounge, and a secondary dining room (this is where we ate).
We got a drink in the lounge before dinner. Â The waitress was polite, engaging and attentive. Â They were playing a lot of U2 in honor of Bono's birthday, which was a nice deviation from usual top 40 stuff. Â My mojito was very good ($9), and my companion really liked the Beach Towel Martini ($11). Â It was too sweet for my taste, but to each their own.
Our waitress at dinner was equally professional. Â The menu had a wide offering of traditional Italian fare, not so much of the Italian-American stuff (do not come here hoping to order chicken parm or fettuccine alfredo). Â We did not order wine, so I cannot comment on the wine list.
Friends recommended the proscuitto and mozzerella appetizer, which did not disappoint. Â I had a caesar salad, which had just the right amount of dressing and cheese. Â For my entree, I had rigatoni with sausage in a tomato and cream sauce, which was tasty and just the right portion size. Â I tried my date's pasta bolognese, and I thought that was very good, too.
I wish I had saved room for dessert, but I just couldn't. Â The prosciutto did me in.
The only criticism I have is that at 8:30 (our reservation), two of the three entree specials were already sold out! Â This probably speaks to the quality of the specials, so I advice getting there a little earlier if you want to order them. Â I guess 8:30 is late for dinner in the 'burbs.
Overall, highly recommended, especially if you live along 495.
*Sigh*
I was really looking forward to our evening out for our 8-year anniversary. Â We make the reservation for 8 pm, and trek out to brave the snow, sleet, and ice. Â We arrive, park the car, and walk in.
The hostess greats us, and seems like she is less than enthused to be working on a Friday night. Â I tell her our name, and she walks us into the dining room. Â Its a beautiful old converted mill, with vaulted ceilings and that rustic, yet upscale feel. Â She asks if we would like a booth or a table. Â I saw, booth and she put us at a table. Â I was like you have got to be kidding me.
The waitress comes over, and is extremely nice. Â She takes our drink order and scurries off to get bread and our drinks. Â When she brings the bread she also brings some sort of bean dip thing. Â I'm not too sure what it was... but it was ok.
After looking over the menu a few times, the fiance decides on the ravioli (his safety dish). Â And I go for the rigatoni with bolognese sauce. Â When the food came out it smelled yummy. Â His ravioli looked amazing. Â In fact, it looked so amazing I asked for a taste... and didn't get one. Â My rigatoni with bolognese sauce left something to be desired. Â It looked more like a beef stroganoff. Â And it was kind of bland. Â
I can't even tell you how disappointed I was. Â I brought the leftovers home... I'll probably eat them tomorrow at work... and it will probably depress me all over again.
But Incontro gets 4 stars for service, an unbelievable menu selection, and an awesome location. Â Not 5 stars because the hostess was kind of a b*tch, the bolognese did not live up to the standards of a decent bolognese, and that bean dip that accompanied the bread was icky.
Maybe we will try it again... but I want to wait until its nice outside so we can sit on the patio.
I am impressed.
I'm out in Boston for a business trip and currently in Franklin. Â We had dinner here last night and was I surprised to find a nice gem such as this place in the middle of a slightly more suburban part of MA, very different from the citified boundaries of Boston.
Is it just me, but the men here seem taller? Â I walked into a room awash with men in suits, sport coats, and oxfords with the sleeves rolled back (sexy!!) exchanging business cards between pints of beer. Â Apparently, EMC was hosting a mixer and they thought we were part of the group.
We ended up on the top floor to get drinks, all awhile the hustle and flow of people and networking took on volume as more people swarmed into the bar area.
Once our party arrived, we walked back downstairs where service was top notch and people were allowed to mill about the large sturdy tables to exchange conversation. Â I could not scoot my chair back an inch because two business men were standing directly behind me chatting.
The menu here is vast ad rustic in terms of Italian comfort food. Â Not to digress from anything fancy, since one ordered the Scallops with pesto risotto (which by the way, looked fabulously rich and moist when it arrived) and I decided to be the meat eater at the table and ordered the Pig Out priced at $24. Â Our waiter, a handsome rustic man himself, took a step back and cocked his head at me with disbelief.
"What," I asked him "Women don't order this dish?"
"No, I won't say that" he replied, "But there was one woman who did order it and it looked like she could manage. Â Whereas..."
He trailed off because people got louder around us, but my dinner mates laughed and told him that I was visiting from SF for work. Â The waiter was cute and assured me that he was sure I could handle it, but was definitely not expecting me and my frame to have placed the order.
The Pig Out is one of their nightly specials, consisting of three different types of pork done differently (slices of ham, ribs, and a rag-out of pork side) arranged neatly on a platter of beans, a slaw, and creamy risotto. Â If anything, I was impressed with the risotto. Â Beautiful.
Dessert was out of the question since I was stuffed. Â And the glass of Pinot Grigio was settling in. Â The room is expansive with high ceilings and with the dimmed lighting, everyone looked beautiful. Â All the men were handsome and so much the gentlemen! Â I've never walked through a room of them where they parted to make way for our party, like a sea.
I liked our waiter. Â He was attentive, quick, and warm, not only in terms of service appeal but also personalized our experience there by giving us direction with the menu. Â He told me to come back. Â Especially if I were in Boston.
And I would. Â Most definitely.
It was packed that night, so even though they had a large parking lot, we had to valet our cars that night.
A piece of Boston night life in the thick of Franklin 02038. It's not Bev Hills 90290 or Boston 02116, but it's something different and amazing in the outskirts of 495.
Incontro is new, having opened early this year, is a converted mill into a 3 floor restaurant, pool hall and deli cafe. It's on Rte 140 off I-495 so very esay to get there. Plenty of parking so don't worry about street parking.
I'm wondering how long it will last, so hit it while it's still there. Good solution for those not wanting to trek to either Providence or Boston.