I live in Oakland, so I've had the opportunity to sample some great restaurants all around the Bay Area. Â I have very high standards.
Last weekend, I went to Maranello and --- WOW! Â My date and I had a fabulous dinner: the starter was an appetizer plate of 2 cheeses (one with truffles), mini-peppers slightly hot, almonds, a selection of breads and a wonderful jam.
Dinner exceeded expectations: Kay had Tombo (a white fish) with blue crab stuffing and I had Free Range chicken with 2 different cooking styles, plus a corn safferoto (sp.) which was fabulous. Â Besides being delicious, the portions were very generous and we had a nice take home box.
Kelly was our waitress and she was great. Â Service was attentive without being intrusive.
But, the chef --- Mark Yunge --- he will be snapped up soon by some up and coming San Francisco hot restaurant. Â So get there now and enjoy his fabulous inventions. Â A guy this talented does not come by very often. Â He is truly a genius.
So, my advice is: as soon as you can, get to Maranello Kitchen and surprise and delight yourself with a fabulous dinner.
I've been excited about this place for awhile since I yelped it and saw all those yummy photos with great reviews. However, my first experience was far from great.
My bf and I arrived on a Sunday around 1030. When we walked in we stood around looking for someone to seat us. It was very slow at this time, I think they only had a few tables.
Our server was not so great as well. He kept putting my drinks on my left hand side meaning he had to reach over me, not comfortable and weird since I am right handed. The food was horrible , I barely touched my plate and instead of asking if there was a problem with my plate or even offering me a box , he just offered to take the plate away. And by that time I was not having a great experience I didn't bother asking for one.Note: If you see a customer with a full plate, ask if there was a problem! If you go the extra mile for your customer you might see bigger tip!
For the food review;
I ordered biscuit and gravy with egg whites and wheat toast
The biscuit and gravy were salty and dry. Egg whites were soaked in butter and the bread wasn't even toasted!
My bf said his plate just tasted very buttery and was too disgusting to eat, he barely touched his plate as well.
We gave brunch a try today. Â Outstanding in every way!
Other than a momentary delay to be greeted, service was spot on today. Â Â Every aspect of service was prompt, courteous, and well trained. Â
Stephanie was our server and I would go out of my way to sit in her section again. Â She knew the specials perfectly. Â She answered my questions about the choices of pancakes in great detail.
Spouse had the tamale egg special. Â Now, who is complaining about portion size??? Â That tamale egg special was enough to feed most of Fair Oaks! Â It was enormous! Â It contained a lot of very tender and flavorful pork. Â The accompanying potatoes were, believe it or not, out of this world! Â They had that hint of vinegar that complements the starch. Â I was stealing them from his plate.
And it's not like I was hurting for food myself! Â I ordered the Whole Wheat pancakes, and a side order of bacon. Â Ooooooh, do I love thick slices of meaty bacon, and the serving was 4 big slices. Â
And that pancake was absolutely the best whole wheat pancake that I have ever had. Â (I say pancake not pancakes because they served me one ginormous pancake instead of the short stack they describe in the menu.). I have found most whole wheat pancakes to be very dry, thin, and either dense or tough. Â Stephanie told me that this pancake would not be dry or dense or thin. Â And she was right. Â It was worth every calorie!
And isn't that the final test, for the food to be worth the calories? Â :)
The pancake comes with fresh fruit. Â I asked for the fruit to be served on the side, and a beautiful compote of berries, ever so slightly sweetened, was served in a bowl. Â It was enough for us to share.
Both the regular and decaf coffees are strong and rich.
This was our very best Maranello experience so far, food and service combined. Â Thank you Stephanie and fellow servers for a wonderful brunch.
Spouse wants to know how soon we are returning for brunch. Â As soon as I can!
One of my girlfriends and I popped in here on a Friday night last month. Â It was a perfect evening and so we decided to sit out on their covered patio. Â It was lovely. Â The seating, while crowded, is comfortable. Â The service was excellent as well as the food. Â
We each ordered a salad, entree, and we shared a dessert. Â The ingredients were nice and fresh, everything seasoned great. Â The wine selection was HUGE and includes so many local wines which is always a pleasant surprise. Â My friend even got to try a french macaron for the first time, which was a garnish to our creme brulee.
I am not sure why I can't give them a full 5-stars but there just was either something missing, or something that didn't just wow me. Â I think it might be the layout of the place. Â Its really weird with the patio out front, dining in the middle and bar area in the back of the place like the evil step-child.
The awesome part though was that even though we were using a Groupon, the wait staff was 5-star, and we even got a coupon when we left for a future visit! Â Score! Â So can we split the difference and call it 4.5 stars? Â I say yes!
My husband, being Italian, had been wanting to try this restaurant for some time. We had the opportunity the other night and we were sadly very disappointed.
We didn't find much in the way of Italian dishes so we ordered the dinner for two. The salad was really quite good so our hopes were up for continued tastiness. Then the entree arrived which was baked ziti. It was so bland we had to find a salt shaker, since there wasn't one on the table. The chicken pieces were shredded and so dry I didn't eat mine and I love chicken. There was no sauce in the dish and minimal cheese. Then the vanilla gelato came for dessert. It was tasty but must have been sitting for quite a while because it was about 1/4 liquid.
The service was just ok. Lots of time between ordering and getting the salad, also waiting for dessert.
Sorry, we won't be back.
Gave two stars because the place has potential.
I came here with some friends who live close by and eat here regularly. They were so excited to bring us because they loved this place. They said it was great Italian food. Â I love Italian food so I was hoping it would be good. Sadly it had very few Italian dishes on the menu. Being in the mood for Italian, this made it hard to decide.
 We started with a few small plates consisting of a grilled artichoke, a pretzel with some dipping sauce, and some small peppers. Like I said before, very few Italian choices. The artichoke was good and so was the pretzel. the peppers were just OK.
 I ordered the steak (because there was no Italian food. Have I said that already?) med/rare. My wife ordered the falafel small plate (not Italian), and our friends ordered the hamburger and the calamari to split. My steak was cooked well on the inside but burnt on the outside. Not even sure how that's possible at med/rare. My wife said her food was OK but wouldn't order it again. I tried the calamari and it had a good flavor but was very chewy. They said the burger was really good, so it must have been the best part of the entire dinner.
 Our friends said that the menu used to be way better and had just recently changed it. Reducing it down to one page and removed everything they usually ate. They even said they weren't happy with the changes.
 The service wasn't any better than the food. Our server would be gone for long periods of time and my water glass went empty three times. We had to order a bottle of wine from the bus boy. He only moved fast to our table once we stood up to check his tip.
 I am not sure if it was just a bad night or a bad change. I was not impressed at all. I don't think I would eat here again with so many other restaurant better, closer, and cheaper. Unless it is in your neighborhood, I don't think it's worth the drive.
The best of the BEST they have the MIND BLOWING SCALLOPS there come try. I went try it out on friday and came right back on sunday's night. Love our waitor Bret, hes so great with us, and im writing this because im his friend of anything but this is a place where your money worth! GREAT FOOD, Awesome service and overall the place environment is chill. LOVE IT
Review Source:Overall this is a solid 4 star restaurant. Â Upscale dining with a few affordable specials give it the extra perk that makes me say 5 and help their ratings. Â (Although maybe I should give a lousy rating and keep it my own personal secret!)
Food- original, creative, delicious and very well prepared and served.
Wines, great variety of affordable and local and international selections.
Fantastic desserts! Â Very original, extra points for creativity - not the typical "oversized cake from a box" type of thing!
I was a bit hesitant - as we called for reservations and were told we wouldn't need them over the phone - we arrived and we were asked if we had reservations (uh oh!) but we were promptly seated and service was wonderful - as was the food. Â
I can't wait to get back and try some of their other dishes, and be treated with a warm smile and professionalism that comes with a meal at Maranello.
We *WILL* be returning and doing our part to make sure they stay in business. Â I just wish we could afford to eat here more often!
Top this all off with a pleasant atmosphere, a semi-enclosed patio area, a full bar, and of course - they're "car people" and I'd love to go see one of the car shows they have there as well - and will very soon.
Vincent hustles and aims to please!
We tried this restaurant based on a groupon or I wouldn't have known it was in Fair Oaks. Â The service was fantastic. Â I ordered the scallop dish, and I loved it. Â My BF ordered the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin and thought it was really good and had plenty to eat. Â I tried it, as well, and thought it had great flavor. Â For dessert, we tried the key lime cheesecake. Â It was an interesting concept of sweet and sour. Â The extras of mango sorbet, coconut, and kiwi made a wonderful combination of flavors. Â We loved it! Â Also, they did well with the presentation of all the food. Â The server shared that the Chef Gabriel came from the Slocum House. Â I'm not surprised - the food was delicious!
Review Source:found this place with a groupon. the groupon had 3 courses plus wine. and we are non-alcoholic drinkers and they would not substitute for something else other than a soda so the voucher was pretty worthless. our server was great the management was not so great since they werent willing to work with us. the seating is very close together and the food is just average. they are trying to be upscale but the ambiance just doesnt match the prices. no thanks ill stick with better places midtown.
Review Source:The atmosphere and service was great but the food leaves much to be desired...my husband's waffle was cold, the butter didn't melt on it and the bacon was cold and brittle, clearly the eggs had been sitting for a while. My creme brûlée french toast was super hot, I had a wonderful first bite and then bit into a charred end covered in sauce. I will attach a picture of it!  Very disappointed, this was Sunday morning...you'd expect them to want to show off their culinary skills....
Review Source:Ok....where does one begin? Â The Pepperoni pizza was fair....very thin crust, nothing special about it, except for the size was very small for $15. Â We also had a side of Spaghetti for $7 and you got maybe 3 bites.....So, if you are not very hungry and you are looking to spend more than you should, Maranello's is the place for you. Â
It is a shame that the days of large portions at Italian restaurants are not being followed by this establishment.
Came here for Easter brunch this morning.  The cream brûlée french toast was tasty but cold, really cold as were the mashed potato griddle cakes and onion rings that accompanied my husband's $30 strip steak. Two steaks were ordered at our table of four and we were told by Vincent our server, they could only be cooked either medium rare or well done. What????? We ordered one each way and they both came out medium rare. We live in Fair Oaks and this was our first time at Maranello's. We won't be back.
Review Source:Maranello's is a gem in the rough. If my wife didn't get the Groupon deal, we would have never even find this place. Great food, good service, but not the best location. It's further out in Fair Oaks and isn't close to any freeways so expect a good long drive before you get here. The food taste and quality is way up there and you get the sense that the head chef probably worked for some of the more famous restaurants, but then decided to retire or move to Fair Oaks where, well, not a whole lot is happening. There are no major malls or strip centers. Had it been located in a bustling center Maranello's would be just packed with customers. I think if the owners spruced up the decor and moved to a more fancy location, Maranello's would just rule as one of the best restaurants. The food is so good, but it truly is marred because of the out-of-the-way location and older decor. We don't mind it and it's nice and homely, but the food deserves so much better and many people probably won't try it because it's further out, or won't come back because it feels too expensive for a neighborhood restaurant. Which is truly sad because you have a restaurant that serves really great 5-star quality food, but looks and feels like a local mom-and-pop cafe. Give Maranello's a try and judge the food on its merits. We'll definitely be back!
Review Source:I was surprised when this restaurant got rave reviews in the Sacramento Bee. Â It is OK and conveniently located - we live in Phoenix Field, about 1/2 mile walk. Â We have had dinner a few times, brunch once. Â I ordered an omelet at brunch - the filling was scrumptious but the actual egg part had no flavor at all and was kind of dry. Â It is a nice neighborhood restaurant but not amazing cuisine or anything.
Review Source:My mouth waters just thinking about the short rib burger. It's everything you can want in a burger - thick & juicy with garnishes that compliment and finish. Â I usually skip the bun - most tend to be detractors but this is no ordinary bun. Â I've been on a quest for the best burger and this one tops the list. Â My spouse had the pork tenderloin and found it to be tender, flavorful and delicious. Â I would have gone 5 stars based solely on the food but one must include ambiance which leaves much to be desired. Â The dining room is cramped, seating in the bar area was very uncomfortable. Service was acceptable.
Review Source:My aunt gave us a groupon for Christmas, so the BF and I gave it a try this past Friday eve. Â We made reservations, but got there kinda early so we didn't need them. Â Service was more than you could ask for. Â Food was excellent and at the end of the evening they gave us another coupon for a half off entree.
We shared the mixed greens salad with homemade croutons and the best blue cheese dressing I've ever had. Â It was light and tangy, instead of heavy and cloying like some. Â The croutons were perfectly crunchy without being so hard they cut the top of your mouth. Â My BF does not like croutons as a rule and he thought these were great.
The groupon was for two pizzas or pastas but the server told us that entrees were also included. Â We both chose the most expensive pasta, Frutti di Mare and it was fantastic. Â The sauce was tomato based but with a slight bright lemony quality that one doesn't usually expect. Â The seafood was fresh and abundant with big succulent shrimp, super tender calamari and salmon (which I normally don't care for) under the pasta, and a generous helping of gorgeous clams and mussels on top. Â The pasta was bucatini I believe. Â I have a pretty good sized man with a matching appetite and he was barely able to finish, I had to take some of mine home. Â It will be difficult not to order the same thing next time!!
The bread was served hot and we had no trouble getting more when we asked. Â Not sure why someone thought that was such a big deal... I like my bread hot and it was yeasty and crusty and perfect. Â If I have one complaint it was that the butter was cold and hard. Â Wish it had been a bit more spreadable. Â
The groupon also came two glasses of house wine. Â It was not fabulous, but certainly drinkable and might actually been good with a more rustic dish. Â We also brought our own wine and there was a 12.00 corkage, which is expected. Â
My man is a total chocoholic but me not so much. Â The special dessert was a carrot cake that was moist and perfect with a filling and a gelee topping with a fig like jam and ginger pear sorbet. Â It was great! Â I didn't not care for the gelee topping so much but he loved it. Â I could have eaten a gallon of the sorbet it was so great. Â
Even though we don't live so close by I would defintely go there again. Â The bar was hopping and had some nice little dining alcoves. Â Think it will be what we try next.
This place is pretty good if you order the right thing. Our appetizers consisted of the goat cheese crustini which was pretty bland and the watermelon salad which was surprisingly refreshing a sweet! Next, we ordered the thai chicken tacos and they were hardly tacos at all. We received chicken kebabs on sauce smothered, rock hard, flat breads. We also ordered the vegetable pasta which we got with pomodoro sauce instead of pesto cream. After a long discussion with the waiter over how to substitute sauce, we received our pasta which was mediocre. The best thing we ordered were the French fries and vanilla ice cream. My advice for this place is to keep your order simple! Stick with your basic steak and fries
Review Source:So, I'm a big supporter of this place. So much so, I liked them on my FB..which is how I found out about their bacon bloody mary they made a huge deal of on FB. So... we went in this morning and were greeted with "sorry, we don't have any bacon cooked, it's gonna take awhile to get that drink". So I changed my order as did my husband. We ordered breakfast and it arrived... oh wait, my biscuit arrived and my husband's complete breakfast arrived.. Â I was assured the rest of my order was coming, which consisted of two eggs and disappointing potato chunks, that arrived after my husband finished his breakfast. The rest of my order literally arrived 10 minutes later. Â The bartender/waitress never said sorry for the wait, how's that no bacon, nothing. Service no stars.You're falling fast, Maranello. No one is watching the wheel on Sundays! Avoid.PS. Bring your megaphone, it took three yells to get someone to hear us as we said hello to a completely empty lobby.
Review Source:My wife and I try to hit up Maranello at least once every other week or so. Â Besides being super convenient location-wise for those in the fair oaks/orangevale area, the food is fantastic and the ambience is great. Â If the weather's nice, I definitely recommend getting a spot on the patio. Â
The fries with the bacon aioli sauce is an excellent starter, and you can't go wrong with the pizza or hanger steak. Â I'm not a big fan of fish personally so haven't tried any of the fish items, but everything else I've tried has been delicious. Â
The wait staff is friendly and helpful; in particular, Jessica has served us a few times and she is always great.
Highly recommended!
This place I love!!! From the time you walk in. Â The Caesar salad is excellent to the tasty 4 mushroom pizza it is a tie for the pizzas we have eaten in Italy. Â The desert yummy. Â Corkage fee 12$. Â Manager came by to see how everything was!!! We will be back for the burger that the people raved about sitting next to us. Love this place. Â We are major foodies and cooks!!!
Review Source:Visited on a very busy Friday night. Did not have a reservation but was seated very quickly. The service was fast and friendly. I ordered the Ground Shortrib Burger and it was cooked perfectly medium and was nice and juicy. The fries were cooked to death and greasy. The bar area is nice and roomy and appears to be a great place to watch a game.
Review Source:Located on Sunset and Hazel.
Casual.
Full bar.
Indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor patio is not dog friendly. It's near Phoenix Dog Park and we had hoped it was out of convenience for us.. It's not. And, I understand.
I've only been in for brunch and it's pretty good. Well, really the breakfast part. That's all I've had here. Nonetheless, it's been good. So has the service.
My favorite breakfast item-- A side of biscuits & gravy.
I've tried the Eggs Benedict and the eggs were a little overcooked. When the yolk is cooked through-- it's officially overcooked. I've had the Challah French Toast and that's all that comes with that. I wished it had other components and half the serving of French Toast. Too much of the same thing, me thinks. Yeah, you can order a side of whatever but, I rather complain. Sides get pricey.
The menu changes with the season and they have daily specials.. We like coming for brunch here. It's not horrible and it's not fantastic.. We're just content.
I had a yearning for a hamburger and went there to try their $14.00 hamburger that I read about in the newspaper.
This burger was not worth the money and don't understand why they can charge that much and get away with it.
The meat was skimpy and not juicy. Â The bun was toasted nicely with butter (??!) on it, but it felt apart as I ate the burger. Â I think there was a glob of tomato in there, but it was small. Â The fries were average. Â
If I go there again, I will try the pizza.
This review is based on lack of service and pricing and portion of food.
 I was very excited to go to Maranello. My parents had been there last season with their Spring menu and had nothing but great things to say. Maranello change menus every season apparently which keeps interest but  this menu change was less appealing not only for me but for all of us.
 Walking into the Maranello the ambiance is very nice.  However, when a customer walks into a restaurant, there should always be a hostess waiting to seat you. My parents and I waited what seemed to be 5 minutes before my mother asked a passing by waitress for us to be seated.
 On that particular Tuesday night, I noticed that there simply not enough staff and they seemed unprepared. If this is the case, shouldn't the manager call in more staff? In addition, there is not enough space between tables in the dining room. Either this is the issue or there are too many tables. Waiters and waitresses had to walk around each time to give the person on the other side their plate of food. Personally, I'm not that picky and just want my food.
 Also, when you go to Maranello be prepared to spend a lot of money. YOU WILL NOT BE FULL UNLESS YOU GET AN APPETIZER FOR YOURSELF, NON-SPLITABLE MAIN COURSE, AND DESSERT. I asked our waitress if my main course of scallop risotto would be sufficient or should I order a salad. She advised me that the risotto would be plenty and not to worry. My parents each ordered a salad and main course with me only having the risotto. The risotto was $28 so I thought I would be getting a good size portion. That "large portion" consisted of a 3 piles of rice, not risotto for this was even a stretch to call it that, and 3 medium sized scallops on each  pile.... My parents experienced similar circumstances with their entrees being as small.
The bill was over $150 and we left hungry. Even stopped by the store on the way home to grab a few more munchies. This was one of the only times I have left a restaurant hungry. Â You shouldn't have to pay over $150 to feel satisfied. Very unimpressed and wont be back.
We made reservations for 6 an hour before we wanted to dine on a Saturday. It wasn't tricky to get in, though they had a pretty full house.
The food was great! Full portions, tasty food, every plate was totally cleaned. :)
They serve craft brews, domestics and some colorful cocktails.
Entrees range from 14-28, cocktails are about 8.50 and brews are 3-4.50.
Excellent service & a relaxed atmosphere.
Clearly, there are a lot of parents that dine here - empty nesters, parents of high schoolers on down to toddler moms & dads. We had the misfortune of watching drunk parents let their toddler walk out barefoot & unaccompanied in the parking lot -- I had to wonder if all the white haired, hawai'ian shirts dads would intervene & teach those fools how to raise babies to adulthood, but it seemed nothing would deter them from their white wine and a nice evening out with the wife.
My first visit here was great! We came on a Thurs and had the $30 3-course dinner special. We had patio seating in a corner that was pretty dark, hence the dark photos. But, our waitress was attentive, came back several times to refill our drinks and check on us. Typical fine-dining taste and portion: steak carpaccio, tilapia, and ice cream sandwiches. BF's risotto was a bit burnt around the edges of the plate but still tasted creamy and yummy.
Somehow, the more I come here, the less I'm impressed. They run out of their specials quick, so I encourage coming to dinner earlier.
- Fish plates. Â Lack flavor. No POW! in my mouth or savory-ness. It's more of a watered down kindof taste.
- Burger.  Not "the best burger I've ever had."  I think Jamie S. and I had the same waiter. Apparently he doesn't eat many burgers. The greens  made a difference but the meat had this gamey taste, which I thought was weird. Weird but still good and tasted fresh.
- Salt and pepper fries. Â Yum! Crisp and salty with bacon aoili. Everything's better with bacon, right?
Happy Hour:
- Meatball sliders. Â Surprisingly good! A bit pricey for happy hour though.. I could get a regular burger for $6-7
- Smoked peppers. Â Gross and a rip-off! It was just skinny peppers roasted on a grill. It just had a tangy smoky flavor. No meat mass. The sauce didn't help cut the nasty flavor.
- Crostini. Â Goat cheese, sundried tomato pesto, roasted garlic, candied pecan, and reduced vinaigrette sauce. Hands down the best item on that happy hr menu!
Like other reviews mentioned, service is quite slow. But not every time. Worth it to try at least once. Food either wowed or bowed. A bit too pricey to eat out every weekend, though, that's for sure.
Four of us had 7:30 reservations at Maranello's for dinner last Saturday night, and the parking lot and dining areas were full and busy. This is a popular spot in Fair Oaks, and we had not been before. We arrived about 10 minutes late, were cordially greeted, and were asked to have a seat at the inviting bar. No sooner had we sipped our wine than we were seated in the front part of the restaurant, a large, spacious room with pleasant ambience. Our waiter, an amiable and eager fella from Massachusetts (a Red Sox fan, yeah!), said sorry for the wait (was only about 5 minutes!) and began to tell us about the menu and specials, then left us to peruse the meal choices.
Within moments, a different waiter or chef brought us a lovely plate of fried calamari and veggies (calamari fritto misto) with a couple of dipping sauces, again apologizing for our "wait." All right! This appetizer was excellent and we did not need to order an app as we had planned. Off to a good start for sure.
We studied the menu for awhile and enjoyed our drinks. Our waiter reappeared when our menus were lowered onto the table, right on. One of the specials was fresh pea soup with mint, which we were quite interested in. Our waiter said he'd bring us a try, and brought two healthy samples! It was SO fresh and kind of French-inspired, with a touch of mint. Delightful. We ordered a couple of cups which was freshly prepared for us from peas from their garden in the back. Cool.
We each ordered seafood dishes, which arrived in a prompt manner. My girlfriend loved her lightly seared & glazed scallops and her husband said his almond crusted salmon was delightful. My Manila clams over garlic-y linguine were perfectly seasoned and tender, and my husband's paella was chock full of seafood and linguica and tasty rice. The paella was super hot and he had to let it cool off awhile before eating. We were all so satisfied and full, we unfortunately did not have room for dessert! Next time, for sure.
What was once a dance studio is now a wonderful and inviting little restaurant...
We were escorted to our table immediately and handed menus. Our server didn't show up immediately so another server came over and asked us if we would like some water. He came back and told us he would be our server. OK. He apologized for the wait and brought out these cute little balls, garnished beautifully and I didn't even hear what they were. They looked good so I went for it. Turned out to be duck. I had never had duck and to my pleasant surprise it was delicious. Maybe because it was in small quantities. Â
I ate oysters for the first time here as well. Wow! Loved them. They had a really good sauce and cilantro jelly to put on them and it worked.
For my main course I ordered the bacon wrapped brined chicken with apple chestnut stuffing, celery root puree, Brandy sauce, and Parmesan crusted spinach. Â The presentation was absolutely lovely. Â I saw a pattern here, they seem to like to shape their food into little balls. Â My dish was an absolute delight.
Our server was nice but perhaps could have backed off a little. After every serving he came over at least twice to ask how everything was. We were in deep conversation every single time yet he seemed blind to it and interrupted. Maybe he was a little new at this.
Overall I can't wait to go back, fill up on oysters and maybe have a duck ball or two.
2nd visit to Maranello, this time for Sunday breakfast. Â First, the bad.
The service was very disjointed. Â We were seated promptly by the friendly hostess, but it took about 10 minutes to be visited by the waitress, after I gave a "hey, what the heck" shrug to the hostess. Â She responded with a "your waitress will be there in just another minute, she's really busy". Â Yes, she had 4 other tables and came over to us with a look that said she's had better days. Â I successfully made some small talk and cheered her up to hopefully get better service going forward.
The room is nice, but could use some point spots on the center tables where we were, instead of relying just on indirect light from the tables along the walls.
The breakfast menu is very good. Â Several dishes called to our party of 4, and we all selected something different. Â I didn't have to look past the first item, croissant bread pudding french toast. Â It ended up being pretty good, but wouldn't order it again. Â It was served lukewarm, and while I was hoping for a crusty french toast exterior with the bread pudding interior, it was just that bread pudding consistency all the way through. Â Two others had chicken fried hangar steak and buscuits and gravy. Â Very good choices, with the biscuits homemade, dense and crusty, smothered in a great country gravy. Â The country potatoes came to us hot and appeared crispy (as we ordered), but had a bit of a cardboard made-ahead texture that was disappointing.
Back to the service. Â The waitress remaind friendly but overwhelmed, missing an order and making several trips to retrieve drinks by hand (no trays). Â The hostess? Â There were TWO standing at the front of this small restaurant, chatting with each other. Â Neither one helped the wait staff in any way, which may have been why our waitress seemed overwhelmed. Â Nobody was overseeing the front of the house to make sure the few patrons that were there were adequately served, and I can't place all the blame on the waitress.
Overall, I will come back because of the good food and menu variety. Â I would hope that the owners will require a team effort on the service side - this took a full star off my rating.
So I ordered the burger here. I knowwwww, who the hell orders a burger at an Italian restaurant? I was stuck between ordering the burger and some other kind of pasta dish, so I asked the waiter which he suggested.
He says, "The burger. Hands down, BEST BURGER I have EVER eaten."
I say, "Whooa, you better not just be saying that, because I know what a good burger is."
He says, "I SWEAR, this is the best burger ever."
Okayy.... I'm going to order the burger. (The fries sounded bomb anyway--which they were)
Forever and a half goes by (I think we just got unlucky though, because there was a birthday party going on in the other room) and finally this magnificent burger is placed in front of me. Oh, damn.. Here goes. Bite #1: The bread on here is awesome. Bite #2: Okay, it's good.. Bite #3: Not that awesome.. Bite #4: Okay, totally not the best burger I have ever had. It took me forever to chew! The promise of it being the best burger ever kind of made me take a while deciding how I felt about it. (And I thought the meat was lacking a little flavor) The pickled vegetables on the side got me really excited because I love pickles.. But they were too sour for my liking, it was all vinegar.
My plus one ordered spaghetti, and that was actually really good. It surpassed my burger by a mile.
I really enjoyed the ambience and feel of the place, it had a very good "date" atmosphere. Everything was clean and the waiter was really attentive. The burger just sucked.
Besides the fact that a certain Sac Bee food critic is a complete moron and I wanted to prove him wrong, I was still extremely curious.
Good food in Fair Oaks? I personally had to see it (or eat it in my case) to believe it.
I swaggered into the place brimming with preconceptions and was met with...a pleasantly relaxed environment with very friendly servers.
Damn I hate being wrong...so despite the gorgeous summer evening, trickling fountains, and jovial atmosphere I was still reluctant to let myself enjoy the place.
However, my indifferent facade soon began to melt after the Steak Carpaccio and Stuffed Artichoke plates arrived. The first crack appeared when the waitress suggested one of the better glasses of Viogner I've had (how did she know I was a sucker for the whites?). And finally the disdain fell away when the Spinach stuffed Lamb Chop in a Mediterranean-style ragu came out.
Now unlike The Bee, I would definitely NOT label the food as "..intense, exciting, and richly satisfying.." In fact, I actually found the flavors to be a bit reserved and muted. I WOULD say that the food selection was creative, fun, Â and comforting....and when it comes down to it...what more could you expect from a little town such as Fair Oaks?
Just to be fair, I didn't get to hate on Maranello like I had originally planned, but I definitely saw some areas where they were lacking. I will concede The Bee didn't completely botch the review...at least this time.
We went back. Service was horrible.
Small portions and decorative plating does not justify high prices and sub par taste.
Braised ribs ravioli tasted like dry pot roast ravioli. The carmelized onion caprecie salad was to sweet for me, but my husband liked it. We both agreed that it was ridiculously plated. House wine was exactly what you can expect for the $4 price tag. The ministroni was fine, but it tasted canned. Too much salt perhaps?
Maranello's would do better to serve heaping portions of hot and tasty pasta dishes with moderate price tags than to attempt to be the fine dining establishment that their service and food quality prohibit.
I won't be going back.
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