Michael's Ristorante Italiano

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  Wife and I have been here a few times and enjoyed ourselves each time. The food standard is good, I especially like the fried polenta side that comes with many of the dishes, as I've never encountered it anywhere else. The wine selection is good.
  It is located next to the Moraga Safeway. From outside it appears quiet and subdued; inside however there are always a couple of groups at the bar and watching the large-screen. Tables are situated behind these. The wait-staff are likeable and competent. Parking is plentiful and close by (50 metres)
  Since Michael and Pennini share the same owner and kitchen, I suppose people with pizza-loving kids can go to Pennini and order Michael dishes on the same menu.

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  Posted on 01.14.13 Shaheen T.

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  This place suffers from the same dyslexia of it's sister restaurant, Pennini's, next door.  At Pennini's, you will find the best Pizza around.  It is truly delicious.  Just stay away from the rest of the menu.  Michael's shares its kitchen and probably kitchen staff, so the same uneven handling of the food is apparent.
  
  The ambiance is old-fashioned and nice.  The bar is lined with regulars.   Bread is good and the balsamic garlic oil is delish. Salads are plain old fashioned, out of a sysco bag variety of ice berg dominated lettuce.
  
  Then things get a little shaky.  The table ordered a steak, a carbonara pasta and the special lamb shank.   The worst was the pasta.  I have never seen carbonara like this.  It had no sauce!!   The angel hair pasta did have some peas and some bacon (very little), but it had a bunch of sun-dried tomato and no creamy carbonara sauce. I wanted some eggy cream sauce with pancetta. The sun-dried tomato wasn't a good match. Nope.  It was dry angel hair pasta with sun-dried tomato flavoring.
  
  The steak was tough.  It was also super thin which was weird and sinful for rib-eye.  A thin tough rib-eye - no fun at all.
  
  The lamb shank, on the other hand, was SPECTACULAR!  The meat was falling off the bone and seasoned perfectly.  It was nestled in some amazing mushroom risotto that was easily the best risotto I have ever had.  The risotto was surrounded by flavorful meat juices from the lamb.  The plate was licked clean.
  
  The dishes were like they came out of two different restaurants.  So odd.
  
  The service was great, however.  Very friendly and homey.   Tempted to go back to try more Italian specialties.  Pizza.  The pizza next door is soooo good.

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  Posted on 12.12.12 Stephanie S.

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  Experienced this restaurant a couple months ago and had a wonderful experience - service was pleasant and very professional. Linen tablecloths, booth or tables.  Can be an intimate setting.  It was busy with people also at the bar. Can't remember what we ate but we were both quite content with portion, way it was cooked, presentation and flavor.  Drinks were the best - the bartender (female) was very generous - perhaps that's why I can't remember what we ate!!!  It is located in a strip mall next to Safeway - discreetly tucked away.  Can't believe I've lived nearby for 12 yrs and never been before!  Anyhow - enjoyed so much we are hoping they have reservations for this evening!

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  Posted on 10.13.12 d b.

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  My boyfriend and I have dined here twice.  On both occasions, the food has been very good.  The service is where the restaurant falls short.
  
  When we arrived for this past visit, we were greeted casually by a guy who was setting the tables.  He let us sit where we wanted, but didn't give us menus or say our waiter would be by shortly or anything.  He just continued setting the tables--one time around the room for forks, one time around for spoons, one time for napkins . . .  . After 2-3 minutes our server came by.  We asked him for menus, to which he replied, "Oh yeah, I'm getting those."  
  
  We did finally get menus and ordered.  I asked about the Viognier on the wine list, and the waiter said, "Oh, I don't even think we have that--no, we don't have that."  OK, sauv blanc it is.  Wine arrived later--nice big pours, but both my white and my boyfriend's red were in these (different but) small wine glasses that were filled to the top--so no swirling!  I find it odd that a place with a full bar and in this sort of price range doesn't have proper glasses so you can swirl your wine a bit.
  
  The bread came with some tasty oil and balsamic vinegar.  The bread here is REALLY good--soft and fresh on the inside, but super crusty on the outside.  Never trust a restaurant that can't make good bread!
  
  Our food came, a little on the slow side considering how quiet the restaurant was (only two or three other tables).  The shrimp scampi I ordered was, as the waiter promised when asked, very light and not heavy and buttery like normal scampi.  It was delicious and different and just perfect, even a good portion size (not too big, but enough to satisfy me).  My boyfriend's meat was good and cooked well, just a little bit on the chewy side.
  
  When we were finished, I asked about the dessert menu, and our waiter said there was no dessert menu, but he could tell us about the desserts.  His descriptions definitely left something to be desired;  just the titles of the desserts, no descriptions at all, which didn't make us too excited about ordering.  I ordered a mini sundae anyway, since I could pretty much figure that one out without a description.  It was yummy (and definitely mini).
  
  While we were eating, I heard the waiter apologizing to a nearby table for the long wait for their food.  Another group came in towards the end of our dinner--almost 9:00pm, closing time for this early bird place.  The waiter was a bit rude, saying, "The kitchen's closing, so you'll have to order pretty quick."  The group chose to sit anyway.  This was pretty much consistent with the service we saw throughout dinner--pretty unprofessional, too casual, and sometimes a bit rude.  (It was also on the slow side.)
  
  Overall, the food here is very good, but the service really brings the experience down.  I feel like an outsider when I come, even though I am local, and I just generally feel unwelcome.  It seems as though the staff doesn't want to be here, they don't try very hard, and the place is just not professionally run.  If the management can improve on service, we will come back.

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  Posted on 05.26.12 Janice T.

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  Slowly but surely, this Moraga gem is being discovered.  We are fans and go there often.  They have the best boneless beef short ribs I have ever had, plus their lamb shank is another real winner.  
  
  It doesn't take much to make a salad interesting, but many restaurants don't try at all.  Michael's salads are made with a variety of greens, cucumbers that have not only been peeled, they have been cored and sliced in half, julienned carrots and tomato pieces are also included,  and the salads come with a large variety of dressings.  Last summer I had a large spinach salad as my entree and it was so good I can't wait until it gets a little warmer, because I will have it again.They have delicious mashed potatoes or rice and are quite willing to substitute.
  
  Sometimes my husband and I will split something, and he will order the soup (their soups are also outstanding) and I will order the salad, so I have a few bites of the salad and he eats the rest because I don't want to fill up before my meal comes.  
  
  They always have some fish dishes and veal dishes and chicken dishes.  Their salmon was good, but we order the sauce on the side.  We have also tried some of their chicken dishes, which were also good.
  
  One pasta dish I especially liked had peas and I can't remember what else in a white sauce and it was very good.
  
  One thing I didn't like--I ordered a pasta dish with clams, and the clams were minced clams.  Ugh.  Whole baby clams would have made a huge difference.  My other request would be for calamari steaks fried with a crusty outside.  We would order that.
  
  The bartenders are always so friendly and do what the Casa Orinda does--when they bring you a drink, like a martini, it is absolutely full to the top--so full they bring the olives separately.  A nice touch.
  
  The bar regulars can get a bit noisy at times, but it's not a big deal.  They all seem to know each other and I've never seen them get rowdy--they're just having a good time.
  
  Michael's is a fairly upscale restaurant, with white tablecloths and a nice ambiance.  My own personal opinion is that the servers should not be wearing either hats or tee shirts, because it really takes away from the atmosphere.
  
  Julie P.
  Moraga

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  Posted on 04.30.12 Julie P.

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  Great spot for an easy dinner if you're around Moraga.  Big plus--full bar.  Every time I've been there I've had awesome service.  Helpful tip: Michael's is usually quieter and more "grown up" than Pennini's, so if it's a big family night at Pennini's head to Michael's.  You can order off either restaurant's menus.  Solid restaurant.

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  Posted on 03.14.12 Dan B.

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  Went to Pennini's sister restaurant (which shares a kitchen) and it was one of the absolute worst dining establishments I have ever been to. I had a pasta dish with clams, the pasta sauce was flavorless and I'm pretty sure the clams were bad, judging by the horrible smell. My parents who joined me each similarly had dishes which not only weren't tasty, but we couldn't even finish them. During the course of my meal, I happened to notice other patrons looking just as angry about the poor quality of the food. Finally when the bill came it totaled at 95 DOLLARS!!!! I truly regret giving this place any money and wish I had simply stayed at the SMC cafeteria (which is really saying something). Take my advice, if you want good Italian food, go to village pizza in Orinda or one of the other more adequate Italian restaurants in neighboring Lafayette.

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  Posted on 09.23.11 Nick H.

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  Ridiculously slow service, it took half an hour to get water. The waiter kept passing right by us and blatantly ignoring us, I thought we were being punked. When the food finally came it did not disappoint, everything was delicious. Unfortunately we had to literally wave down the server to get a check. The place wasn't busy at all, and I can see why.

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  Posted on 04.12.11 OIivia H.

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  Stopped by this little Italian place prior to a St. Mary's basketball game for a bite to eat and a beer.  Michael's appears to be a sister restaurant to Pennini's which is focuses on pizza and resides around the corner.  This was my first trip to either restaurant, and it was a worthy one.
  
  The bar was filled but tables were empty while Pennini's was apparently packed, which resulted in the bartender also serving as the waiter for the evening.  This isn't a big issue, he made a good effort attending to my friend and I but it's a numbers game, with a half dozen people at the bar and a few people at tables, its going to be difficult to provide top quality service.
  
  I didn't order wine, but the wine list had pretty good variety and very competitive prices with little apparent mark-up.  Entrees and pastas come with salad or soup, which is a nice touch, but the Italian dressing was good, not great.  I had linguine with clams in a spicy marinara which was excellent, not too spicy but with good strong flavors and plenty of clams.  The portion was generous, and the presentation was solid as well.  My friend had veal saltimbocca which he very much enjoyed.
  
  Prices were reasonable and I would definitely go back again.

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  Posted on 11.23.10 Andrew E.

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  This place has the award of my worst meal ever.
  I had the veal saltimbocca  and it was horrible..I would equate it to sage flavored cardboard.   It was very very dry and way too much sage with no flavor in the veal to balance the dish. My neighbor ordered the same dish and they agreed that it was an unforgettable experience that we wished we had not wasted our money on.
  The bar looks like it is a good local watering hole but the food was far from good.
  As it turned out I discovered that they have no kitchen and actually share the kitchen of the neighboring pizza parlor.
  We live locally but will never return to this restaurant.

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  Posted on 01.24.10 George N.

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  My boyfriend I decided to give this place a try after walking past it many times on our way to safeway.  I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was.  The decor and atmosphere is kind of cheap looking in my opinion, so I dock it a star for that.  
  
  We went for dinner, I'm not sure if lunch is cheaper, and it was on the more expensive side, but definitley worth it.  The quality of the food was really good and so the serivce was also good.
  
  They also have a bar. Which was pretty popular at the time we went.

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  Posted on 01.01.10 Gabriela M.

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  Given the number of restaurants to chose in Moraga, Michael's is a better choice to go if you are looking for relatively inexpensive Italian food ( as opposed to others in town); the service is good and the ambiance is as well. We used to eat out more, but with kids, all dining becomes a bit much these days. Nevertheless, I go there with clients to have an good meal with a decent glass of wine.Worth a try for those in the neighborhood.

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  Posted on 06.16.09 Randolph T.

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  We went here with a large group that basically took over Michael's.  It is not large.  It is quaint and would be the perfect place for a romantic dinner at one of the raised booths.  Our meals were cooked to perfection and the waitstaff were attentive.  The pizza parlor around the corner is probably the better place to go with kids.  It is owned by the same people and all the food comes from the same kitchen.
  
  Would I go here again?  Yes!
  Would I recommend it?  Yes!
  
  PS.  It is located in the shopping mall along Moraga Way next to the Safeway.  It is a bit hard to see from the street due to the ample parking in the lot.

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  Posted on 04.06.08 The B.

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