The aroma of the Portofino Pizza is most pleasing and the flavor of the Side of Meatballs (2) makes the whole thing a perfect meal for less than $30. it was ready pretty fast too so i would recommend this to anyone who needs a quick meal, to spoil themselves, to not break the bank, or all of the above, 10/10.
M
Mike S
Emerging Expert • 21 contributions
9/15/24
• DoorDash order
First time trying this restaurant and wow, I will be definitely be ordering from them again! Great food, excellent portions, reasonable prices. The Chicken Primavera was fantastic, plenty of olives and other veggies, chicken was cooked to perfection. The Asiago Spinach Chicken was equally well cooked and has an excellent cream sauce. The Chicken Alfredo was good but could have used a bit more cream as it tasted a bit more like cheesy pasta than tasting like an Alfredo sauce but still satisfied my picky eater so no complaints.
Lastly, their deserts were great! Especially the Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding! Wow, what a finisher to a great first dining experience with Oliveto. We also had Tiramisu which did not disappoint!
I am looking forward to trying out their other menu items and will be doing so in the not too distant future.
C
Cristiana B
3 contributions
12/5/23
• DoorDash order
Kind of criminal to charge $15 for a small plate of pasta with premade sauce and barely 4oz of meat. Nothing fresh about it. It was edible, but not worth the money at all when using sauce from a jar and canned mushrooms.
T
Timothy M
5 contributions
9/11/24
• DoorDash order
Have ordered shrimp marsala many times. The price has now increased, yet the number of shrimp has been halved and the portion size decreased. A dish they used to do very well is now bland. Not worth the money.
S
Stephanie F
Emerging Expert • 16 contributions
1/12/24
• DoorDash order
That's not quality Chicken Marsala. Sorry. You have to try for $15. Nobody would serve that in a competition or to a revered chef. If you're going to put REAL gourmet Italian dishes on the menu, charge whatever you need to make money, but make the best Marsala in town - or don't try to do it.
Same with a dish like the Asiago Spinach Chicken. I get that we live in a new era of lower quality and smaller portions for 50% more in price, but don't charge people $15 for dinners they could have microwaved from frozen. Small portions, scarce chicken, overcooked pasta and dry from limited sauce - and no garlic bread with each dish? Really? That's not how to make your food cost bonus.
I once worked with the guys who developed the Zio's and Oliveto. Zio's was brilliant a generation ago, because they had a menu to accommodate everyone in a casual but purely Italian, family-oriented environment. More pricy and higher quality dishes for those who have more sophisticated tastes, and also several affordable basics that were inexpensive, but not "cheap." They loaded their customers up on inexpensive, complimentary bread, and large portions of pasta and sauce. Big giant bowls full of pasta and sauce (inexpensive), with all the toppings dumped on top of the dish, to appear as robust, large portions for a reasonable price. Perceived value and low food cost are some of the biggest advantages of Italian cuisine.
The "free bread" is not unnecessary, wasteful cost. It's a low cost tradition that's also good MARKETING. You want them to have leftovers and extra bread the next day at work. You want enough for everyone who ordered food to have some. The smell and taste of fresh bread is one of the most basic triggers of appetite, warm memories and comfort. (That's why they say to bake bread when you're selling a home.) Perceived value is underrated and psychologically relevant to brand loyalty. I digress.
Don't serve dry, meager pasta dishes. Remember, to-go orders, and especially delivery will force the pasta to absorb (drink) the sauce too long, making it too dry when it is eaten. This is a fixable problem.
