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eat

DInInG OUT
THE CITYVIEW RATInG

ambiance:

Service:

food:

Presentation:

Price:

total: 10
(out of 25)

The Cityview Rating relects the totals of the ive
categories: Ambiance, Service, Food, Presentation,
and Price. (25: Out of this World; 20 to 25:
Excellent; 15 to 20: Very Good; 10 to 15: So-So;
5 to 10: Not Recommended; 0 to 5: Don’t Eat Here)

Photograph by bryan Starmer

Savelli’s Italian Restaurant

A neighborhood fixture in need of revamping.

n
estled on generally be bothered. on the other hand, many not particularly tasty. The fish also grew
industrial Sutherland Avenue other patrons come to Savelli’s in large cold rather quickly, suggesting that per-

just east of West high School,
family groups that demand almost non- haps it had not been brought out with
Savelli’s (est. 1993) is often described stop attention. Even on a slow night in the necessary timeliness. The broccoli

as an unexpected neighborhood sur- a small restaurant, being a lone waiter was undercooked, without any butter
prise. Many swear by it as a great place can be challenging.
or seasoning, and the two small slices of

to take the family for authentic Italian All that said, our service was slow. We Italian bread were rubbery and tasteless.
pasta, pizzas, and fish dishes. on a were given no bread, which was surpris- The grouper had a fair taste, but it

recent visit, however, we came away ing. My dinner partner’s hot tea was not was mushy, with too much sauce and
generally disappointed.
replenished. overall, we felt that our too many capers. In short order it grew

With its 15 or so tables in a small area, waiter’s attentiveness was only fair, and soupy on the plate.
Savelli’s has an intimate feel that com- it detracted from our dining experience.
for dessert we chose the New York

bines the warmth of a family restaurant We started with Savelli’s signature Style Cheesecake and Cocoanut Pecan
with a d́cor that hints of fine dining. It Taste of Italy appetizer, which consists Pie. The former was the crumbly vari-

is bring your own beer and wine—which of breaded mozzarella, mushrooms, ety, not the smooth, and the latter was
adds to its down-home quaintness. With ravioli, and shrimp. ours was overdone pleasant but not particularly special.

pleasant bluesy music playing, Savelli’s and dry—with too much breading—and The bill for two people—without
is a refuge that is well insulated from the little taste. It could easily have come any corking fee—was $98.24, far too

traffic of Sutherland Avenue.
from a Mrs. Paul’s package. The mush- much for a dining experience that was,
our waitress was pleasant, charm- rooms, the small variety from store jars, at best, pedestrian. At $11.99, the Taste

ing, and bears a remarkable resem- were terrible. The presentation was akin of Italy would have been better left
blance to a young Sandra Bullock.
to that at a Red lobster or Applebee’s.
unordered. The entrees were over-

She seemed aware that many patrons Savelli’s is often noted for its fish, so priced at $26.99 and $29.99, respec-
come to Savelli’s to get a break from we then moved on to two specials of the tively. At $6.99 and $8.99, the dessert

the hustle and bustle and seemed to evening: sea bass and grouper. Sadly, prices were reasonable.
have the experienced waiter’s skill of both dishes were underwhelming. The

not bothering diners who don’t want to
sea bass was serviceably prepared, but

40 cityviewmag.com may june 2014