Il Vecchio

Reviews 6

PA

pam

While searching for another restaurant, I mistakenly walked into this restaurant. It was packed, of course, it was dinner time and it was a Saturday night. This restaurant is really cute in its style, kind of funky, eclectic, rustic, and european-ish. Despite the separation of the main seating area to the bar area, this restaurant had a very open feeling. Being that the restaurant was packed and I didnt have a reservation and it was just me, I wound up sitting at the end of the bar. The hostesses were kind enough to put a chair at the very end of the bar and let me squeeze in. The menu was simple, not a whole lot of options to it. I had been wanting a good hearty bowl of Clam Chowder Soup, but because I mistakenly walked into this restaurant, I didnt have the option to get Clam Chowder, as this restaurant didnt serve Clam Chowder, I ended up ordering the soup of the day, which was a "Beef Vegetable" (I cant remember the exact name of the soup), but it turned out to be really good, very hearty, healthy and filling. I also ordered a side of grilled vegetables which ended up being leftovers the next day! It had become pretty cold that evening, so with my meal, I ordered a cup of tea. But instead of just giving me a cup of tea with a little metal teapot, I was given a regular pot of tea. I thought that was decent of them, and from what I recall it really wasnt that expensive. They had some pretty decent tea flavors. The Bartender who waited on me was really nice and attentive, although the restaurant was packed and it was a busy night, he did a great job serving his customers. I walked about 4 blocks to get to this area, in search of the other restaurant, but I believe parking was all street parking and it wasnt very difficult to find spaces. From what I could tell from how crowded the place was, was that it was a very popular place. Seeing that there wasnt any open seating was pretty comforting, it gave me the extra assurance of their quality of food and service.

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AL

Alexander Schenck

Stingy management practices dampen an otherwise positive experience. (This is an Italian restaurant that is so cheap they charge you for bread). (And pretentiously call it "bread and oil," but in Italian so it doesnt sound like a bean counter was just promoted to upper management.) This used to be my favourite restaurant--the food is great, the drinks are amazing. Then the management decided to start charging for bread, something that was once a complimentary service. Portions also seem small now--for example, there is a four dollar appetizer that is really just two thin slices of toasted bread. Whereas servings of pasta used to feel generous, they are now much smaller. The serving practices adopted by management make you feel money matters more than hospitality at Il vecchio. If money is an issue for the owners, Id happily pay more for more. The prices here arent outrageous--the issue is being asked to pay more for less. When you go to a restaurant, you want to be able to relax into the experience. The bill will come and you will pay it, but in the mean time there should be no reminders that this is a financial transaction. You should be fed generously, and at the end, you should tip generously. Soft boundaries are the mark of an upscale establishment; penny pinching is the mark of a restaurant run by accountants. Il vecchio, nickle and diming your loyal customers is not hospitality. Make people happy to pay you, and they will. Give more, get more in return. I hope to be unreservedly happy with the restaurant again soon; the food is good--its management that ruins it.

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RY

Ryan Manzer

This place is a gem hidden in plain sight, just across the street from Thai Bistro II in PG. The food is quality Italian with a very authentic flavor. When you eat here you get the sense that you are not simply being served those foods the restaurant knows will sell or the ones that are in vogue at the moment. Here you eat what they love to cook and that love of cooking is dramatically apparent in the flavors of the food you are served. One aspect of the service deserves special note. My first evening there my date and I wear seated at a small table and within seconds there was a server at my side. He took our orders but before leaving he gave the table a little shake. On noticing the slight wobble he walked over to the wall where a series of holsters held wedges of varying thickness and, after grabbing two, proceeded to prop our table such that there was no wobble. Its a little thing I know, but this is how a really good restaurant shows they care about your entire dining experience. Also on Tuesdays they do a fixed price menu and set up the entire restaurant family style. Show up, make new friends, and have one of the best Italian meals you can possibly get on the Monterey Peninsula.

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GI

Giovanni Fusco

Short review: Im Italian and I really enjoyed the food here. Id recommend it to a friend. premise: I was born and raised in southern Italy. My benchmarks when I eat at an Italian restaurant are: spaghetti con vongole (they didnt have it today), eggplant parmesan (not on the menu, but that makes sense since it doesnt belong to any of the regions that this restaurant gets its recipes from), cannoli and espresso. Great food all around. We had a very tasty soup of the day (broccoli, zucchini, onion and some other vegetable I forget)) the Adriatico appetizer (that I strongly recommend) and home made pappardelle with lamb (they were good, but not outstanding). Where I got blown away was when I tried the tiramisu (so so good) and cannoli siciliani (the best cannoli Ive had so far in California!). The espresso was also quite good, not the usual super acidic undrinkable espresso you get in any other restaurant or coffee shop. I left the restaurant with a huge smile on my face, a rare occurrence whenever I eat Italian outside of my house.

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KA

Kaylyn Ewing Loomis

We decided to get take out from Il Vecchio on a Saturday evening. We ordered 2 orders of the appitizer Burrata Di Mozzarella, which was a total disappointment. It is suppose to come with 2 slices of toasted bread, mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. We had 2 orders and received only 3 slices of bread. Bread is cheap, so I dont understand why this restaurant was so stingy with it. I called and complained but the manager didnt apologize, offer a refund, a new order or anything. The mozzarella was okay, but this really wasnt worth the $20 we spent on this appitizer (our total bill was $98). The pasta was okay, but the portions were on the smaller size. I dont think we will ever try this restaurant again. I just didnt feel like I got the value for my money. As someone who has eaten Italian food in Italy, I would say skip this place. Try someplace else that will not be stingy with their bread, is willing to make thier orders right and has true authentic tasting Italian food.

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MY

Myla Ablog

Im lucky my S.O. and I dont live closer to this place, otherwise wed be stuffing ourselves silly with their amazingly fresh pasta all the time. Ive had two magical celebration dinners here. Last time, I was so excited asparagus soup was on the menu. And then Im not sure how, but the croutons stayed crisp in the middle even after floating in the soup for a while. It was so delicious, it brought tears to my eyes. Even my SO who usually only eats veggies if theyre there had an emotional reaction to the soup. It was only our first course! Attentive, friendly service. Great selection of wine and cocktails. And my crazy SO ordered 2 desserts, and I already had one - 3 for two of us. Everything was so satisfying and tasty. And a great value for the high quality food. The SO called the carbonara of our first meal "life-changing!"

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