Rustico Restaurant & Wine Bar

Reviews 4

A

A Private User

We discovered this gem by accident on Mother’s Day because we mistakenly thought it was located closer to downtown Annapolis. The additional distance only amounted to minutes and we couldn’t have been more pleased with our error. For dinner service, on what is considered a big holiday in the restaurant industry, the restaurant was surprisingly not crowded and it appeared as though we didn’t need reservations at all. In retrospect, this must have more to do with the restaurant being located off the beaten path, then having been a reflection of anyone’s overall experience. The host was excellent in helping us to find a good table where we could easily sit with our 10-month old. We had easy access to the door, should he become fussy, and had a safe corner to sit his car seat where he wouldn’t be jostled by passersby. Seating perfection achieved in what I would call a warm, inviting and friendly dining space, we looked over the menus. Dad settled on the four course (Appetizer, House Salad, Any Pasta, Dish, Dessert) which sells for a meager $35 and is notably part of their regular menu. Having less of an appetite then my male counterpart, I stuck with a main course only, knowing that, especially today, he would share. (I was right.) The bread basket arrived first with oil for dipping. The oil was infused rather than adding pesto just before serving as some places do and I thought it was delicious. My other half would have like more “floating bits”. As an appetizer we had the Calamari Fritti with pesto aioli & marinara. The calamari was cooked perfectly, not chewy or tough as you find in some restaurants and both sauces were delicious. I particularly liked the pesto aioli. The portion was surprisingly large considering it was part of his four course dinner special and was easily enough for 2-3 people. The salad was fresh but being a house salad was nothing to write home about. For dinner we shared our two entrees. He ordered Fettuccine Di Cremona at the suggestion of the waitress. Fettuccine pasta sautéed with large shrimp (tails on), scallops, lump crabmeat and peas in a creamy alfredo sauce. We now know why it’s so popular. I ordered Spaghetti Carbonara with Italian sausage added, also quite good, but both of us like the Fettuccine best. As for portion size, neither of us was able to finish and it wasn’t for lack of trying, but we both realized there was dessert to be had! Unfortunately this is where our meal took a turn away from stellar. Having been so busy during the day they were out of their usual array and had only one dessert option. We were told it was custard made with a Marsala wine and the waitress indicated it was rich. Our final opinion was that they must have also been out of custard because what we received was nothing short of a glass filled with dessert topping. Cool whip in a glass with just the tiniest hint of added flavoring. It was neither rich nor close to what we had in mind and having looked back on the menu realize they normally serve it with strawberries but they must have also been out of those. That’s unfortunate because strawberries might have saved it. Our only other complaint goes out to the Wine drinkers in the crowd. Our waitress was clueless in making a wine suggestion. We asked that she recommend a dry red bottle, around $40. We’re new parents with a baby on a budget after all! The menu listed several possibilities, but the waitress was unable to help us pinpoint one until she spoke with the bartender. In the end the bartender lead us on a wonderful path, but we were a little stunned that the waitress needed to confer with someone else. Isn’t this also a Wine Bar? Perhaps we’re being a little too nit picky, but these are the things we note when dining out. All in all our experience was very good. Delicious food, wonderful, quiet atmosphere, friendly, courteous staff, and ample parking just behind the building. We will happily be returning to fair Stevensville soon and hope to take advantage of their outdoor seating before the weather turns too warm.

RA

Rachel Speer

Nice Ambiance, Unimpressive Value. We enjoyed a romantic dinner-date, but after reading all the enthusiastic earlier reviews, it was a bit of a disappointment overall despite some highlights. The house Sangiovese was good for $8/glass, and the very nice bread & seasoned dipping oil were a great start to the meal. The calamari appetizer was EXCELLENT -- perfectly sauteed with light breading and tasty dipping sauces, and a very generous portion. The penne a la vodka with sausage was far too salty and not served with any accompaniments to balance it. The Rockfish Mediterranean in a white wine sauce was extremely bland and not very tender; I quite liked the accompanying angel hair pasta tossed with crabmeat and capers, but that didnt justify a $24 pricetag for the entree. We stopped by on a Sunday evening because we were passing through on 301 and saw that this place was very conveniently located, and it had good reviews and a $$ rating. Upon seeing the dinner menu, I think it should be rated $$$ instead -- all the meat & fish entrees were in the $20-30 range, and even pastas were all in the $14-20 range. We asked about specials, and were not offered the Sunday deals others wrote about. The service was very warm and prompt at first, but at the end of our meal when we asked for the check and said we needed to get back on the road, it took 10 minutes to get the bill & complete the transaction. The crowd skews toward advanced age. The dining room was attractive and didnt get too noisy even as it filled up. In all, the food was good -- certainly the quality of ingredients and the range of menu options placed Rustico a step above Olive Garden. Yes, I realize thats damning with faint praise, but the flavors and presentation lacked the sophistication and balance Ive come to expect at this price point. I would believe that this is the nicest restaurant in Stevensville, but Id hope that there are restaurants in Annapolis that would make it worth driving across the Bay Bridge instead of settling for Rustico.

DA

David McHale

Local to the area, Ive lived near Rustico for years and finally got around to eating here just a few weeks ago. My initial experience was very positive, my SO and I ordered a wide array of their appetizers to sample italian cuisine and I was very impressed with their Bruschetta, Frittura Di Pomodori Verdi, and Antipasto Misti. Our meal took a turn for the worse, however, after ordering the Gamberi Napoletana (a shrimp dish). I felt increasingly ill after eating the seafood dish and visited the restroom briefly to be sick before hurriedly paying off the bill and walking home. I continued to be violently sick for a few hours afterwards and called the management to set things straight once I could comfortably speak on the phone. The woman I spoke with was kind and courteous, apologizing for the problems I had with the dish, and offered to refund the meal via check. I was grateful, but the check never came so it seems she blew me off. The ambience of the restaurant is nice, and the wait staff are kind and attentive, but I highly recommend skipping their seafood dishes.

A

A Private User

This is an amazing restaurant! I have never found a restaurant that topped this little restaurant I loved in Venice, until Rustico! This restaurant is my husband and our favorite. While all the food we have ordered has been amazing, we now go there for our favorite dishe there seafood pasta (Seafood Fra Diavola and Fettuccine Di Cremona). The scallops are absolutely cooked to perfection (which my husband grew up eatting scallops all the time being from New England... so its even more of a compliment coming from him)! The restaurant offers a lovely selection of wine and we actually found our favorite white and red wine at Rustico. Prices are fair for how great the food is and portion size. The service has been great the many times we have gone by ourselves or with a group! Rustico Deals To Note: The bar side offers happy hour all day (1/2 off appetizers on Sundays with discounts on bar drinks) & on Monday and Wednesday night you can get 1/2 off of wine bottles on both the restaurant and bar side.