Sorry, I realize it's been a while since I've updated the blog! Lots of things going on but the good thing about taking a long break between visiting a restaurant and updating the blog is that I have a lot of time to really think about my meal. Raviolo was the February stop on the monthly rabbit habit date Anuja, Amy and I have (visiting veggie/seafood friendly restaurants). It seemed like a super cute idea - pasta tapas concept and most of it in a ravioli format. My rating is probably a bit harsh but upon further reflection, it just wasn't a meal I really enjoyed or would go back to unfortunately.
When I walked in, it reeked of cleaning fluid. I realize they had just cleaned off the table which is good thing but the odor was quite strong and off putting. The staff was super nice and explained the menu - it was a laminated menu where you use a dry erase marker to indicate your order. As I mentioned, it's mostly small (2-4 pieces) of ravioli dishes, buns, bun-boloni and then main entrees of pasta where you can also mix and match. We started with 2 orders of the cocktail gamberi ($12) and another veggie type of ravioli (it's escaping my mind now which one it was - the one big downside of writing a review a month later), the cacio e pepe bun-boloni ($10) and I got the white carbonara ($15) pasta entree and Amy and Anuja split the pasta combo of green pesto and the black vongole ($18). We also got their version of an aperol spritz which was the total highlight of the meal because it came with these fun lit up ice cubes.
When I hear the word "ravioli" I usually envision a square or circular pasta with a pocket sealed with filling. So when I thought we were getting a shrimp ravioli I pictured a ravioli filled with shrimp in it. I guess I should have read the description more closely because it did say it was a "cocktail" and it was essentially a giant piece of shrimp cocktail with pasta dough wrapped around the outside. It made no sense and while the shrimp itself was tasty the pasta was too doughy and too chewy. The other ravioli dish we got was a traditional ravioli dish and it was fine but since it's not served in any sauce or broth, it was kind of meh. The bun-boloni was an Asian style white steamed bun shoved with cacio e pepe, pecorino cheese and black pepper. To me, the only thing you should ever put into between two steam buns is pork belly. The bun was dry and the concept of the dish was a miss for me.
As for the main pasta dishes, they were fine but not mind blowing. My carbonara was served with penne pasta and topped with guanicale, ricotta, fried onions and an egg yolk. As with any carbonara dish, it was very heavy and since it had meat in it, I was the only one eating it and I was definitely uncomfortably full at the end. I'm not a huge fan of carbonara on penne, I prefer it with a bucatini or other long noodle type pasta. As for the pasta itself, while I don't think it came from a box, it didn't really taste like some old grandma was hand making it in the back either. It tasted like a dish I could have made at home. I didn't try the other pasta combo but the comment Amy and Anuja made was that they wished that there was a divider or something so that the two pastas didn't end up mixing together. At one point the pesto and black spaghetti were all mixing around together and that made it a bit unappetizing.
While the concept of this place is cute, the execution of it needs to be tightened up. With so many wonderful and delicious Italian places in the city, it's kind of hard to justify paying $50 for this kind of meal when I know I can spend a little bit more but get a much more authentic experience elsewhere. Total bill: $50/pp with tax and tip
Photo Credit: Yelp
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