4201 N 7th Ave

I heard from a friend how great this place was. I hate to say it, but I don’t agree.

Let me qualify that and say that I’m quite picky about Italian food. I much prefer what I call “simple” Italian food over “red sauce” Italian. Red sauce Italian is what I think of as the traditional American expression of Italian food: lasagna, spaghetti, pizza with red sauce. The more simple food relies less on sauces and includes a lot more grilled veggies and greens. I think of Cibo and La Picolla Cuchina in this category.

So, going in to it, I have my prejudices. The service was great, the place was clean and I’m sure they have great stuffed manicotti. But I just could not get in to it.

I ordered their Quattro Fromaggio pizza. It was nice, but did not rise to the level of a couple other places I could mention downtown. For me, it’s all in the crust and they just did not have it. You could put peanut butter and licorice on a pizza with the right crust and I’d still like it.

The Good: Clean restaurant, good lunch prices, “A” for effort.

The Bad: Uninspiring decor.

The Ugly:  If your patio is  going to be right on 7th Ave., I suggest some sort of sound barrier.