Restaurants surrounding River Oaks Oakville ON (47 Result(s))

Ritorno

261 Oak Walk Dr, Oakville, ON L6H 6M3 Get directions

Italian, Restaurant With Parking, Restaurant With Party Services, Take-out, Restaurant With Terrace, Restaurant With Bar

Ritorno. Ritorno is what Julia calls a 'return to the table, in the Italian way.' – A return to traditional Italian food made from scratch in a sharing encouraged environment. Fres... more... See more text

Restaurants, Italian Restaurants

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I really wanted to be able to say my visit was perfect but....well, it wasn't. My mom wanted to treat me to a dinner out since I got a job, so it was me and my parents. We were seated promptly at the crowded restaurant, at about 7. The atmosphere was gorgeous and intimate. The noise was unholy, I had to practically yell to be heard above all the other patrons talking. Half the tables were filled, but we got wine (a delicious Chianti) and our orders taken immediately. The menu was good, very Italian (aka. darn near impossible to get some without gratuitous use of tomatoes, oil or cheese) The prices were 6-25 for appetizers and about 15-30 bucks alone for a main course. The waitress seemed distant and hurried. She didn't really introduce herself, just quickly got our orders taken. It was kinda off putting, but understandable. We had a little bread basket for free...Thin slices of bread that was obviously not fresh, but still soft. (Cobb’s has spoiled me it seems) Along with the bread, we had this tiny little dish of oil and balsamic vinegar. We were not sure how were supposed to share it (double dipping is supposed to be bad thing, isn't it?) Thankfully it didn't take long for our soups to show up. Mom had the special, which was a corn chowder. The corn chowder was brilliant. It was strongly flavored with pancetta, creamy, and full of flavor. I got a potato soup with what I assume was pesto oil and some greens. It was decent.....subtly flavored, a bit too thick , and the additions were a nuisance. The waitress quickly asked us how our soups were, we said it was good. Our entrees was were the trouble started.....We waited about 20-40 minutes, though it felt much longer. Nearly all the seats were filled. Poor dad had eaten next to nothing, and it was over an hour past when he's used to eating. Our veal chops, penne bologesne, and polenta primavera showed eventually. I wanted dessert (my favorite part of the menu was the dessert options), so I got a menu to mull over while eating my entree, but it was snatched up by a waitress and given to another table while I was distracted. Wtf? Dad had ordered medium rare, but it was rare at most. Like my polenta dish, Dad's meal was plied on and mixed together. He couldn't cut his chops without squishing the vegetables and getting mashed potato on everything. My polenta was delicious (had this great melt-in-your mouth consistency), but it was overpowered by the tomato sauce and the huge serving looked sloppy. I have a small stomach, so I was full by time I was half way done. Mom was the most upset though....She claimed she could taste cheese in her meal, even though she asked if there was cheese in it while ordering. A check with the waitress, the kitchen, and the manager insisting (not really confrontational, but pushy) that there was no cheese was not enough for my mom. The service was polite, considerate, and thorough....but mom didn't want to risk it. We skipped dessert (I was kinda pissed b/c they looked amazing at other tables) and asked for a bill and a doggy bad for my polenta. That took us a while too. It was hard to get the waitstaff's attention, since they were so busy. As we left no on really noticed, but that's fine. It would be kind of pretentious of me to think that the waitstaff would have to say goodbye on a night were there are roughly 30 people to serve. *hint hint to other reviewers* Overall, it started out great, until the long wait for huge and sloppy entrees began. The staff reacted pretty well to mom's allergy scare, but was obviously distracted most of the time. The menu was great and the atmosphere was lovely. If I could go another time, I'd skip the entrees and just enjoy a few hearty appetizers. Then stuff my face with desserts. All while drinking red wine until I forget what my name is. PS: How can I write a 5 paragraph review with ease yet feel like I’m pulling my own teeth writing an essay? Read more

Hexagon

210 Lakeshore Rd E, Oakville, ON L6M 3R7 Get directions

Restaurants surrounding River Oaks Oakville ON (47 Result(s))

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