Quartino

I don't know why I keep going back to Quartino with such high expectations. I have certainly had better wine, better food, and better service without having to deal with crazy crowds and long waits.

I'll start with the good; don't worry, it won't take long. The appetizers are the best part of the whole experience - their salumeria has a yummy choice of cheeses and meats. They also have an awesome cheese fondue (which I never think of getting) and a tasty heirloom tomato salad (which unfortunately looks unappetizing and sad).

Now onto the bad (really more sad than bad). The entrees always sound pretty amazing by their descriptions on the menu, but always arrives looking pretty lame on the plate. Seriously, they really need to work on presentation! How about using plates that don't look like they came out of a frat house kitchen. Looks aside, they don't taste all that hot either. My husband's risotto was undercooked, our friend's gnocchi was a weird mix of chewy and crispy, and my pork ravioli was a skimpy 5 pieces of ravioli swimming in a sauce that was overpowered by bacon.

The service experience was comical at best. Our server couldn't hear or understand half of the things we were saying; though, I should give her the benefit of the doubt since the place was louder than a bar in Wrigleyville after a Cubs game. She also had no clue what was on the menu...and made gawking facial expressions when we wanted to order more food (since the plates are so small). I have to admit that it made me feel like we were pigs. At least she had a good sense of humor and recognized that she sucked at her job.

I just don't get why the place is so popular. It was so crowded that the table next to us had 7 girls crammed around a tiny table the same size as ours (and the 4 of us were struggling to fit all our plates on it). Hopefully those girls plan on just getting drinks.

So my recommendation would be to go to Quartino and only order from their salumeria and the appetizers. If you have a small party, opt for sitting in the lounge/bar instead of the dining room since it is smaller and will not be as loud. I know a lot of people rave about how reasonably priced it is, and I do have to agree with that...so maybe you get what you pay for.