Cantinetta

Cantinetta, Wallingford

Date - May 19

Background - My book group picked this spot for our latest get together.  I had been once before and thought it was good and was excited to give it another try.

Atmosphere - They've done a great job replicating a cantina in an Italian hill town in Tuscany or Piedmont.  It was crowded even on a Tuesday night which is always a good sign.

Service - Great.  We had to wait about 30 minutes in the bar and the host came by multiple times to give us updates on the wait.  Our waitress was cheerful and attentive.

Drink- Good selection of Italian and Washington wines for the purists and locovores. We went purist with an Italian white that I've already forgotten the name of -I need to start taking notes!

Food - Amazing.  We shared a few appetizers including roasted cauliflower, a cheese plate, and stuffed dates.  I must confess I wasn't excited about the cauliflower or the dates when we ordered them, but both were delicious.  I had halibut as a main and it came with perfectly smokey beans.  I talked the girls into a dessert and the rustic lemon tart was not too sweet and made a perfect end to our meal.

Verdict - 3.5 stars. I feel really lucky to have this little gem in my neighborhood.