Pasta? -- 4/5

Welcome back, non-readers! Apologies for my extended absence. First of all, WINTER BREAK. It was fabulous--lots of cooking, skiing, sleeping, and reminiscing with high school friends about how ridiculous we really were and still really are. Anyways, I realized upon returning to school that Sundays are no longer a good day for restaurant visits, what with skiing every weekend and all. This boded ill for my blog, but fortunately I made a new friend in my Qualitative Research Methodology class, and we have decided to go out to lunch to a new restaurant every Thursday before class. Fear not, review-readers! The sortof-kindof-critic isn't done yet.

At least not until she leaves for Paris in April. Somehow I don't think reviews of their restaurants would prove very useful for y'all.

1. Food -- 4/5 Sometimes, you just crave Italian. Complex carbohydrates, Parmesan cheese, fresh tomatoes and basil and garlic and you probably get the idea, because you've been there. We asked for our salads lightly dressed (you know how restaurants can be...more dressing than salad...), and they were lightly dressed alright. Like, no dressing. They were plenty nice about bringing some out on the side, though. As an entrée, the penne giannino (with chicken and pesto) totally met my expectations and requirements for a delicious and stress-busting pasta dish. It was large enough to split with a friend and still have some left over to stick in my fridge for a late-night study snack.
2. Service -- 5/5 Still trying to work out if our server was really Italian, or if he's just an out of work character actor. Regardless, very sweet, accommodating, and professional.
3. Price -- 4/5 It's more expensive than food on campus, but honestly, not by much. Salads run at about $7, pasta at $12, and meat dishes are about $17. Like I said, plenty split-able. Good value for good food.
4. Location and Setting -- 4/5 About three or four blocks down University Avenue, it's very accessible with nice signage. Parking is a difficulty, as always, especially when it's cold out and walking isn't as pleasant as in the warmer months. It's not very Italiano-atmospheric -- it's actually got a sort of chromic, trendy vibe, but it works. Classy, but relaxed enough that I felt okay wearing track shorts. Ok, well I felt a little awkward, but not enough to detract from the dining experience.
5. Good for... a fun, classy-but-informal night out. Seems a little too echo-y for an intimate/date setting, but I can definitely seeing heading here with a few friends and splitting some delicious pasta dishes before heading over to L'Amour for a frozen finale.