If you've been living in Hong Kong for any length of time, chances are, you've been to one of the restaurants that makes up the DiningConcepts stable. In what has to be one of the most diverse portfolios of restaurants in HK, DiningConcepts has so many dining spots that they run a frequent diners club loyalty program. With over over twenty different concepts, the team run such favourites as Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen and Mario Batali's Lupa.We've rather enjoyed most of our visits to th
If you've been living in Hong Kong for any length of time, chances are, you've been to one of the restaurants that makes up the DiningConcepts stable. In what has to be one of the most diverse portfolios of restaurants in HK, DiningConcepts has so many dining spots that they run a frequent diners club loyalty program. With over over twenty different concepts, the team run such favourites as Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen and Mario Batali's Lupa.
We've rather enjoyed most of our visits to the DiningConcepts restaurants, so have recently been keeping an eye out for one of their restaurants when looking for dinner. Over the last few months, we'd had some pretty ordinary Italian cuisine, which is always disappointing given our love of Italian food. So, when we spotted a little restaurant in Expat territory (Elgin Street), we breathed a sigh of relief when we saw it on the list managed by the group.
The front of Cecconi's is quite deceiving, it's hard to see into the restaurant, so it would be easy to miss the casual elegance of the white linen tables and the classy, yet understated dining room. Walking through the front door located under the slightly garish neon sign and into the quiet tranquility of the completely empty restaurant, completely removed us from bustling Soho and the heat of a typical Hong Kong evening. We were taken directly to our table, which was located in a very comfy booth at the back of the restaurant, which gave me fantastic views of the pass.
Menus were offered and glasses of cold water were poured, then consumed and then poured again (it was a very warm night!). While we were looking over the very comprehensive Cecconi's menu, trying hard to decide how our evening of consuming would play out, we were given some fresh bread, olive oil and a plate full of olives. I skipped snacking on the olives in favour of the fresh bread, but SC started to tuck into the salty olives with an appreciative smile.
It gave us just enough time to stave off our hunger and a little time to consider our options before our incredibly affable and friendly waiter took our orders. While waiting for our starters to arrive, we noted the steady stream of diners arriving for their dinners. We may have been the first to arrive, allowing for a few moments of tranquility, but before long, Cecconi's really came alive.
Being so close to the pass, we were able to keep our eye on the food as it moved from the kitchen to the dining room. We could see the care taken in wiping down the plates to ensure maximum presentation, which was clearly evident with the arrival of our starters. First up was the roasted fig with goats cheese, flat pancetta and honey mustard dressing. The dish looked beautiful, with the fig wrapped inside the pancetta, along with some slowly melting ricotta. The combination of the ricotta and fig was delightful, but wrapping it in the salty pancetta was something special. The sweetness of the fig was set alight by the added saltiness, a brilliant combo and great start to the meal.
I'd chosen the veal meatballs served on stewed tomatoes with Grana Padano as my starter, and it looked spectacular. The vibrancy of the tomato base, sitting starkly against the white plate and a drizzle of olive oil was visually stimulating... But it was nothing compared to the smell emanating from the plate, which was mouth watering. The three large meatballs were topped with the Grana Padano cheese and a contrasting green and purple salad. The aroma of the dish had been driving me wild and as I eagerly started to devour the veal meatballs, I was mentally calculating where they sat in my all time list... It was right near the top, they were wonderful, but I could easily had a bowl of the sauce on its own as a soup. The only thing missing was some crusty baguette to soak up the sauce on the bowl, it was a shame when my plate was cleared with some of the sauce remaining.
With such delicious starters, we were really keen to see if the mains would measure up, so many times a meal starts beautifully with a great entree, then falls flat after. SC's peppered duck breast and confit duck leg, served with sweet potato mash and lime jus was delivered and from appearances, Cecconi's was not going to befall that fate! The duck breast was thinly sliced and the presented in a layered manner over the leg, making it quite lovely to look at. The breast was lovely, with fat that had rendered just right and was almost melt in your mouth. What was completely melt in your mouth was the confit leg, which fell away from the bone from just looking at it (not quite, but it came off easily!). The dish had a rich and deep gamey flavour, which was offset nicely by the lime jus provided an interesting undertone.
I'd decided on one of the many risottos available on the Cecconi's menu, which had five in total. I'd been contemplating the lobster risotto, but was finally swayed by the chicken, chorizo, rosemary and aged balsamic risotto. With hindsight, ordering a risotto might have been a mistake after devouring the delicious, but very large veal meatball starter. While I quite liked my risotto, which was cooked to perfection, I just couldn't seem to make a dent in the dish, and by the time I'd finished, looked hardly touched. While I did assure the waiter, who then assured the chef that I'd left the bulk of the risotto because I was full, this was only partially true. If the chorizo had not been chopped so fine, I probably would have eaten just a little bit more (or at least picked out the chorizo pieces). With the balsamic drizzled over the top, the dish was just a little sweet, which could have benefited from more of the spicy chorizo.
We were both completely stuffed, but wanted to check out the dessert menu, largely because we'd enjoyed the meal so far and wanted a sweet finish to dinner. Most of the dessert options looked quite heavy, but there was one option that looked tailor made for the end of a heavy meal.. The pavlova roulade with chantilly cream and fresh fruits looked a little rustic on the plate, but it was the perfect finish to our meal. There was an abundance of gooey meringue, plenty of fresh fruit and just a little bit of cream, which made it a great pavlova. Great, but not perfect. There needed to be a thicker layer of crunchy meringue over the top of the gooey meringue, which would have provided extra crunch and align with an Aussie's view of pavlova..
You could have rolled us out of the restaurant by the time we'd finished the whole meal, for some reason, we'd reached our limit of eating! We'd had some terrible Italian in Hong Kong, so it was refreshing to find a place that had very reasonably priced Italian in a very accessible location (it was right on our way home). We'd discussed that Cecconi's had now made our list of restaurants we'd like to revisit when thinking of a quick and easy meal. The fact that the surroundings were lovely just added to our interest in the place.
There was a funny moment, when I overheard the chef giving our waiter a bit of grief about the nearly full plate of risotto, but seriously, there was not much wrong with it at all. It was well cooked, and inventive, but there was a lot of it and would be best served after a much lighter starter than the one I chose.
My confidence in the restaurants run by DiningConcepts is growing to the point where I would now start to recommend to others. Yep, with over 22 restaurants under their management, there are quite s few more that I'd like to get in and check out. Hopefully, they're all as great.
Favorite dish: Chargrilled beef tenderloin, Spaghetti meatballs5/10 plates emptied! Was greatly anticipating to be wow-ed away by this restaurant week place and the food turned out to be just ordinary, I am not sure if the restaurant week menu has done its justice or it was just because the menu wasn't worth HKD328. I think I would have rated this restaurant higher if the dinner menu was around HKD250 Parma ham with buffalo mozzarella and rocket Overall quality was decent. They must have been to
Was greatly anticipating to be wow-ed away by this restaurant week place and the food turned out to be just ordinary, I am not sure if the restaurant week menu has done its justice or it was just because the menu wasn't worth HKD328. I think I would have rated this restaurant higher if the dinner menu was around HKD250
Parma ham with buffalo mozzarella and rocket Overall quality was decent. They must have been too heavy on the olive oil as this appetizer was a bit too oily combined with the cheese. Liked the flavor of mozzarella and parma ham – they just can’t really go too wrong.
Classic Caesar salad with pancetta and shaved Parmesan Chunky fresh cuts of romaine lettuce and bits of pancetta, there was enough shaved parmesan cheese for the whole salad and my case is settled
Pan-roasted Salmon, with French beans and bois boudran sauce Here comes the main dish. The pan-roasted Salmon was cooked just right – tender, juicy, and still a bit pink in the middle.
Spaghetti meatballs, with tomato passata and fresh herbs Liked how the sauce was tomato and herbs based, pasta was al dente and meatballs were nice in terms of flavor and texture as well.
Chargrilled beef tenderloin, with celeriac puree and marsala jus Beef tenderloin was cooked to its perfection as the quality of the beef was tender enough and nicely charred on the sides. I was amazed by the fact that the puree and jus did not come out really wine-like taste but it had a truffle scent to it! Topped off with some brilliant shiitake mushrooms and the beef portion was too big for a girl to finish!
Java chocolate pudding with condensed milk gelato The supposedly molten chocolate cake came out disfigured for most of our dishes (yes, really) and it was too sweet after a few bites, the gelato was alright for its taste and creaminess.
I saw people ordering a la carte menu next to us and they seemed to look really good, the restaurant was not crowded at all so if you are looking for a laid back Italian food place in SOHO then this can be one of your options. Overall restaurant week dinner experience was average but then the place was a great spot in SOHO to chill and relax as it is not crowded and greeted by warm-welcoming service.
(以上食評乃用戶個人意見 , 並不代表OpenRice之觀點。)
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Chargrilled beef tenderloin, with celeriac puree and marsala jus
Chargrilled beef tenderloin with celeriac puree and marsala jus
Chargrilled beef tenderloin, with celeriac puree and marsala jus
Randomly chose this place from the many restaurants in Soho (partly because I could book through Tablemap). It offerred a two course lunch at $128+10% (or $158+10% for pizza) which may look expensive, but I found it quite reasonable given the relatively large servings. BreadWhile we were looking at our menu our waiter served us some complimentary foccaica bread. It was warm and soft, and the herbs brought a nice aroma. Perfect with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.The Everything Salad I cho
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Randomly chose this place from the many restaurants in Soho (partly because I could book through Tablemap). It offerred a two course lunch at $128+10% (or $158+10% for pizza) which may look expensive, but I found it quite reasonable given the relatively large servings.
Bread While we were looking at our menu our waiter served us some complimentary foccaica bread. It was warm and soft, and the herbs brought a nice aroma. Perfect with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
The Everything Salad I chose this as the starter as it was the most balanced dish - literally with everything I wanted in a salad. It was a big colourful plate of salad, but the dressing was relatively light so it did not feel too heavy. I especially liked the beetroot which was sweet and refreshing. Wish there was avacado as well - that would be my perfect salad!
CrumbedSole Fillet I was hoping it would be baked but it turned out to be deep fried. It was a huge piece of fish fillet, but I was disappointed that it was dry and bland. So I had to rely on the lemon and the tartar sauce to add to the taste.
With all the attractive restaurants in SOHO, it was really hard to arrive at a decision which one to go next. The best option is to let someone else pick. You can't go wrong in SOHO (can you?)Turned out my friend liked to have some Italian flavour, so we ended up in Cecconi's. We arrived at around 12:30. Not many people were there that day. The environment was comfy.I had Smoked duck and baby spinach salad for starter. The duck pieces were so tender, seasoning was just right. Veggies were dipped
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With all the attractive restaurants in SOHO, it was really hard to arrive at a decision which one to go next. The best option is to let someone else pick. You can't go wrong in SOHO (can you?)
Turned out my friend liked to have some Italian flavour, so we ended up in Cecconi's.
We arrived at around 12:30. Not many people were there that day. The environment was comfy.
I had Smoked duck and baby spinach salad for starter. The duck pieces were so tender, seasoning was just right. Veggies were dipped in a kind of sweet sauce, which was light and appetizing. And they topped it with lychee and walnuts! Great match!
For main dish, we had this Asparagus, spinach and goat cheese pizza. The crust was a bit burnt but overall the taste was good. I love the creamy goat cheese on top (I love all things milky/ cheesy anyway), and the aspatagus added texture to the whole dish. Yum!
Then we had another pizza: tomato, mozzarella, parma ham and rocket. This is a lighter version of pizza. It didn't came with strong flavour, but the freshness was very appealing indeed. Highly recommend for those who are on diet, or just in the mood for a light lunch.
Cecconi's is a pretty popular place for lunch. It's a convenient and easy place to find, as it's just off the escalators in Soho on Elgin Street. They offer a set lunch menu at $108 for 2 courses, or $148 for two courses if you choose pizza as the main. I ordered pizza as my main then the strawberry tiramisu for dessert, while my friend ordered caesar salad and spaghetti.The Caesar salad was delicious. Fresh and with the right amount of dressing. The portion was reasonable as well and could be s
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Cecconi's is a pretty popular place for lunch. It's a convenient and easy place to find, as it's just off the escalators in Soho on Elgin Street. They offer a set lunch menu at $108 for 2 courses, or $148 for two courses if you choose pizza as the main.
I ordered pizza as my main then the strawberry tiramisu for dessert, while my friend ordered caesar salad and spaghetti.
The Caesar salad was delicious. Fresh and with the right amount of dressing. The portion was reasonable as well and could be shared between 2 people if you're looking for a light appetiser.
This strawberry tiramisu should be really popular amongst females (so pink!). The strawberry flavour was strong, as the sponge cake had been soaked in strawberry syrup. However the size of the dessert itself is pretty small. The menu allow's diners to add an additional $48 for dessert, which is a bit pricey for a dessert this size.
Overall a good experience. Would love to visit again for dinner and try the other pasta and risotto dishes.
When I first visited the Soho district at Central, I was expecting the vibrant scenes similar to the Soho at London. It was not a disappointing trip but I must admit that I was perhaps expecting a touch too much. The Soho area was lined filled with European restaurants, serving a range of cuisines from your classic English pub food to Japanese fusion fine dining, but Italian was what we eventually settled for.Mussels in cream broth ($138/-)This was similar to the recently tried house mussels at
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When I first visited the Soho district at Central, I was expecting the vibrant scenes similar to the Soho at London. It was not a disappointing trip but I must admit that I was perhaps expecting a touch too much. The Soho area was lined filled with European restaurants, serving a range of cuisines from your classic English pub food to Japanese fusion fine dining, but Italian was what we eventually settled for.
This was similar to the recently tried house mussels at Frites, with equal sized mussel meat this time round. The mussels were well-cooked, allowing the shells to open up and made fetching for the delicate tender meat an easy task. The cream broth was rich and milky smooth, which went well with the succulent mussel that carried a tinge of sweetness.
Verdict: 7.5/10
Spiced flash fried calamari with chili, lemon and aioli ($118/-)
Personally, I felt that the menu made the dish looked more impressive than it was. The traditional Italian aioli sauce comprised of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and egg yolks, with an alternative being the usage of mustard. The calamari was well cooked, without tasting too rubbery but the spices were barely evident. It was too mild to create a lasting impression on my palate and tasted no more impressive than fried calamari rings. The portion size was also relatively small for it to be an appetizer to be shared across the table. It was an 'okay' starter, but for the price, I would demand a better offering.
Verdict: 7.0/10
Spaghetti with bacon, basil and parmesan in a cream sauce ($178/-)
The pasta was cooked to perfection, al dente. The smoked bacon gave saline flavour to the dish and coupled with the shaved parmesan, completed a wholesome meal. It satisfied the other diners at the table with the richness of the sauce but proved too creamy to suit my preference, which in fact caused some satiation after a second helping. My advice would be only to opt for this if you are a fan of rich creamy base for your pasta, otherwise you might wish to look elsewhere on the menu.
Verdict: 7.0/10
Fettuccine with prawns and garlic in a creamy alfredo sauce ($188/-)
I was left slightly disappointed for spaghetti was served instead of fettuccine, which was flat and relatively thick. The texture though of the pasta was al dente which was much desired. The alfredo sauce was not as thick and rich like the spaghetti. Instead, it was a much lighter broth, which suited my palate alot more. The prawns were well-cooked, de-shelled and de-veined. There was a slight crunch and natural sweetness to the prawns upon the first bite and finishing the dish was certainly not a difficult chore.
The flavours of this dish were great and would be favourable among fans of savoury dishes. The smoked duck breast was tender and was the root of the salinity in the dish. The Italian rice was al dente, and absorbed much of the gravy. It would have a more complete balance of texture if a crisp ingredient was introduced to complement the soft rice. It was nonetheless considered a delectable offering among the hungry diners. Verdict: 7.0/10
題外話/補充資料:
The ambiance of the restaurant was very cosy with the lightings as portrayed in the pictures above. Definitely a place to bring your other half to to spend a romantic evening or even for business meetings. The quality of the food was above average, but I would question if it was value for money. One would most probably be contributing towards the surrounding of the restaurant.
A check on the restaurant revealed that they belonged to the Dining Concepts group, which included restaurants serving primarily Western cuisines such as BLT Burger. It was no surprise then that much emphasis was centred on interior decorations of Cecconi's, as seemingly, most restaurants under the management of Dining Concepts have good ambiance.
星期五的晚上,中環一帶都擠滿了人群,想找個位子坐都不能,來到伊利近街,找到幾間還有座位的餐廳,最後選了在這裡用餐。廚房是半開放式的,隱約見到廚房門在為我們炮製精美的晚餐。餐廳的裝潢和氣氛,令我以為自己選對了,但......................先上麵包,很喜歡這種麵包,軟軟的包身,加上香濃的香草味,真的很好吃呢。Roasted figs with goat's cheese, flat pancetta and honey and mustard dressing ($138)賣相很精明,我覺得這個頭盤是這頓飯最好吃的菜色了。無花果的味道很特別,酸酸甜甜,配上goat's cheese,兩者配合得很好。味道很清的Goat's cheese和無花果正好減低bacon的油膩感,再配上honey & mustard dressing,甜中帶少少mustard的辛,不錯。大家覺得這個似甚麼?開估: Lobster and Prawn with preserved lemon and basil , Risotto($208)這個簡直係非常難食........我很少用難食來形容食物的,
開估: Lobster and Prawn with preserved lemon and basil , Risotto($208) 這個簡直係非常難食........我很少用難食來形容食物的,但這個實在令人費解..... 餐牌上寫risotto,但我肯定不是risotto!!欠缺了risotto的黏,還欠缺了那種煙韌,這個所謂的Risotto就像是隔了很多夜的珍珠米煮成的。 味道很一般,也沒太多龍蝦的鮮味,整碟飯只有數隻龍蝦鉗和蝦......... 我會期望有不少的龍蝦和有數隻大蝦放在飯當中做裝飾的.............
Two of us booked a table at 8pm. The restaurant was 1/3 full. We had ordered one seafood linguine and one mixed mushroom risotto with carpaccio black truffle.Seafood linguine is the signature dish on openrice (7/10)But I expected it could be better if this restaurant is rated one of the best pasta restaurant in town.Mixed mushroom risotto with carpaccio black truffle (2/10)Totally disappointed as it was like baby food! I told the waitress about this and she apologize with a 'sorry'.OK I think I
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Two of us booked a table at 8pm. The restaurant was 1/3 full. We had ordered one seafood linguine and one mixed mushroom risotto with carpaccio black truffle.
Seafood linguine is the signature dish on openrice (7/10) But I expected it could be better if this restaurant is rated one of the best pasta restaurant in town.
Mixed mushroom risotto with carpaccio black truffle (2/10) Totally disappointed as it was like baby food! I told the waitress about this and she apologize with a 'sorry'.
OK I think I will only come back for lunch or on their super Monday promotion.
Cecconi’s Italian is a great Italian restaurant, which blend the traditional cuisine with a 21st century twist. It aims to express the spirit of Italian cuisine and for diners to enjoy in this modern restaurant in the heart of Soho.Cuisine: ItalianFood rating: 5/10*Service: 5/10 Ambiance: 6/10Price: HK$200pax* Food Rating: 6/10 is equivalent to 1 Michelin star, 8/10 to two Michelin stars, and 9/10 or 10/10 to three Michelin starsCarpaccio of beef with truffled mushrooms, garlic aioli
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Cecconi’s Italian is a great Italian restaurant, which blend the traditional cuisine with a 21st century twist. It aims to express the spirit of Italian cuisine and for diners to enjoy in this modern restaurant in the heart of Soho.
* Food Rating: 6/10 is equivalent to 1 Michelin star, 8/10 to two Michelin stars, and 9/10 or 10/10 to three Michelin stars
Carpaccio of beef with truffled mushrooms, garlic aioli, and shaved Parmesan (6/10) The beef was tender and finely aged. The rocket, truffled mushrooms, garlic oil and parmesan cheese gave the beef a kick and complexity to the dish. It was sensational.
Fettuccine with prawns and garlic in a creamy alfredo sauce (5/10) The Fettuccine was cook to perfection, al dente and perfectly seasoned. The alfredo sauce was very rich and creamy, yet wasn’t heavy.
Charred sweet corn, oxtail, orange and sage risotto (5/10) Never thought of risotto can cook like lasanga, with both red and white sauce. The oxtail was stew in a red sauce, oxtail was very tender, sweet and delicate. While the risotto was cooked in a white sauce with was rich and creamy.
With the super Monday offer, buy 1 get 1 free (main) Cecconi’s is a bargain. The quality of the food is fair with its price and the atmosphere is lovely. Don’t mind to visit it often on a Monday.
Cecconi’s Italian is one of my favourite restaurants to go for Super Mondays. For those of you who still haven’t tried Super Mondays (HOW CAN YOUUU!!), it is when a bunch of restaurants in Soho have a 2-for-1 discount on all main courses every Monday dinner. You need an AsiaXpat card to get this discount - you could sign up for the card on AsiaXpat’s website, but you could also ask around to see if any of your friends has a spare card!I go to Cecconi’s for its homely menu selection. It has class
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Cecconi’s Italian is one of my favourite restaurants to go for Super Mondays. For those of you who still haven’t tried Super Mondays (HOW CAN YOUUU!!), it is when a bunch of restaurants in Soho have a 2-for-1 discount on all main courses every Monday dinner. You need an AsiaXpat card to get this discount - you could sign up for the card on AsiaXpat’s website, but you could also ask around to see if any of your friends has a spare card!
I go to Cecconi’s for its homely menu selection. It has classic Italian favourites such as pasta and risottos, fish and meats, and also has a good variety of desserts. Just like Tango Argentinian Steakhouse and Lupa, it belongs to the Dining Concepts group. The restaurant can get quite packed and noisy at times, but we actually quite like the cosiness and intimacy! Service is not the most enthusiastic, but it is good enough for us for a casual night out.
(1) I absolutely adored the aioli and shaved parmesan in this Carpaccio of beef with truffled mushrooms, garlic aioli and shaved parmesan ($118). The beautiful garlic taste in the aioli lifted the flavours of the entire dish!
(2) The scallops were really moist and delicious in this Pan seared Hokkaido scallops with apple cider butter sauce and herb salad ($138), and the buttery taste was excellent!
(3) My friend was really disappointed when the Poached lobster, fennel and mascarpone risotto ($188) arrived, as it looked really dull and unexciting. Fortunately, despite its pale colours, the risotto actually had lots of lobster meat “hidden” in it and was very flavourful as well!
(4) Then, there was the Pepper and sesame crusted tuna with warm salad of scallop, peas and cherry tomatoes ($188), which was beautifully fried and nicely seasoned with sesame, which we all loved!
(5) Spaghetti Vongole is one of my favourite pastas. The spaghetti and the tomato sauce in this Spaghetti with clams, garlic, dried chilli and roasted cherry tomato sauce ($178) was magnificent. However, there were tiny grains of sand from the clams in this dish, which is one of the worst things that can happen to a vongole pasta!
(6) This Pan fried potato gnocchi with oxtail ragu, orange and sage ($178) had a rather soft texture. Gnocchi is something which really depends on an individual’s taste - I personally like it chewy and glutinous, but I know lots of people love nothing more than mushy, pillowy gnocchis like this one!
(7) This Apple and blackberry crumble with vanilla ice cream ($78) was a good way to end our meal. The crumble was very buttery and crisp and the dessert was still warm and fresh when it was brought to us!
I know you can definitely find better Italian restaurants in Hong Kong, but for an impromptu Super Monday night out with friends, Cecconi’s is not at all a bad option for its location, menu and price!
1. Use tablemap to reserve, good and easy.2. Order margarita pizza set, the cheese is so good.3. Colleages ordered Chicken alfredo and pear seared salmon. They were all tasted delicious.4. Waitress was friendly and came over to serve water all the time.5. Will definitely go there for lunch again.6. Each lunch set will be offered to have one chop. With 10 chops, you will get a free lunch from them.
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1. Use tablemap to reserve, good and easy. 2. Order margarita pizza set, the cheese is so good. 3. Colleages ordered Chicken alfredo and pear seared salmon. They were all tasted delicious. 4. Waitress was friendly and came over to serve water all the time. 5. Will definitely go there for lunch again. 6. Each lunch set will be offered to have one chop. With 10 chops, you will get a free lunch from them.