Aggio – Baltimore

Incredible experience with the tasting menu with wine pairings. The servings were much larger than expected, and the service was perfect. Atmosphere was a little modern/​stark, and the location is odd for fine dining. One of the best restaurants in Baltimore, and the value trumps any other Italian.

Had Aggio tonight for our anniversary dinner. Wonderful staff was very knowledgable and accommodating! They gave us a nice table in a quiet corner to enjoy our romantic date night. We loved having great conversation with the sommelier very well rounded on his knowledge of the wines, regions and the farms/​soil/​process for each individual wine. We tried the chefs tasting menu of five courses with wine pairings and we were both very happy with our choice! If I had to give one criticism the dessert could’ve used a little more umph… wishing for a big grand finale! We will totally be back what a gem in Baltimore!

Pricey and average. Octopus didn’t have the optimum texture or seasoning but acceptable. Supposedly «dry-​aged» steak seemed to be «wet aged» — I could be wrong but I couldn’t detect the dry-​aged unique taste. Overall was OK but at over $ 200 for two I can find better food. Bread (Foccaccia) was very good but I like salty crust more than most.

Loved it. We ran in before a show at ramshead and grabbed drinks and some pasta. The service is impeccable. Attentive and not intrusive. The food was delicious. Imaginative but satisfying and not over the top. I as impressed with the portions too. It wasn’t skimpy by any means. Wonderful experience!

Food was as expected from a voltaggio brother… INCREDIBLE. The sommelier was a delight to work with… The pastry chef brought out our desserts to the table and each was better than the prior. Will absolutely return but will request a different waiter, as his attitude and service were horrible. Despite his being suited for a Denny’s, the food, wine, dessert and rest of the experience made it 4 star. Change the waiter and I’d give it 5.

This place is WONDERFUL. Not only was the food delicious and presented well but the staff was remarkable! I was there last night for the first time and will be going back again this weekend. This is a must go to in Baltimore!
PS save room for desert and Amaro. Don’t let he Amaro intimidate you, Amy is wonderful and will come over and teach you all you need to know.

Similar to a lot of the other reviews is that this place is empty!!! I was here for dinner on a Thursday from 7:45 to close and I think only 8 tables were filled. The ambiance is a bit weird, kind of dark and ominous. I can’t wait until traction starts picking up and it gets busy with a HH or something…
The bread/​spreads are AWESOME. I could definitely fill myself off on that.
The savory funnel cake is a whimsical and different touch. I like the melt in your mouth texture mixed with the parmesan cheese
Lamb Osso Buco was also AMAZING… go try it

We came here the weekend of Valentine’s day — the day before actually so we were given the Pre-​fix menu if we wanted but also access to some of their other entrees.
I had loved this location when it was Tatu and Aggio did not disappoint when it came to decorating. It had the ultra high ceilings with fantastic lighting in the back (glad that’s where our table was) — the service was wonderful. They checked our coats and made us feel very welcomed.
I cannot eat yeast so we went with the octopus salad for an appetizer, and I had salmon for dinner. I’m sure normally prepared this would be great but they said they didn’t have to modify anything for this entrée for me. The fish was very small and completely plain. The side of vegetables they replaced my pasta with was a few strands of spinach. For being the most expensive entrée on the menu I was a tad disappointed but it still was very tasty none the less.
My fiancé had the veal which was also very small (now don’t get me wrong I love small portions I can’t eat tha tmuch) but most of his meat was fat, so he was a little bummed about his.
For dessert I was able to have the flourless chocolate cake which we both loved. I would definitely come back and maybe try something else on a calmer weekend. I really liked the vibe.

After having visited one of Voltaggio’s other restaurants, Range, my hopes for Aggio were looking grim. However, my bf still had another $ 200 left on his gift card so we decided to make a reservation here Valentine’s weekend and hope for the best. And I’m very glad we did.
Arriving around 7pm on Saturday night, the place already looked pretty busy. The décor was beautiful and the place had a lively buzz in the air. Already off to a great start. One thing to note about dining at some upscale places is that the wait staff can often come off pretentious and unaccessible. Not so at Aggio. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the food, friendly and even funny. I like smart service that doesn’t take themselves so serious. That night they were featuring a Valentines Prix Fixe menu with an additional wine pairing, which, of course, I did.
For Antipasti, I chose the tuna crudo and my bf chose the celery root soup. My tuna was good, my bf’s soup was GREAT. For the next course, I had the chestnut tagliatelle w/​beef ragu and my bf had the spaghetti & clams. Both of ours were exceptional, every bite bursting with complexity and originality. This is the type of place that does American New perfectly, by thoughtfully complementing each and every flavor in a dish but also allowing you to EAT. For mains, I ordered the stuffed monkfish and my bf ordered the prime rib. Outstanding, especially his charred rabe and amazing prime rib. Finally, for dessert he chose the nutella custard and I had the ricotta mousse. Admittedly, we were pretty drunk at this point, however, I recall loving every bite of this as well. Basically, I cannot think of one thing not done to perfection about this meal.
Similarly, the sommelier was spot-​on with his picks, as well as providing cool & knowledgeable service. He stuck with mainly a lot of Italian wines, which I’m not too familiar with, but every single one was amazing and well-​chosen. And I was very pleased he went with a nice bubbly with little residual sugar for the dessert pairing, rather than a sweet ice wine or port, as many sommeliers so often do. Amazing service and selections from the sommelier.
I have to say, Brian Voltaggio has regained my trust and respect after coming here. Perhaps his restaurants located closer to his hometown are the better bet, since he’s clearly made the right picks with staff and has better control of operations here, it would seem. Aggio did a great job of creating a wonderfully memorable Valentines dinner and redeeming our faith in Chef Voltaggio. Can’t wait to try Volt!

I would say our family and work staff have been pretty loyal in following all their offerings, the brand Voltaggio has built in MD.
We frequent Volt, Range, and family meal after visiting the aquarium on a monthly basis.
We gave Aggio a try for Valentine’s Day but I would have to say this has been the worst experience of any of his locations. It was early and the restaurant was not crowded. The service was ok. There were time when we needed something, but all we saw was the head tilted downwards behind the wall as the waiter looked on his phone.
We both got prime rib cooked the same way and one was raw while the other was overcooked. Looks like they just threw it out as fast as they could. The Brussels sprout had a pool of oil that made you sick to the stomach if you didn’t skim the Brussels sprouts off the top to avoid the oil.
The only attentive as aspect of the meal was to check if we needed more cocktails.
It seems like Aggio is a money making factory where they churn out food as fast possible and sell as many alcoholic beverages (highest profit margin) as they can in the shortest amount of time. It was quite disappointing for a special occasion. At least with Aggio this will be the last time we dine here.
Hopefully this attitude of making money at all cost won’t spread to other establishments.

Only one star because it looked like a nice place with a good vibe but sadly, our party of four didn’t make it through the door… and won’t be back. Thought we would stop in for a drink at the bar one Friday after work and the hostess was incredibly discourteous. There were a few people at the bar and not many having dinner so we were surprised by the treatment. Not at all warm, welcoming or friendly… extremely disappointed.

I went for restaurant week with my girlfriends, and managed to spend $ 60 on my meal. I elected to only do the three course meal (they had an optional 4^th course for $ 7 more) and splurge for the appetizer I wanted: extra $ 7 for the Tuna Crudo — TOTALLY WORTH IT. However, I also decided to do the wine pairing for the three courses — an extra $ 20, and each pour was definitely more of a taste and I only like one of the three. The main course I had was scallops (riso venere, pepperoni broth, aioli) — the black rice tasted like nothing, and I got two scallops. The tiramisu my friends got was terrible, but my affogato was delicious (although hard to screw up ice cream and coffee, no?).
Overall I loved the tuna crudo and liked the affogato — but raw tuna and coffee with ice cream made me feel jipped when I got the bill. The waiter was also not very knowledgeable (when I asked him to explain the scallops a bit more he repeated the menu word for word, and I didn’t even know it came with black rice…).
I’ve heard such wonderful things I’d like to try the full menu, but may not with the price tag and this experience.

Came here for restaurant week to get a sampling of things, and will definitely be returning. Was upscale, but very inviting and friendly at the same time (great music choice too – mostly playing stuff from the 60s-​70s). Service was impeccable and extremely professional. Seemed like a different person serving me each course which made me feel like a king. For drinks, they have a diverse cocktail menu for prices comparable to what you’d find at other cocktail bars in the city. Each one I had was delicious and unlike anything I’ve had before. For food, we started with the octopus and tuna crudo. I haven’t been an octopus fan in the past, but maybe I’ve just never had it cooked well before because it was delicious here. Tuna crudo had some fruit and calabrian chile mixed it, so it was the perfect balance of sweet and savory with a light bit of heat. Next, we paid the supplemental charge to get the second course which for us was mushroom risotto and strozzapretti. Now, I’m not usually a mushroom person, but loved it in this case. Risotto was amazing and the typical «the mushrooms gave it a nice earthiness» line you always hear on the food channel really does apply here. I got the flavor from the mushroom, but not the clunky off-​putting texture that I always hate. The pasta in the strozzapretti was perfectly cooked and the sheep milk ricotta provided a nice lightness to the dish. Next, we got the coppertina di spalla («cover of the shoulder»: a cut of beef) and dry-​aged prime rib (another supplemental charge– we might have splurged a bit). The coppertina di spalla was moist, melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious, and while the prime rib was tender and tasty, I felt like it could have used a bit more seasoning. For dessert we got affogato (vanilla bean ice cream, espresso) and tiramisu. Even not being a coffee person the affogato was still quite tasty, as was the tiramisu. A great finish to a delicious meal and complete dining experience. Highly recommend Aggio.

We went there last night during restaurant week snowmaggedon 2016. They called the day before and twice on the day of to make sure we were still coming. We bumped up our reservation time to 6. Eric told us we could park out front in valet due to the snow. Never again will we probably have an opportunity to park that close for free. We had previously gone to Volt, while the food was good, we preferred the meal we had at aggio. I was expecting tasting portions for the menu, so I offered the optional fourth course for $ 7. It turns out that I didn’t need it, because the portions were very ample. It was a great value for a fine dining restaurant and for restaurant week. I felt like the portions were twice the size of Volt’s. I did several courses at Volt and didn’t leave feeling full, whereas I had three courses and felt very full. We got an amuse bouche and some bread, both were delicious. The bread was some warm with two spreads. The white spread was our favorite. The amuse bouche was some sort of fried fritter concoction with old bay. I started with the octopus, which was cooked really well. My bf got the beets, which is his favorite vegetable. I don’t tend to like beets; they are too earthy for me. However, I thought his beets were good. Next course was risotto, we thought it was good. There was a little bitterness to one of the vegetables, possibly a type of mushroom, but we still ate it up. Next we got the scallops, at this point, I was starting to get full. However, the scallops were quite delightful with the pepperoni broth. I honestly could have had two courses and been done. I had paired my courses with wine for $ 30 for four courses. We finished with deconstructed tiramisu. It was good, and really pretty with the ladyfingers block and espresso foam. The service was exceptional, and I would love to go there again. Having dined at other places for restaurant week, this was an outstanding value for what you received.

I rarely leave poor reviews but we went to Aggio on New Years Eve and frankly it was mediocre at best.
The service was sub par. In fact, while the server was kind and nice, he rarely checked in, recommended nothing and did not offer any upgrades (which we would have accepted if he had).I was shocked that my dessert plates were cleared while there were still bread plates and bread butter on the table. Not acceptable in my opinion.
The food was poorly seasoned and I noticed that other tables had things plated differently than our table. Which was strange to me. The potato mezzaluna was the only highlight of our evening. The menu wasn’t descriptive of what you were getting (as in we didn’t expect the tiramisu to be deconstructed) and with a server who didn’t provide any guidance this led to more disappointment.
I had high hopes for Aggio as I have been to Volt a number of times and have had wonderful experiences, but I won’t be going back to Aggio for another try.

Meh. It was not horrible, but it was not good. I had a pretty bad experience here … the service was mediocre at best. Nothing special. Especially for what you are paying. Some of the portions were an absolute joke. The burratta app had like a teaspoon of burrata… when the app was called «burrata.» The mezzaluna pasta was laughable. Although it tasted good, it was like eating fruit snack sized portions of pasta. 8 tiny fruit snacks for 25+ bucks lol.
There are wayyyyyyyyyyy better options for Italian in Baltimore. The pasta here was lackluster, small portions, and just not worth the $$$$ you were paying.
This place just tries too hard. I give it a 2.5. If you want Italian go to Sotto Sopra, La Scala, Aldo’s, Da Mimmo, etc. *********You will spend less, have bigger portions, and better food. And you will leave happy.

Aggio is part of Bryan Voltaggio of Top Chef fame and fortune, triumvirate of restaurants he opened in his hometown of Baltimore. Bravo to Chef Voltaggio for staying home and not bolting for a bigger city.
Located in the Disneyesque entertainment mall known as the Power Plant, Aggio is as incongruous as a croissant in a Walmart. Elegantly designed, Aggio is on trend with a sleek black bar and white leather chairs. We chose to eat at the bar and Amy, the bartender, was just lovely as she explained the a la carte and the $ 40.00 four course menu. We went with the 4 courses and had an up and down experience.
The Buratta made with beets was refreshing and delicious. My grilled octopus was done just right and was a healthy portion. However, the black squid ink spaghetti was made with a strange cream base and may have sat too long since it began to congeal. The pepper pasta was better, but did not compare to how the same dish is prepared at Sotto in Cincinnati. Desserts were forgettable. Pacing throughout the night was way off and may have led to some subpar dishes. The wine list was quite eclectic with bottles in all price ranges. Aggio’s sommelier was interesting, fun and attentive.
We expected more from this star of Top Chef. His performance on television was stellar and he seemed a master of a creative kitchen.
Hopefully, it was just an off night.

Outstanding in every way. The cocktails are inventive and perfectly balanced, the service experienced and attentive, the food is delicious and beautifully plated, the wine list is informed, and the sommelier really knows his wines. Definitely not to be missed.

Definitely worth a visit. Fresh pasta enjoyable drinks. The amaro flights were good too. The appetizers were better than the entrees and it’s a rather small menu.

Written from my experience as a person who goes into a place this upscale once or twice a year for special occasions.
To me, Aggio gives everything that a fine restaurant should. Very knowledgeable service, nice atmosphere, complimentary dishes as you’re ordering. As noted, the Parmesan funnel cake is unbelievable.
The food was nothing short of fantastic. Portions are smaller, as it’s meant to be enjoyed in courses. But my girlfriend I left quite comfortable after each eating a primi and Secondi course and splitting a dessert after eating the funnel cake and bread service.
We’re not wine people, but she liked her cocktail. They have 5 local craft beer drafts. My beer was $ 6 for a pint; quite reasonable.
If I could, I’d eat here often. But I’ll certainly be back for another special occasion.

Aggio promises to be a top restaurant within Baltimore in the future. However, it’s execution through service will keep this restaurant from becoming one of the best.
Upon arrival early for an 8:30 reservation, we were asked to wait at the high tops until are table was ready. There was no interaction with anyone from the restaurant to see if we would like a cocktail or glass of wine prior to dinner. We moved to the bar upon a spot opening up. The bartender obviously overwhelmed had difficulty in keeping up with orders from the bar and staff. Eventually after 20 minutes, we were offered a menu.
We were seated at 9:00 and were told the wait was due to silverware not being available at this time. Upon being guided to our table, we were left alone by our hostess in the middle of the restaurant as evidently our table still was not available. After waiting in the middle of the restaurant for several minutes, we were eventually guided by the manager to our table.
Upon sitting, we were finally greeted by our server after another 10 minutes. We quickly ordered the Prix Fixe with Wine Pairing. The pacing of the meal was horrible with courses randomly coming out. The gap between the first and second course was around 30 minutes. However, the gap between the second and third course was immediate. In addition, no wine pairing was ever served immediately with our meal. Each wine either came after our meal or well before the next course.
The food and wine was excellent. However, there seems to be distinct lack of communication and/​or execution that is necessary of a top restaurant. We informed the manager of our concerns and he noted them. We will not be attending in the future, nor will recommend this restaurant for business until this staff can generate a change in presentation.

Completely flawless meal as judged by a harsh critic.
From the moment I walked in the door everything was exactly right. Great drinks, service, food, wine, and all the little extras.
I’m a little drunk and running out of superlatives. Just book a table.

Pretty fancy Italian restaurant hidden behind power plant. Very friendly service and yummy food! I started with the octopus-​nicely prepared! And my friend had the Caesar salad (love how they used fried oysters as croutons).
I was pretty disappointed in the bland Rosemary bread and tasteless savory funnel cake they served us.
For my main course, I opted for the scallops. Perfectly plump, seasoned and prepared. Loved loved loved the risotto underneath– cooked al-​dente, just how it should be! My friend liked her chicken too, they were generous in portion!
For a full recap and pictures, check out my blog:

(7÷25÷2015) We came here for Restaurant Week. Usually most menus are dumbed down or cheapened for RW, but we had plenty of choices and felt well taken care of at Aggio.
This menu is contemporary Italian. The Caesar Salad we had previously tried at the HOME book signing at Family Meal. We had enough people to try everything they offered off the RW menu. Seasonal ingredients were fresh, green and yellow wax beans in a simple gratin, pencil-​thin green and white asparagus, charred broccoli rabe, crushed fava beans, all bright, vibrant. Best of the antipasti was the Octopus, a 5-​inch and thick tentacle on fregula with smoked raisin and lemony agrumato; was somewhat chewy, but well-​seasoned with a light char. The well-​described (in other publications) Tonnarelli Nero (squid ink pasta with crab meat and uni) seemed overwhelmingly fishy in smell and flavor to me, but I’ve also never been a fan of uni (reminds me of urea).
Favorite Primi hands down was the Cappellacci with Cherry Glen Farm goat cheese, Eastern Shore sweet corn, summer truffle; plump, bursting with cheese and fresh, light, earthy summer flavors. Least successful was the Lumache with lamb ragu; was heavy and we found the tomato sauce unremarkable. The Creste de Gallo with chicken sausage and hen of the woods mushrooms was savory and a simple mix, but excessively salty (we had this problem at Family Meal, too).
If you have a hankering for it, spring for the Bistecca a la Florentine for two, it’s a massive 2-​inch thick espresso dry rubbed porterhouse, came a rosy medium rare and perfectly seasoned. The sides were also hits: casserole of cannellini beans, yellow wax and green beans, and a gratin of summer truffle gnocchi (the lightest gnocchi I’ve ever had, meltingly tender, not the usual leaden lumps).
Desserts are desserts, deconstructed Tiramisu was a nice ice cream and mascarpone puddle (be forewarned, you may be disappointed if you’re expecting traditional). I stuck with the simple Affogato, gelato and a shot of espresso, a nice ending to a really enjoyable meal. RW prices can’t be beat, it was a great value.

We had a very nice meal here at the restaurant, the food was OK but the service was exceptional. We came on a Thursday night before a holiday weekend so other than 4 – 5 parties, the place was pretty empty.
They start you off with some long fennel and sea salt bread sticks which were really salty, but the fresh, warm focaccia bread served with two spreads in the beginning were delicious! They also give you some complementary parmesan fried cakes which were interesting– never had them before, kind of like dried out French fries.
The actual dishes were OK. You can order half-​sized pasta dishes, so I got the Triangolo (stuffed with celery root and taleggio cheese) and the Tonnarelli Nero (black ink pasta with lump crab meat and uni). The Triangolo was very thin and tasted like a smooth ricotta filling, while the Tonnarelli noodles were good, with a very strong, salty uni flavor. If you like a strong seafood flavor, you would like this dish– it’s a good dipping sauce for the bread.
The Chitarra, which was like their spaghetti carbonara, was good. The sauce was a bit too watery but the actual bacon pieces made the dish really good. The Fettucine with blistered tomatoes and lamb was OK, fresh noodles but not as much sauce/​flavor as we would have liked. I really liked their Risotto with porcini and quail egg, but thought their Salad (with ham, peas, etc.) was really fresh, but the dressing could have used a little work.
The panna cotta with the strawberry ice cream was good. It tasted like a thick yogurt with honey more than the tradition custardy panna cotta I’m traditionally used to but it was a refreshing way to end the meal. They of course came by with some complimentary bon bons made in house.
The service here was exceptional and professional. The pace of the different courses was perfect (not too rushed, not too late), our waters were topped off all the time, they folded your napkin for you when you left the table, servers were friendly and prompt, and they gave you so many complimentary sides like they appreciated you being their customer. It was a great experience! It doesn’t hurt that we got to meet Bryan Voltaggio at the end!

This restaurant is a cut above in the Baltimore fine dining scene. Although first impressions upon arrival weren’t the best, the food more than compensates.
First, the interior is a bit heavy feeling somewhat resembles a dungeon — just too many black tones, with a lot of dead space. Some floral bouquets or contrasting colors/​textures would definitely make the interior more inviting. Then were the cocktails, I ordered a «King of Cool» cocktail which was whiskey based but really just tasted like cough medicine. My friend’s vodka martini didn’t impress either. However, the Moscow mules were refreshing and tasty.
Two people in my party opted for the five course chef’s tasting menu ($ 65), which features items currently on the menu but a double of the primi course and includes dessert as one of the courses. Portions are small, so I would definitely encourage ordering an antipasti, primi, and secondi.
Promptly after ordering we received a few complimentary items to wake up the palette. First was the parmesan funnel cake, which was perfectly crispy and airy — really tasty. Then came the bread service featuring beautifully homemade focaccia with a creamy soft cheese and mortadella mousse, covered in olive oil and parsley. The bread service was incredibly good, and I don’t even like mortadella.
Notable antipasti were the foie terrina and beet salad. The foie terrina was a chilled preparation of foie gras with a cherry reduction, and crunchy hazelnuts for texture. The foie was also accompanied with a small frisee salad to break up the richness of the dish. It was a very tasty and clean dish. The chilled preparation was also very good considering most foie gras is served moderately warm and seared. The beet salad featured emulsified goat cheese and a pine nut brittle — also very tasty.
The highlights of the meal were the pastas though. I ordered the tonnarelli nero, which was a house made squid ink pasta studded with lump crab in a slightly spicy uni sauce. The seafood in the dish was just expertly suited with the luscious al dente pasta. The dish was also not very fishy, and really just let the ingredients shine. The pappardelle with rabbit was also excellent, with the rabbit being perfectly roasted and tender. This was the first time I tried rabbit, but it really turned me on to the protein and of course the house made pasta was again excellent. Also noteworthy was the pillowy soft gnocchi with truffle butter and mushrooms. This was hands down the best gnocchi I have ever had and the accompanied ingredients were nice subtle additions. It’s worth mentioning as well that me and my friend received a second complimentary primi course so that it wasn’t awkward while our significant others got their third course from the chefs tasting menu.
Entrees also very good, I definitely recommend the pork osso buco. The osso buco was crispy on the exterior while still being fork tender. The accompanying gnocchi alla romana was really tasty and the gremolata tied everything together — just an excellent dish. I also sampled the skirt steak, which seemed to be sous vide and then seared. Wish the portion of steak was a bit bigger but it was still delicious none the less.
Furthermore, the wine list was really impressive and the sommelier steered us towards a really good Italian red from Mount Etna. Service was also very good, but as with most fine dining restaurants the meal is intentionally paced, so dinner service does take about 2 hours. All in all, this was a very memorable meal with many dishes really packing a punch with minimal flaws. Desserts and cocktails were somewhat of a miss, but like I said other parts of the meal really compensated. Props to Brian Voltaggio and his staff.

Free Food: there were. bread STICKS (as in, a gold-​fish tasting, thin sticks. think of it as some thin pencils in an aluminum holder) on the table, the waiter brought out a parmesan funnel cake (on the house), and then they brought out a delicious olive bread with some kind of whipped butter, mortadella mousse, and avocado oil. Free bread was definitely the winner here.
Appetizer: I got the charred octopus with hazelnut, raisins, fregola, garlic, and agrumato. It was a super small serving and they really put the CHAR in charred. I don’t know if it was supposed to be like that or the cook in the back forgot about it for three minutes too long but I would not order this creature again. My friends got the burrata and calamari (which also came with lamb??) which looked and tasted better. Definitely not worth the $ 15 dollars for one leg. or arm. I am not sure what octopi have.
Dinner: Nom Nom Nom. I got the tonnarelli nero which is a squid ink pasta with uni, jalapeño, crab, and what felt like a pound of butter/​oil. There was a party on my plate and only I was invited! Fantastic! tasting! The only problem was that this portion was more fitting for a 10 year old child than for a hungry adult.
It was my BFF’s birthday so they brought her out a minuscule cake, which was cute and she enjoyed the one bite of it that she could!
Additionally, Aggio is in a strange location: its by Powerplant live (…i know). Décor was nothing special. Wait staff was attentive and explained what we were eating. I could not afford any wine so I can’t really tell you about that.
Bonus points for the bubbly water (it’s free!).
Overall, I had a nice meal and a pleasant birthday experience for my friend but it’s over-​priced for the portion sizes. This is baltimore, not DC or NYC.

When you want to wine and dine yourself, Aggio is the place to go!
Apparently, this place is connected with something called Volt that my boss was excited about? My boss has worked in Baltimore for years and was surprised to have not heard of this place, but we decided to take our chances here for a nice Team dinner. Boy, were we in for a treat! As soon as we arrived, they took our coats for coat check and we got a large table for six off to the side and it felt private and cornered off. The servers were very attentive and helped us select a nice bottle of wine.
Now, let’s talk about the food. Every single dish wowed my party and every single one of us was pleased with what we ordered. Aggio has a small menu with appetizers, medium pastas and main entrees. Our table ordered a round of appetizers and everyone had their own pasta, which was the perfect amount of food.
FREE FOOD:
A small tin of crunchy breadstick was brought in as we looked over the menu. Then, a parmesan funnel cake (i’ve never had anything like this before and the pillowy pieces of dough were delightful) and then the fanciest salted olive bread service, accompanied by a whipped ricotta and a mortadella mousse.
Three on-​the-​house starters? Aggio certainly knows how to woo its customers.
Our table ordered the following appetizers:
1. Calamari with grapefruit and chickpeas — not fried like what was expected. I thought this dish was forgettable and would not order this again
2. Charred Octopus — more like one very large octopus tentacle that we cut it into pieces. This was expertly cooked!
3. Burrata — Finally, a Burrata dish that I enjoy. How did they do it? Cover it in proscuitto! haha I was definitely a huge fan because of that
My pasta: The Tonnarelli Nero
I could not pass up a dish like this that was sure to be an exotic combinations of flavors. I was nervous because the server said it was a toothsome pasta (more al dente bc of the squid ink), but I had absolutely no complaints about the tonnarelli, only that there wasn’t more! While it wasn’t exactly «lump crab» (more like shreds), I liked that the crab intertwined with the sauce and made every bit so scrumptious.
I also had a bite of my boss’s Fusilli and the sausage and broccoli rabe were wonderful!
We were stuffed at this point, so no dessert for us, but we were happy to see the complimentary macaroons at the table!
I do want to note that my review is biased because I did not have to think of prices (work dinner) so I might not have been as happy with the portions if I was paying. A great place for work dinners. But, overall, the food was outstanding and deserves five stars! Aggio is a suberb restaraunt and turns fine dining into an art.

I went to Aggio for the first time last week for a group dinner and had fairly high expectations considering what I read and reviewed on their menu. We were seated on the main floor.
The PRO’s
–food tasted fresh
–snapper was prepared well
–water glasses were refilled regularly
–bartender was friendly and accommodating
–coat check
–bathroom was clean
The CON’s
–to me, $ 10 valet is a bit steep, in addition to giving a decent tip
–décor was very plain and screamed nothing «Italian» to me
–the breadsticks provided (if you want to call them breadsticks), are pitiful and about the size of a needle
–the wait staff was constantly reaching over across the table to refill drinks, placed their bodies so close you it felt as if they were all up in your personal space… having went to culinary school they teach you never to reach across someone’s plate like that. I expected more from a place like this
–execution was poor… with so many courses you could order something as your meal and be sitting there while everyone else is eating… it made no sense and the servers never discussed how food would be coming out
–very pricey for minimal food
–with a party as large as ours, the chef should have popped out to say hello to see how we liked everything
Overall, this restaurant did not provide the caliber of service I was expecting… not even close. I’ve had some really amazing Italian food from places like this and most often from small mom and pop ‘hole-​in-​the-​wall’ kinda joints.
There was hardly anyone else there the night we went and I can’t imagine it staying in business at this location long if this is the norm. This place has potential and could do a lot better… I’m just not certain I’d take a risk returning when my other options are less expensive, better executed and trusted from prior experiences.

Visited with 4 other girlfriends — we like to try a lot of the menu & share dishes. We ordered 2 bottles of wine, and the Sommelier was very helpful. Service was stellar, and the house bread & spread was phenomenal, but that’s about where the accolades end.
We were delivered an amuse bouche of a parmesan funnel cake, which was miniscule for 5 people to barely have a crumb, but fine.
For starters, we ordered the Chioggia Beets, the Marinated Sea Scallops, and the Charred Octopus.
From the pasta menu, the Ricotta Gnocchi, Tonnarelli Nero (barely any blue crab, and too al dente for my taste), Strozzapreti, and the most miniscule piece of lasagna (and looked like it was the overcooked, end piece of the pan). I’m all for appropriate portion sizes, but these were really small.
From the 3 choices on the entrees, we selected the chicken, which was moist, but very meh.
We were still hungry, so we went with three desserts including the Pistachio in Olives (a tiny sliver of olive oil cake), Fennel cream & berries (described to us as having chocolate soil… blech), and a third dessert that I can’t remember the name of — some kind of dark chocolate nugget with ice cream.
Not one dish blew us away, most were just meh. And we were still hungry. We really wanted more from Aggio, and compared to Volt, it was a big let down. Sad to say, but we won’t return.