Cafe Mezzanotte

3.5÷5
The boyfriend took me here ~2 weeks ago for my birthday – we always drove by Café Mezzanotte and every time, we would turn to each other and say we should try it. Café Mezzanotte is an inconspicuous place – you can drive past the place over and over again. I’m an Italian food lover. I can cook lots of different kinds of cuisines, but Italian is one I have yet to master.
Ambiance: The building itself has ample parking outside. The seating inside was fairly spacious – the tables far apart from each other so you and your party can have uninterrupted conversations. Romantic, yet casual, with white table cloths and candles.
Food: ⁴⁄₅. I like to start with the good stuff. The food was to die for. Delicious, the portion sizes were excellent, and the bread… I could never forget that bred… the bread was hot out of the oven served with herbatious olive oil. The menu had a variety of dishes to choose from — from Italian classics to chef-​inspired Italian meals. For starters, we ordered a bottle of Italian Red. The boyfriend ordered the pumpkin cannelloni. I happened to try the first bite before he gulped it down… my oh my, it was delicious! Creamy, not too sweet, served with some sauteed cabbage. The cabbage was a stand out! I ordered the scallop portofino. YUMMM. It was probably one of my favorite dishes I have eaten at an Italian restaurant. The scallops were fat and juicy, seared to perfection; the parmesan cream sauce was one to remember; and the sauteed apples were a nice sweet surprise. For dessert, we ordered the crème brûlée. Let me lead into this saying that crème brûlée is my favorite dessert in the whole wide world. This is where the –1 star for food comes into play. We were served the crème brûlée… I was a bit confused because the menu stated it had fresh strawberries but our poor crème brûlée was lonely. No fresh strawberries. The dessert itself was chunky, not creamy like other cremes I’ve had. Sad.
Customer Service: ²⁄₅. Alright, here’s were the major strikes come in. The hostess was super nice and respectful – as we were leaving, he paused his phone call to say good bye. The waitress was what did it. After we sat down and ordered our wine, it took us YEARS to get our bread. Yes, the bread was «hot out of the oven,» but when the table next to yours gets TWO servings of bread before you get your first one is when it’s an issue. I was squealing out of my chair once we got our delicious bread but before I even dipped the first slice of bread into the olive oil, our food came out =(Ahhhh, not good! So I was going back and forth between the bread and my entrée the whole meal. On top of that, when we were served our food, I had to wave down a waitress (not ours) for some fresh parmesan cheese and coarse black pepper. Why was this not offered to us when we were served the food? The table next to us, upon receiving their entrée, was asked politely if they wanted some. AND on top of that, my boyfriend’s water was never filled. We had to share waters.
Overall: Maybe we got a new waitress or she/​he was having a bad day? Yes, I could have asked to speak to the manager but I did not want to make a scene on my birthday dinner. I’m the kind of person who would visit a restaurant again if the customer service was excellent and the food was average. If the customer service was poor and the food was excellent, it would make me think twice before going again. Café Mezzanote… although your food was delicious, your restaurant falls into the latter category.

I have always been a big fan and frequent flyer to Mezzanotte but Tommie and team have really out done themselves with the new menu rollout this week. Focused on organic, sustainable and seasonal ingredients has always been important but the fact that it actually all tastes delicious is an added bonus.
We started out with two of their new appetizers, the fried brussel sprouts and the bison in puff pastry (not sure of the exact title). My oh my were they good! The bison was definitely the star. I cannot wait until I order it next time.
Next we had the arugula and prosciutto salad and a cup of the butternut squash bisque. Yum!
Now to the real star of the evening. The cavatelli marrone was perfect! Sliced Italian sausage, cavatelli perfectly cooked in a sage brown butter sauce with lemon and shaved pecorino. Definitely a repeater! The duck risotto was one of the top 5 best entrees I have
in my life. The duck breast was seasoned and cooked to the perfect temperature. The risotto was cooked properly and complimented the duck perfectly.
Way to go Café Mezzanotte. You have out done yourself! We will see you again very soon!

We have been going to Café Mezzanotte for a couple of years. You’ll find excellent food, great staff, and good drinks. Their food is Farm to Table, locally sourced and organic. It’s a very nice restaurant with atmosphere suitable for classier dinners. If you’re looking for an elegant adult dinner out, this is a good choice.
On our most recent visit with another couple, everyone was extremely pleased with their meals, drinks, and service. Our waiter, Michael was attentive, friendly, informative, and went the extra mile. If you haven’t been to Café Mezzanotte, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a real neighborhood gem! Highly recommend for a great, fresh Italian meal.

Updated review now that I’ve been twice in the last few months. I’ve also experienced both «sides».
Went on a Saturday night on the later side (8:15). It was jumping when we walked in but quieter as the evening went on. We were seated at a table in the back, I heard as we walked in that the wait was about 25 minutes so I was glad we opened tabled.
We sat down and immediately broke into the wine list. Ordered a Cab (bottle) now I really can’t remember the name… but it was tasty. We also IMMEEEDDDIATELY ordered the grilled calamari. Something I have been dreaming about since my last visit. I mentioned this in my last review but I’ll say it again. This is the best grilled calamari I’ve ever tasted. Get it. Don’t tarnish the delicious texture and taste with batter. This is the real deal. You won’t be disappointed.
Café Mezz definitely has stepped their game up with their menu. All local organic ingredients now, having a plethora of allergies I love this mantra. I explained to our server Tony, that I had a yeast/​gluten allergy. I selected the Chesapeake Chicken Pasta. It was heaven on earth. With a creamy rose/​vodka sauce a deliciously pan sautéed thin chicken breast and gluten free pasta. I could have opted for a few more veggies, (I like my greens) and may request I side next time but this was to die for. I wanted to bathe in the sauce. My fiancé got a risotto dish. I cannot remember which but it had scallops. He switched his tomato sauce for mine, and was equally as smitten.
We were too full for dessert but all we kept saying was how we couldn’t wait to go back. (again)