Scugnizzi

I don’t like giving poor reviews but this place needs a little help.
The beer came out warm, which sucked in a hot day, and the salad, which was good, came out on a warm plate… oh and the AC was too high.
What first struck me was there were only four non-​pasta entrees and they were ALL chicken. Why would I pay $ 20 for chicken or pasta, it’s the cheapest thing to make.
There WERE two non chicken specials, we went with the Cod. Ehh, is all I had to say. They said it was fresh but it had the distinct texture and flavor of frozen. NOT worth the price AT ALL.
I hope the owners read this and make some changes; if they do I may give them another shot, but until I see the ratings go up to a four, I won’t be back, and you should reconsider going.

Great food, friendly staff, family oriented. Used to be much fancier, however this is a great change. Not a «pizza joint» as they have plenty of homemade pastas, etc., but not under-​expensive either. Portions are HUGE. Did I mention kid-​friendly? And, they have a parking lot in the back :-)

We were the 2^nd party to arrive for dinner that night, but there were only three max that evening. It wasn’t exactly the restaurant’s fault since the pair which arrived after us had personally selected the table directly behind me, but it made for a rather noisy and tough time straining to hear my DC.
We were one of the customers who came with a deal voucher in hand. We made reservations (call if you want to make one) as instructed on the voucher, but I guess we didn’t really need one otherwise.
I was glad to notice on their website that they have private parking available out back:
«STRAIGHT THROUGH MEDFRORD STREET CROSSING OVER MASS AVE, IN BETWEEN DERBY FARMS AND RONALD A. RIESZ OPTICIAN»
We took advantage of the lot, but noted that due to the incline that it might be a little risky on a slippery evening. When I spied the restaurant, my first impression from the sidewalk was — pizza shop! However, once inside, that thought dissipated due to the bright colors and decorations on the walls.
We received pleasant service from the single server handling the room. Cool water was poured from a glass bottle which was then left on the table. Toasted sliced bread was served with a dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Extra paper napkins were brought out upon request.
We had a pleasant enough start with the eggplant rotallini $ 8 which arrived as three bundles well stuffed with ricotta. Next was the day’s special fish — dover sole stuffed with a scallop stuffing with mixed vegetables $ 24. We were sharing all the dishes, which was good since our 2^nd entrée — the chicken al mattone served with pesto linguine $ 19 — we had been warned, would take longer. It also made for a more well rounded meal on both our parts as we had both vegetables and pasta as well as seafood and fowl.
The stuffing was generous. If only the fillets were as well — they should have been thicker cut, for as they were, they were hardly there. The vegetables were vibrant and tasty, but a tad on the side of being overcooked. I prefer some bite to my vegetables, which is quite rare in the world.
The chicken arrived as a breast and a thigh. As a dark meat person, I found my piece to be crispy skin over moist meat. However, I did have a bite of the larger white meat chunk, and unfortunately that taste was rather dry. The linguine was al dente noodles, well doused with creamy pesto and a very good portion.
The Nutella bread pudding $ 7, served a la mode, was a bit depressing in presentation as it was both short and smushed. Rather than being warm and crusty on the outside while custardy on the inside, it was served at a single note room temperature. Sure, it had a good flavor, but it was rather mushy. The tiramisu $ 7, on the other hand, was served slightly chilled, a rather good sized rectangle, and rather good. My DC preferred the tiramisu due to the consistency and the temperature, and I heartily agreed.
The single unisex bathroom was large and handicap accessible, but the light was slow in brightening. I noticed a pair of high chairs and a booster seat stored there. However, there is a single step to get past first at the front door.
I spotted a neighbor being served the BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI $ 17 (Fresh sage butter sauce, sundried tomatoes and fresh vegetables). The fresh vegetables were the same as was served besides our fish dish. it looked colorful and relatively healthy. I’d probably try a different entrée on a future visit… perhaps this one!

7 186 414 734
http://arlingtonitaliano…
Very helpful waitstaff and accommodating for a Vegan.
I had the Mediterranean Sea Bass which was delightful with choice of vegetable or linguini and red sauce. A nice size fish with a reasonable price. Tender and moist with just the right
gentle spice.
My friend has a Linguini Puttanesca which was tasty.
A be back.

Not top notch but does the trick. I had a risotto that was plenty filling and flavorful. Staff was just attentive enough. A great option for Italian in Arlington.

O.K., I am giving this place 3 stars because overall, I really liked it. I took my landlord/​friend there for her birthday on a Bloomspot deal. The food deal was fine but you get totally screwed with the wine. Their list is not extensive and what they have is totally over priced.
The wait staff is wonderful, attentive, cheerful, and genuinely seem to like their job.
The aa bread, salad and appetizers were excellent. The main meal, not so much. We both got the same thing chicken with peas and pasta in an a creamy alfredo sauce. It wasn’t that the meal was bad, it just didn’t taste like anything. Real Italian food is robust and full of flavor no matter what it is. This main dish was just blah with no flavor. Pasta was cooked fine, chicken was cooked fine, just no flavor.
I think I would recommend this place based on the bread, salad, and waiters alone. They just have to work on their main menu!

The service left much to be desired — especially since there were two tables occupied. The Chicken Parmesan was okay, nothing spectacular. I asked for extra sauce and they gave me tomato bisque. Odd.

I’m a new «local» to Arlington Center, so I have visited all the restaurants in the area.
All of them are great, with the exception of a few small places. One thing I find fascinating about the food selection, is that you have a great range — there is mexican, argentinean, japanese, thai, chinese, burgers, american, and italian. Scugnizzi is an italian place that was reinvented, which was apparently once called Buona Vita.
I dont really see how these other people can leave reviews like they have. Sure, the first time I came in, I was skeptical. At that time, the owner waited, served, and made me a big fan. I literally ordered the same thing for the next 5 times I cam back. By the way, it was Penne Gorgonzola with Walnuts. I reccomend that! Recently, the new owner Mike, was even able to change the order to my liking, by making substitutions, such as pistachios. On one occassion, they even stayed open late to accomodate me.
I’ve often visited and asked the manager, Fillipo (from Italy) for his suggestions, and he always comes through for me. Among the plates he’s suggested that I loved, were the sauteed calamari, a custom pizza, apparently the Fillipo pizza, the seasonal ravioli, and the sea bass. Everytime, it’s been really good.
The staff has expanded considerably, every time I’ve been there, and they are very nice, there are 2 girls in particular who are very friendly and always rememeber my favorites. Mike has even made me custom ice hazelnut coffee, which rivals the starbucks version across the street. I have nothing but good things to say about this place.
It’s a comfortable place, with a great menu, and good prices — and a really nice staff. You should definitely give them a try.

Although we were somewhat apprehensive after reading recent reviews, dinner this evening was excellent. Service was attentive and the two appetizers we ordered followed by one pasta and a chicken dish were all very good and appropriately priced. We will definitely go again.

We went to Scugnizzi with a Groupon on a Friday night. The waitstaff were sweet, and we had no problem with the Groupon. I had a braised short rib that was a tiny bit overdone, but still delicious. Overall a good experience.

Came in with an Eversave coupon expecting the worst due to previous reviews. Maybe it was because our expectations were low but we greatly enjoyed our meal here.
The eggplant app was too thin on the eggplant and was all breading and cheese (the one true disappointment). The sauce on it was very good though and it’s saving grace.
The pizza here is a true winner. It has a great thin crispy crust with just the perfect amount of chew. We had the chicken pesto which came with huge chunks of tender chicken and a delicious basil pesto sauce (no tomato sauce). My one gripe was there wasn’t enough of that delicious pesto sauce throughout the pizza! Cheese was stringy and perfect. The type that pulls with each bite. Next time we skip the eggplant and get 2 pizzas. For dessert we had a delicious nutella bread budding topped with ice cream (hopefully not a special).
On top of the food highlights above, our server Courtney was great. She was friendly and had a great personality, the type that makes your night out and meal that much more enjoyable. We mentioned we were going to share the 6 $ salad and she offered to have the kitchen split it up for us. Even at fine dining restaurants this is hardly ever offered.
I think Scugnizzi is definitely worth a try if you’re in the area and craving some good Italian pie.

We bought a Groupon for this place then they told us it was only good for dine in… at dinner! There was nothing on the Groupon add that had these disclaimers.
We bought two pizzas — both were terribly undercooked, boring sauce with no flavor at all and the pepperoni had an ‘off’ smell. I won’t be going back and will ask Groupon for a refund!

I’m surprised at the number of negative reviews this restaurant has received, I’ve never had a bad experience here. My fiancé and I have come here for a couple years now during the Buona Vita days and into the Scugnizzi days. The owners and waiters have always been pleasant and attentive and the food has always been great. The pizza is a fantastic addition to the menu as well. The last time we were there, they had a 16-​person party and even though it was very distracting to them, they were very attentive to just the 2 of us as well. Customer happiness is very important to everyone there. I would very much recommend this restaurant.

I went back here just because I couldn’t believe that the service and food could have been as consistently bad as it was during my first experience, Sadly, IT WAS!
If I could give it a lower rating than 1 star I would do so.
Do yourself a big favor, avoid this awful restaurant.

I don’t see much of a difference between Buona Vita and Sgugnizzi. The menu may be a little different, but it looks pretty much the same inside. Julia F and I called ahead to see if there was a wait, and when we arrived we found they had reserved a window table for us.
The food isn’t horrible, but it isn’t great either. The bread in the basket was boring, and I doubt that it was made in house. I enjoyed my Arancini, but the two that I had different distributions of the ingredients. I also had the Penne All’Amatriciana, which had what were supposed to be caramelized onions that had no caramelized flavor. The pancetta tasted more like pepperoni. The major issue with the food was the tiramisu, served in a flat bottom wine glass. The lady fingers were hard and had never touched any espresso. The desert had obviously been made ahead of time and chucked in the fridge. After I complained the waiter took it off the bill, but the damage was done.
The service wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible either. Our waiter happily chatted with the table next to us, but was stand offish when I tried to be chatty. For the prices, this place should have tablecloths and cloth napkins. And now they are delivering and serving breakfast? This makes no sense. Focus on making quality food for dinner and I bet you might succeed without having to stoop to delivery.
I don’t think I will be coming back again.

Wow! VERY good lunch specials. Home-​made pastas, like bolognese, under $ 10. I am pleasantly surprised. I wonder when the news will catch on to the local businesses and new parents. Every lunch I’ve had here has been fantastic, with very nuanced preparation and quite a few specials. Highly recommend the pastas.

PRONOUNCED SCOO-​NEATS-​ZEE —
My girlfriend and I recently tried Scugnizzi for lunch, having no knowledge of the former Buona Vita name. From the outside, I just figured it was your standard subs and pizza joint, but was willing to give it a try. My girlfriend had tried the pizza a couple times the week before during her lunch breaks from work and suggested that we try Scugnizzi’s together. She was very impressed with the pizza, so I took her up on it the following week. However, when we entered, it was apparent to me that this was no typical neighborhood pizzeria.
We were met by a young gentleman in a blue button-​up shirt who politely greeted and seated us next to the window. The interior was pleasant, with wooden, mahogany tables are chairs and an expected Italian feel, but nothing overly formal. Once seated, the server presented us with the menu (and wine selection!) It was at this point when I realized that there was a lot more to this place than you’d expect, seeing it from the street!
The wine selection was sizable and the prices appeared more than fair; My girlfriend and I selected a $ 29 bottle of Pinot Noir, which we very much enjoyed! At this time we also made our orders: I went with the Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken and she elected to go with the Chicken Parmesan after much deliberation. Entrees were appropriately priced for the location, with pasta dishes in the $ 11 — $ 18 range and specialty seafood dishes between $ 20 — $ 30. After a moment, our server returned with a large bottle of sparkling water and lightly toasted bread accompanied by olive oil and balsamic vinegar to prep our palates for the wine and main courses headed our way!
After no more than 10 – 15 minutes, our orders arrived and my girlfriend’s eyes popped out of her head! The Chicken Parmesan was huge and looked mouth-​wateringly good. My Fettuccine Alfredo was also large in size and appeared expertly crafted. Upon our first tastes, we both shook our heads in agreement; we were going to be planning several repeat trips to Scugnizzi in the future! The Chicken Parmesan was crispy yet tender, not dry in the least, and the pasta, cheese and sauce complimented the dish perfectly. The Fettuccine was melt-​in-​your-​mouth with it’s creamy Alfredo sauce and the well-​sized, tender pieces of grilled poultry which were amply distributed throughout the dish.
Our overall impressions could not have been better, especially given my expectations going in. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an authentic yet economic Italian dining experience! We’ll be returning to Scugnuzzi’s soon with confidence.

They have a sub of the day for lunch, choice rotates for $ 5.95. Possibly the best six bucks you can spend on food stuffs in Arlington. Have had many more subs, so always take out, still awesome. Fed a family of 5 on three of them.

I must say I am disappointed by the change from Buona Vita. We had eaten thee a number of times under the previous incarnation and a number of excellent meals. However, we recently ate there and found the food to be subpar although the service was excellent. First. the bad, we had an app of calamari followed by a margarita piazza and chicken piccata. The margarita wasn’t a margarita but a simple cheese piazza with a lot of tomato sauce. The chickennwas smothered in the butter capernsauce to the point of making the pasta soggy. The calamarinwas better preparednand was light and not very flavorful. The meal was very late also but the waitress aland manager were recognizing some of the service issues giving us free teramasu and took additional money off the bill without us having to do anything.

We had a horrible experience with this restaurant, partly thanks to Groupon, and partly thanks to the food poisoning we’re now enjoying.
We printed out our Groupon for $ 60 in restaurant food. Some versions of the Groupon specified Dinner and 4 people, others didn’t mention Dinner or the 4 person requirement. The only consistent requirements on the various descriptions were $ 60, Scugnizzi’s, and dine-​in only (meaning we have to physically eat there).
So, we print our coupon and go out for a nice afternoon meal. Order a few appetizers, an entrée and pizza, non-​acoholic drinks. We WERE planning on getting some subs too to bring it up to the $ 60 value of the coupon.
The meal itself was only OK. Nothing to write home about. The calamari was chewier than good calamari is supposed to be. There was a marinara accident where some marinara got into my wife’s glass, but when I point-​blank asked the waiter for a new glass, he stood there looking at me, so she had to keep drinking out of the dirty one. The thin-​crust pizza was only a step or two above the quality of frozen pizza. The chicken piccata was alright, if a bit mild on flavor.
After the meal, before we’ve actually gotten our subs, we’re informed that they will not be accepting the groupon. They claim it’s only during dinner, minimum 4 people (despite that we did order FOOD enough for 4 people). Reminder: various versions of the coupon during purchase process didn’t include those requirements.
The waiter refuses to take it. They call the owner, who comes down himself. I have to explain the coupon issue to him for 20 minutes, and he consistently dismisses my point. Now I’m being stuck with a bill for $ 40 (and the waiter tried to charge me $ 55, by the way, and apparently something similar happened to another couple right before us), when I’ve already paid an additional $ 25 through Groupon for the meal. The owner offers us a very sparse compromise, where I still wind up paying a lot out of pocket. I took the deal mainly out of frustration and being unable to do anything more. He didn’t care that somewhere in the process, I as a customer was getting screwed out of a deal I’d already paid for and given the run-​around. I don’t take very well to false advertising.
That, and being up half the night and throughout the morning with food poisoning.
To sum up: moderate food, sketchy business practices through Groupon, and food illness. Needless to say, I am never going back to this restaurant again, and I encourage everyone else to avoid it as well. There are plenty of better Italian restaurants around.