Pasta Piatti

No, no, no. First of all the place has changed its name to Pie & Vine. The owners & service is the same. The service is good. The food is fine. The beer & wine selection is adequate. The problem is No substitutions, No split plates, No split pizza, No gluten free, No mixed drinks. It’s their way or don’t bother coming in the door.

We have been regular customers of Pasta Piatti for years, and have always appreciated the service, the ease of getting a table, and the consistently great food at more reasonable prices than you’re likely to find anywhere else in Ashland. It’s like it was too good to be true. Guess what? … it was. Pasta Piatti has closed and on 1÷26÷2016 re-​opened as PIE + VINE. While standing at the bar sharing a glass of wine with my wife, we asked the manager «why the change?» He said «lots of reasons» … but basically that they couldn’t maintain the number of employees, and the extensive menu at the prices offered and remain in business. The gong went off in my head … yup … I was always amazed at what they could offer and I never ever saw a dish over $ 20! Examples: Osso Bucco that was enough to feed a giant, smoked trout TO DIE FOR, lobster ravioli: Neptune’s gift to Ashland, and a butternut ravioli with a hint of almond (which I had to learn to make at home). The wine list was decent too. We always felt it was a guaranteed quality experience and all the better if you wait for the theater rush to be over: it tends to be a very noisy room.
Our experience at PIE + VINE last night was definitely different. We had a fine server, and one that we have had several times before … no problems there at all, she was great as always. During the remodel, they took out all the wood flooring and refinished the concrete floor, which made an already loud room MUCH LOUDER … uncomfortably so. Sound dampening baffles or something similar would really be a helpful addition. The décor is more sparse than before and feels «colder». Black and white funky wallpaper adds to that feel. The nice paintings by Daniel have been removed, sadly.
They have added a nice big wood fire oven in the back corner and had a guy tending to it as if it were the boiler on an old steamship: good entertainment value, and we will have to try the pizzas sometime.
My wife and I both ordered the whole rainbow trout with rapini, tomato sugo and roasted fingerling potatos. It came out on a cedar plank and both of us were very pleased with the presentation. The skin was salt crusted and very easy to remove. The meat was super tender and there was PLENTY of it. The only fault in my opinion was that there was a massive amount of minced garlic in the cavity and that really competed with the flavor of the trout instead of adding to it. Once again, and true to the spirit that was Pasta Piatti, this dish was $ 17.50! Amazing.
My daughter ordered shredded pork and beef bolognese over pappardelle and it was another great value at $ 15.95. It was more food than she could eat, so the rest came home with us (along with some of the trout).
Wine: something has changed here. Many of the wines were familiar, and they make mention of introducing their own homemade wines in the months to come. We ordered by the glass, and the pours were very small, not consistent with our previous experiences as Pasta Piatti. Order a bottle instead, and take the rest home … it will be a much better value. Literally, my glass was 3 or 4 sips … I did not inquire about it, but I think they must have reduced the price per glass and obviously the pour is relative. I have a lot of respect for the way the owners have marketed their fare, and this change must be a reflection of their new strategy for PIE + VINE.
The menu choices have been reduced, obviously, but there is plenty of the good stuff still there, with only one dish topping out at $ 19.95 (Flat Iron). Osso Bucco is still present at $ 18.50, and I will order it next time. Dexter (the well-​liked manager) is also still there :)
I’m glad that they are addressing the change in the business model, rather than closing down. That being said, my 1^st choice would be to have the same Pasta Piatti back. BUT … like I said, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. I REALLY REALLY hope they will consider the noise level of the room and do something to make that aspect more welcoming. On that point alone, we will avoid the busier rush hours and eat later in the evening.
We wish continued success for this family, they bring a dining experience that is different from anything else in Ashland.

Had dinner at the newly opened Pie and Vine. What a great menu– the Caesar salad was amazing! Everything was done in the wood fired oven– perfection! Our waiter was the best. A great night in Ashland!

We were attracted by the allergy-​friendly pasta alternative and were reassured by the staff that we would be well accommodated. After a series of negative encounters with our unhelpful and overwhelmed server, and half an hour without answers, food, drink, or the manager we’d asked to speak with, we got up to leave. So why is this a positive review? Because the owner swooped in and engaged the issues we had with extreme class.
She spent time attempting to understand and explain what happened, and then made it right by delivering food to our hotel. Loved the langoustine penne and the wild mushroom risotto. The atmosphere seemed good, even though we didn’t really get to enjoy it. Reasonably priced and varied wine list. We’ll be back next time we roll through.

Super nice people working there. They delivered food to our hotel. Amazing brown rice bread. Best squash ravioli I have ever had. Nice atmosphere for dining in. We are here the very next day craving their food already!

I love Pasta Piatti! I wish they’d bring back the Lamb shank, but the steak and steelhead are great too. Everything I’ve tried there is delicious. We go there for special occasions, even though it is reasonably priced. A great place to bring visitors. The ambiance is lovely, and the outdoor seating on Main Street is festive. And of course we love Dexter too.

Visiting from Los Angeles and glad I ran by this place tonight. I ordered the Pistou pizza for takeout and my mom said it was the best pizza she has ever had in her life. Food was awesome and service was really friendly with a very helpful staff. Thank you for making our bellies happily full and us feel welcome:)

I remember this place as being great when I’d gone about 3 years ago. Unfortunately when I was here a few days ago with friends we were all pretty disappointed. The service was very slow and confusing. Our waitress would abandon us and then ask really basic questions regarding our ordering which wasn’t necessary. She would go on and on about items when I already knew what I wanted and hadn’t asked for her to explain further. I walked out of here for $ 27 which was for my mediocre pasta (slightly overcooked and sauce was ok), and a salad :(
I don’t plan on going back or recommending this place anymore

I have been to Pasta Piatti 4 times and felt it was time to write a review lol. I also sit indoors because the patio seems to get too crowded.
The service is great each time i go as long as they are not super busy. A table of 2 will loose the attentiveness to a larger table every time and you cant even get water quickly.
I have had the linguini and clams and it was wonderful and great price. The pizza and it also was terrific. Calamari is good, a little on the greasy side, but great price. I had bisen in red wine sauce and it was super yummie as were the side of potatoes. Unfortunately was very disappointed with the prawn lasagne. It had WAY too much ricotta and dill for my taste. Its an interesting combo of flavors, but for me I want more sauce and just a hint of ricotta and dill.
I will also add they have bottles of wine for $ 20 and thats a really good deal too esp. if they get busy and you want another glass and dont want to wait 20 min for it.

A nice Italian restaurant in the downtown area, with outdoor seating as well that overlooked Main Street, the main artery through old Ashland.
Our foursome chose to sit outside on the patio. The bench seating on one side I ultimately found to be uncomfortable, the patio tables were a bit too cramped, and as the evening progressed, it got on the chilly side. I would not recommend this unless the weather is absolutely perfect. I do not recall if they had outside heaters, but if they did, they did not offer to turn them on.
Our two guys had the special for the evening, a slow braised Pork Shank with roasted beets and turban squash an excellent wine sauce. It was topped with fried sage leaves and pear «noodles». A beautiful looking dish that was both tender and tasty. Highly recommended.
Farro — This is one of their salads, made of cooked farro grain, green beans, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes in a house made lemon vinaigrette. It was topped with a lacy, crisp, Parmesan cone. My sister made a whole meal out of it.
Butternut Squash Ravioli with a browned butter sauce, sage and almonds. It was pretty to look at with its stunning biscotti crumb topping and toasted whole almonds. Unfortunately, I failed to notice the menu reference to Gorgonzola cheese on top, and found it way too potent for my wimpy taste buds. It was so strong of cheese, way too sweet for my tastes. Not for me.
Spumoni was on the dessert menu, and this one was a good one. One scoop, shared, was sufficient for the three of us who had a sweet tooth. Somehow we managed to restrain ourselves.

Dexter is a great manager. He was not our server originally, but because Matt (our original server) was busy he made sure we were taken care of. Their food is amazing. They had live music playing in the background. It was a perfect place for a date night. We ordered their bruschetta to start with, then transitioned over to margarita pizza with mushrooms on it and ended our dinner with their Alfredo mushroom pasta. Everything was absolutely delicious. If ever in town, make sure you give this place a visit. Thank You Dexter for an amazing experience

A friend recommended we eat here since they have gluten-​free options (Normally I would not look twice at an Italian restaurant.) I was totally surprised by how tantalizingly-​delicious the food was; more with each bite! I couldn’t stop thinking about the food while I was eating. My partner and I ordered our own plate of zucchini pasta with tomato sauce and the roasted asparagus!!! This food was EPIC! and they serve local, gluten free bread with the meal that was soft, crispy and flavorful! It is pricey for our budget but totally worth it for the amazing food!!! I will eat here again next time we visit Ashland — one of the best meals in my life! Thank you for offering gluten free options that is beyond pasta!

Amazingly good food! Our party of four shared 4 dishes, loved them all, and felt that all were generously portioned.
I had the Rogue Piatto, an antipasti dish that included a huge & scrumptious assortment of local cheeses, marinated roasted vegetables, house-​made olives & giant capers, served with a veritable tower of thin toasted bread. All for $ 13, great value & a real culinary delight.

Great service! Let’s start there.
My husband had a bowl of the (vegetarian) minestrone and it was quite tasty. For his main, he had a favorite, chicken parmesan, and he said the chicken was pretty good. The marinara was uninspired, and the serving was far too large (my assumption is that many of the people dining are going to a show on any given night and don’t have the option of taking part of their dinner home with them — this seems like a huge waste of food).
I had the grilled sockeye salmon with fingerling potatoes and vegetables. The salmon was beautifully cooked and the potatoes were lovely. The carrots were very good but the asparagus was so far past the line of proper doneness it was tragic.
One last note — it was a very warm night and we chose to sit indoors for the benefit of the air conditioning. Unfortunately we were still uncomfortably warm.
So — kudos, mostly, for the food. A few other issues.

Years ago I reviewed this as a basic, inexpensive Italian place. It’s not that any more. It’s gone yuppie. The menu is small and exotic, no longer full of staples, the dishes don’t always work well, and the prices have gone up. I was rather disappointed with what was billed as seafood lasagna, which proved to have a couple slabs of chopped-​shrimp paste in among the pasta and cheese spread. Hardly tasted like seafood at all.

This location is wheelchair accessible through their back door. The front door entrance has a step.
They have awesome «no wheat» options that I just had to try, and it was delicious! I had the zucchini pasta dish. Their tiramisu is the best I have ever tasted in my whole life! And it was one heck of a big slice. My family shared it and we all fell in love.
Excellent service, excellent food.
Definitely recommend!

So, in the interest of full disclosure, my review is based on one experience. The patio was perfect, I had great service and the lamb ribs I came to try were the best ever!
Lamb ribs are hard to find and these are amazing with the roasted fingerling potatoes and shaved slaw.
Why come here for Italian food? My vote is that the lamb is the star!

Good homey place for pasta! There was live music, and customer service was excellent. Food was even better; the ciabatta bread was soft and delicious. Def checking it out again.

Our first visit several years ago was quite underwhelming, but we’re really happy to have given this restaurant another try, with a much better outcome.
We went for dinner, and teed off with their Rogue Cheese Piatto appetizer, which was a variety of cheeses, crostini, fruit, and olives (which, technically, is also a fruit, I suppose). This was pretty filling for our family of three.
The main course worked out well for us too. I went with the Gemelli, and was very satisfied. In retrospect, the main entrees may have been the better route, where the menu had options for steak roulade, a seafood lasagna, or some lamb ribs with marionberry sauce. Next time!
We’ll have to re-​add Pasta Piatti to our option list after this latest visit.

Good new world Italian fare.
Most the staff is friendly, and nice to sit on the patio.