Mi Piaci Ristorante Italiano Pepper Tree Square

With my fiancé being in the Army, it is not uncommon for us to need to go out to dinner with large groups of other Army families for meetings, celebrations, etc. These groups will inevitably include all types and ages of people, so it can be a bit overwhelming for restaurants to effectively cater to the needs of the group.
However, Mi Piaci performed wonderfully at this task! When we first arrived, I noticed that they had arranged the setup of the restaurant so that it was now able to accommodate a surprising number of people in a very comfortable way. The drink service was lightning fast. The food service was a bit slower, with some noticeable delays; however, the end product of the food itself was simply delicious!
To start, my fiancé and I split the Calamari appetizer, with their Caper Basil Aioli. It was crispy, well-​seasoned, and generous in size. The aioli was unique and mouthwatering! For dinner, I got the Gnocchi alla Piemontese, which included freshly made gnocchi and pesto in a gorgonzola cream sauce. My fiancé got the Lasagna all’ Emiliana, which had lots of cheese and a very hearty, filing meat sauce. Both were to die for.
During the event, I noticed that one of the couples, who was in attendance with their two small children (perhaps 5 and 8 years old), was getting a bit overwhelmed– There had been a fairly significant delay in service, probably due to the size of our group, and the children were getting antsy. I wanted things to go smoothly, so I requested to the head waiter that he bring them some bowls of plain pasta with sauce on the side, just to keep the children occupied and happy. He happily obliged, and just a few minutes later, came out with heaping bowls of penne!
All in all, Mi Piaci performed admirably under the stress of a very large group, and served everyone food that was simply delicious and very satisfying. I can only imagine how good it would be on a regular night! I would definitely try it again, perhaps on a date night with my fiancé.

This place merits my first Unilocal review. I give the service a solid 10. If you are making reservations, ask to be seated in Daniel’s section. I give the food a solid 10 as well. The pasta was cooked to perfection and all four of our plates were delicious. The appetizer! We ordered the beef carpaccio and I wish we had ordered two. It was light and was the perfect introduction for our entrees.
The reason I took off a star– the ambiance. They kept seating us in the middle of the crowded sections. The hostess kindly moved us the first time but then we ended up being uncomfortably close to another table. Also, the music was too low and we could hear all of the conversation happening around us.
I would hands down recommend and I am so glad they’ve been in business so long!

Mi Piaci is tough for me to review. I’ve been here a couple times now. Bottom line up front: Service is excellent, atmosphere is very nice, food is better than average but not particularly noteworthy. I really want to give Mi Piaci 4 stars as the service was very good. Our waiter was prompt, the food was quick, I love the free Unilocal appetizer of bruschetta (but I think the bruschetta was only ok). I ordered the chicken parm and my friend got the lasagna. Everything tasted fine and was well-​prepared. I’m afraid nothing really stood out. To be fair, chicken parm and lasagna are not normally stand out exicting dishes. I thought the lasagna was a little salty and bland personally. The chicken parm was a huge pieze of chicken but it had so much red sauce that the breading was kinda mushy and lacked hte crispness I personally prefer. The complimentary bread was fine but there was no effort to spice up the olive oil dipping plate. Suprisingly (for me), the bread largely sat uneaten since it just wasnt anything special.
I love that the chef came out to check on the quality of the food. Truly, Mi Piaci is a solid place for a date and you will get quality food. I was kind of annoyed that although they have a large wine list they singificantly limit which wines you can get by the glass. One option for a cabernet, one option for a merlot, etc. Ultimately, Mi Piaci just lacks a certain oomph to rank as a favorite of mine. But there is nothing bad about this place and you can get solid italian here.

I’ve always loved this restaurant but actually never reviewed it. I love the service and the fact that they always make you feel like home. My favorite dish is the vodka pasta plate, it’s amazing. Also Chilean sea bass, the side salad and for dessert tiramusi and Lava cake are a must! Love also their wine selections! If you haven’t been there, what are you waiting for?

The husband took me on a surprise date night. This was the spot! The kooskoos (possible misspell) was amazing. There was a delicious chicken with a gravy that was complimented by the house Pinto Grigio wine. Little pricy but definitely worth it for treating your partner to a night of royalty!

Went to dinner with hubby after getting my hair done. The place is beautiful inside and out! Maybe it was an off-​night but I have to say I was not impressed. We made a reservation for seven and arrived roughly at six thirty or so. We were seated early which is always a plus for me! The place is small and pretty quiet even with the tables pretty full. We were seated in the middle of the dining room right next to the mens restrooms. Granted the place was so small and intimate, but I would have been happier at another table especially considering we made a reservation though I didn’t say anything about the table.
Our server by my assumption was new. He wasn’t too sure on the chefs recommendations or the menu in general, and seemed to hover a bit at first. We ordered the pomegranate martini for myself which was amazing and my husband LOVED his chocolate martini garnished with a strawberry.
For our appetizer we ordered the bruschetta which we had received free thanks to my Unilocal check in! For the entrees hubby ordered Lasagna all’ Emiliana. He loved it, but that doesn’t say much, my husband loves all the food he orders. He ate every last bit. I ordered the Involtini di Melanzana. Before I even bit into my food I noticed someone standing over me. When I looked up it was my server waiting to say «enjoy» or «how is it» or whatever. I felt as if he was hovering and it made me quite uncomfortable. My entrée was okay, but it surely wasn’t worth the price and I left with a stomachache. I couldn’t take more than a few bites but not to ruin the evening I didn’t mention it to the server or bother complaining at the table. We just wanted a quiet night out together and I’m known for sending back my food if I’m not happy with it.
We were offered dessert but we both declined. It took a while to get our check. And a little bit longer when I showed the server my check in offer. When I showed him the offer on my phone he took my phone and walked away to ask another server if he was allowed to take off the bruschetta from our bill. Considering it’s a Unilocal offer I figured he would have been informed. I ignored this and he soon returned my phone and took the bruschetta off the bill. This took a little while for him to do as well.
We finally were set to go. Sat for a few minutes and it felt like we were being watched like our table was needed urgently, which it wasn’t. There were plenty of tables open that didn’t have reserved signs already on them and considering we arrived early I expected to have plenty of time to chit chat after dinner. We left shortly after that and the host opened the door up for us as we left. The doors are a little heavy!
As I said it’s a cute little place for a quite intimate dinner. But overpriced for the quality of the food and we probably won’t go back. Again, maybe it was an off night but it definitely turned us off! I’d recommend giving it a chance especially if you have a night away from the kids or just a night to enjoy yourself but sorry to say, we hope your experience is a little better than ours was.

This restaurant has it all!!!
The best wait staff, atmosphere and food!
This place has ruined italian food everywhere… it is so delicious that I can’t ever eat anywhere else.

Mi Piacci is a peaceful oasis, one of the few restaurants in El Paso where you can have a conversation and not wear out your vocal chords. And the food is excellent! I am surprised to see some negative reviews about the food, as we’ve eaten here many times over the years and it has generally been fine. (There is always the off-​night!)
There is an upper level where larger groups are usually seated, so the lower level is good for tables of four or just couples (and there are many, it’s a great date place).
Our last outing was for lunch. My spouse wanted carpaccio, which was not on the luncheon menu, but on request, no problem. The sandwiches and salads are good and modestly priced. And there is a long wine list with plenty of reasonably-​priced choices.

Not impressed. I came in with quite an appetite, but left with a stomachache. The service was decent, except when I asked the server to explain the menu and entrees, the only adjective he seemed to know was «delicious». Aside from that the food itself was standard and unoriginal. I ordered the Devola, a pool of «chipotle» and tomato sauce full of penne pasta and four shrimp. The pasta had no flavor and the sauce was extremely irritating to the point that I could only eat about five bites of it. But let’s not forget the fact that this plate which was inedible, cost $ 18. Yes that is right $ 18. The price in unbelievable compared to the quality of the food and in general everything is mediocre. I will probably never come back, and unless you want to spend double the money you would spend in a good restaurant, I would urge you not to come here too.

Great atmosphere if you need a place to dress up. The pasta is horrendous and loaded with technical flaws. I am not Italian, but have eaten at enough authentic and American versions to know a $ 20-​$ 40 dish. This place would have an Italian mother rolling over in her grave. Asked for bread 3 times and only got some thin slices (late in meal) with no garlic and oil!!! No side salad included as a course either. The free bruschetta with the Unilocal coupon is meh. I wanted lobster ravioli but they were out (fail). The only reason this place gets 2* is for the atmosphere and the cocktail I ordered. The bartender knows how to mix a drink. Would not return. Seems like a place the city desperately needs, but this place does not fit the bill. Hire an executive chef because this is an embarrassment for the price point.

We have been back to Mi Piaci a few times since my original January review, but never for a full dinner. Today was my birthday and my wife said we were going to Mi Piaci after work, because she knew how much I liked it.
As always, we had the bruschetta. It was fantastic. The best we have ever had.
My wife hates tomatoes, but she snarfs this down.
She had the macadamia-​crusted Tilapia. It was so perfectly-​cooked, both of us were surprised. The mango sauce with the plate was fantastic. The only thing I would recommend would be to ask for a little more than normal.
I had the pasta with chicken, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts. It was full of chicken and was wonderfully prepared. The portion was ample enough that we had to get a box to go of what I couldn’t eat.
We hadn’t notified the restaurant that it was my birthday. My wife gave me a birthday card at the table that was very special to me. Somehow, the staff figured out it was my birthday. The waiter brought me a portion of their tiramisu that was fantastic. I normally don’t like desserts like this, but it was so good! I ate it all and would easily order it next time, mainly because it wasn’t filling at all. It was very light.
We had a nice bottle of Chardonnay for $ 25, the total bill before tip was $ 74. For the food we were served along with the excellent service, filling up of water glasses included, it was a GREAT evening.
Thank you to our waiter, I wish we would have gotten his name, and Mi Piaci for making my birthday so special!

The ambience is very classy and the service is good. I’m a little disappointed with the prices considering the serving size. Altogether it was a good experience and I would go back. I do think that if the prices were more reasonable the business would packed with people.

Haven’t been here in a very long time and was not impressed the first and only time I came. Decided to give it another chance, this time for dinner. We arrived early on a Friday evening and had the place to ourselves. The restaurant is basically one large room downstairs with not much in the way of windows. I found it fine but my dinner ate felt like he was in a basement. The waiters were old fashioned courteous (pull out your chair, let you sample the wine, attentive to the max).
The place began to fill but the waiters continued to be very attentive. We ordered the cheese plate, a decent bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio, a nice Caesar salad, and I had the ravioli stuffed with lobster and butternut squash in a rich cream sauce. My dinner ate had the penne diavolo, which he pronounced spicy but good. We topped this all off by sharing a crème brûlée with fresh berries. It was a delicious meal and a very enjoyable experience. Try it for a special occasion and go all out!

A big let down from our last trip four months ago. To start with, whatever they’re building hasn’t been finished and the construction noise is intolerable. Portion sizes have been reduced so plan on appetizers and dessert or you’ll go home hungry. They have also dropped a few menu items that I liked. The food wasn’t bad tasting but you can find better. Plus my entrée was clam based and at least four of the clams never opened during the cooking process. service was quite good, salvaging them two stars, two less than last trip.

It is a place that’s trying to be classy but just not quite there! My pasta did not taste like it should be $ 20 worth, instead it should be more like $ 5 or less.
If there nothing special about the pasta itself, at least let the sauce be tasteful. Unfortunately my dish was not flavorful. My friends ordered many different fish dishes. Overall conclusion was just meh. Try it for yourself~~~

Took the girlfriend on a special date to El Paso. I had two drinks from the bar, the first was not as stout as the second. At 9.00 a piece; I would have expected them to be quite strong, knowing the going rate for whiskey in the area. Both salads were good, refreshing from the normal ice burg lettuce you get anywhere else, and the dressing was amazing. I had the Spaghetti Carbonara with Shrimp. She had the Involtini di Melanzana. Spaghetti with Carbonara was very good. I thought the Carbonara had a bit much pepper in it. It was interesting, compared to other carbonara’s I have had. It almost had a gravy texture. I could imagine eating it with buiscuits n gravy. I bet there is flour in it.
I’m finishing this review and it has been too long since I ate there. Sorry for the short cutoff.

I feel a little confused writing this review. I took my wife here for our 6^th year anniversary and it was a mixed experience.
I have to agree with others, if going here for dinner you would probably feel most comfortable dressed nicely. It was kind of a business casual kind of dress, though I saw a couple of gentlemen wearing short sleeve shirts with their slacks. I was in a suit but no tie and my wife in a dress and we fit right in. I really liked this because it’s rare to dress up and go to a place where you don’t feel out of place because your too dressed up.
The hostess was a little questionable because after arriving she attempted to sit us in the upstairs area, which normally wouldn’t have been an issue except for the fact that it was completely empty. After requesting to be seated downstairs she politely sat us at one of the several available tables… don’t know what that was about.
After being seated and looking over the wine and food menu, we were left kind of wondering if we had a waiter. He didn’t arrive for quite some time, so much so that we were already ready to order our champagne and dinner by the time he showed up. Then it was a little awkward to have the waiter correcting our pronunciation as we attempted to order when he obviously knew what we wanted. We ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate which came promptly but it was a little while before the ice came along with it, making me think for awhile that the bottle might warm up. Then the waiter was somewhat absent throughout the night.
The food was excellent and well portioned. The presentation was exquisite and rare to see in EP. The food totally made up for the mistakes of the staff. The Veal Scaloppini al Limon was excellent and creamy. I couldn’t stop eating and had to finish my plate. All three items of the plate balanced the plate perfectly: the veal, the pasta, and steamed veggies. My wife ordered the Carbonara and it was a bacon and pasta lovers dream! I would have tried to steal it from her if it was any other night! haha
The prices were up in the $$-$$$ range but the quality of products they use more than justify the price. Plus, the portions are large and you’ll have enough to take home if you can manage to not just keep eating because it’s soooo good! I wouldn’t say it’s the best Italian food you can get in EP but it is definitely up there as one of the best.
I’ll be giving MP another try soon and hopefully this night was just a hiccup…

My first choice tonight fell through.. And not wanting to drive a long way, went to Unilocal for some help.
For a good physical description of the place see the review by Tanya W. Nice on the outside, even nicer on the inside, the restaurant that is. … Multi level, open entry, with a nice feel under the 2^nd floor.
When I checked in, got some free bruschetta. Bonus.
When the bread came, I asked the waiter for some fresh pepper and parmesan for the oil. He took it away and made a nice little concoction. Bonus x 2
The dinner came… see pic. Seldom, when a dish presents this well, can I say that it tastes significantly better than it looks. Dare I say that this tastes 3 to 4 times better than it looks. –and it looks delicious.
Finally: a chef that understands that a «light» well matched flavor is better than over-​powering. Let the meat, and in this case potatoes, do the talking. Also, thank you for not believing that asparagus should be thicker than an Oak Tree.
All in all, hands down, the best meal I’ve had in the EP area —Period. Last week I ate at Anson11. Their steak was like hyena food compared to this steak. If there’s is prime, this is beyond prime. I know MP says it’s Angus, but compared to the prime Rib Eye at Anson11, this blows it away.
Everything here was excellent. I’m extremely happy the other place I was supposed to go was noisy, cheap looking, and had a wait.
Wherever you are in EP, this is worth the trip. For once I wish I could «outrate» Tanya W… Darn it… We both give 5 stars. This is a solid 5 stars for me. If you check my reviews, they are not that common.
The place was a little dark. … Probably romantic… But since I’m here alone.. Not so much. However, as the sun was setting, they opened the curtain.. Really opened up the place, and made it appear entirely different in here.
Everything else was so good, I broke down and got dessert. Oh my. This pastry shell, or sundae bowl, stands up against anything I’ve had over seas, in New York, Philly, or anywhere. Wow. The flavors of the ripe fruit, ice cream, ‘under’ sweet shell, and other flavors combine for a fantastic flavor.
I’ll be back.

The past three months of my life have been filled with bad-​for-​you-​omelets and twice baked potatoes (both of which I tend to add bacon and chorizo to) because they happen to be ridiculously easy to make and not time consuming. So between my daily omelets and occasional potatoes I’m consuming an even larger amount of food from restaurants and cafés. And it’s becoming harder and harder to find anything but Mexican food near my vicinity. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mexican food, but I like variety too.
Sometime a couple of weeks ago I scrolled through my bookmarks and settled on Mi Piaci. The pictures looked phenomenal, the reviews are generally good. It seemed like a decent place to have a late night diner.
Once I was actually in the parking lot, I was a little skeptical to go in because while I was in a nice outfit, I wasn’t dressed anything like the party that just walked out (full suits and dresses). But then I remembered I live in El Paso and even if I was underdressed for the venue, staff would be too polite to tell me so. Even though I was only in [nice, fitted] jeans and a sweater, I wouldn’t say I didn’t fit. MP is on the classier side, but jeans are totally acceptable if they aren’t worn out and hole-​y.
I really like the set up of the place. It’s multilevel and even has a patio. It’s large, open. Great for a dinner for two or a large party. It isn’t loud, but not unbearably quiet either. The perfect atmosphere.
The complimentary bread with balsamic vinegar/​olive oil is light. Both the balsamic vinegar and olive oil were delicious (worth noting because some places like to skimp on the good stuff). The bread was soft and had a perfectly crisp outer layer. The Penne alla Vodka was superb! If I remember correctly, you have the option to add chicken or shrimp. I elected to add the shrimp. Every bite was divine. I loved everything about it. I finished off the night with the Crème Brûlée topped with strawberries (at my request). In all the restaurants I’ve ever been to in EP that serve Crème Brûlée, only two have evenly torched the sugar… MP is one of the two. The custard was just sweet enough and creamy. MP is now my go-​to for delicious Italian food and the best Crème Brûlée in EP.

I came here for lunch on a saturday and they have a pretty good menu. No appetizers but they have salads, sandwiches, pasta and entrees. Very nice atmosphere and the staff is really attentive. The spaghetti and meatballs were delicious and the pasta was perfectly cooked.
They have a large outdoor seating area. It’s covered and has fans which I personally think is great and they have nice mountain views.