Alfresco

Amazing. Hands down… Absolutely delicious brunch for such a great price. Awesome service– will definitely return

No idea how this restaurant has decent reviews or is still in business. It’s a mediocre Italian restaurant in the midst of a booming yummy restaurant zone. The food tastes like heated up frozen cutlets and pasta sauce. So confused.

Nothing to rave about. Thoroughly mediocre and pretty tacky ambience.

I love this restaurant! I’ve been here for brunch, dinner and my office gets food catered for meetings. I love their chicken parm, omelets, mussels and their specials (typically). The food is fresh and creative, the service is super friendly and the prices are reasonable. I feel like I’m no where near busy Davis Square when I’m here… more like in a small café in Europe.

I love this place. It opened exactly when I moved to Somerville.
This is where we go for brunch when we are really hungry, want something cheap, and are hankering for their thick, homemade hot sauce.
I usually get the green omelet — I rarely change it up because I love the amount of broccoli & spinach they put into this dish.
Mini fruit bowls are also awesome.
Also came here for dinner once or twice — not bad at all!

After coming here for over 2 years, I just realized that I’ve never reviewed this place (shame on me)! I’m giving Alfresco’s 5 stars for excelling at what it is: a neighborhood Italian place that’s not run by Italians and not trying to pretend it’s in the North End.
My boyfriend and I have always enjoyed the food here, particularly the gnocchi, and we go probably once every 1 – 2 months. When my parents visited in the fall we took them here, and they loved it – and they’d previously only ever been exposed to Italian in the North End.
The prices are reasonable, especially considering the amount of food you get. And the staff is AMAZING – super friendly but not annoyingly over-​attentive. Plus, it’s in a very convenient location since it’s accessible by the Red Line and the ⁸⁸⁄₉₀.
Will this be the best Italian food you’ve ever eaten in your life? Probably not. Will it satisfy your craving for good Italian food without making you wait in line for 45 minutes and put you out a whole paycheck? Most definitely.

I knew one of these days I’d have to give this place a review. And that day has come.
I’ve been here several times now as a close friend always raves about their food. After at least 4 visits here, I can honestly say Why?
I mean, if you like Italian food you could easily make in your own kitchen then by all means love it up. The pasta I’ve had has always been overcooked and super mushy. The chicken I’ve gotten in said pasta always has that «these are the bad parts» look to it. I’m sure as you read that you shook your head in acknowledging just what I mean.
I’m also a little spoiled working in the North End with countless amazing Italian restaurants at my fingertips.
I will say the cesar salad was quite good, and the wait staff has always been friendly. Upon my last visit there I did order a plate of chicken and broccoli ziti with garlic sauce to share with a friend, they misheard me and gave us both the plate of mushy noodles and ick-​worthy chicken. Mistakes happen, I just must be cheap and not wanting to part with 20 of my hard earned dollars for a mistake.
The atmosphere is friendly and inviting. A little dark lighting, which I like. It is close to public transportation, and right around the corner from a «good enough» cupcake place to satisfy that sweet tooth after dinner.

Finally made it back for brunch. It got off on a good foot with the freshly-​squeezed orange juice, which was pulpy, sunshiny, and delicious. We were very hungry, so we had the antipasto platter again as a starter. No mistake there: the prosciutto and artichokes were salty and satisfying, the roasted red peppers, sweet and meaty; the mozzarella, a creamy, cool contrast to its warmed companions.
My feta frittata was closer to an omelet, but it was delicious. The zucchini, onion, and tomatoes were cooked just long enough to bring out their sweetness, and the feta brought a salty note that complemented them nicely. On request, our serve brought out some of their delicious pepper pesto and parmesan, which I decorated my toast with liberally. The frittata also came with a tasty side of Italian sausage and a generous helping of fruit.
I have to elaborate for a second on that. At most restaurants, the fruit cup is a sorry afterthought, a piece of lip service to the health nuts among us. Not so at Al Fresco. The orange wedges were sublime. They were joined by strawberries, grapes, and apples, a pair of fleshy blackberries, and some perfectly ripe cantaloupe (when was the last time you had ripe melon in a restaurant?). Best of all, it was all topped with fresh whipped cream. «This fruit salad is not #&$%ing around!» I declared.
It was a completely satisfying breakfast, and I’m excited to add Al Fresco to a stupendous list of Davis-​area brunch spots.

A group of us came to Alfresco for dinner a few nights ago and really enjoyed the experience. The décor isn’t fancy, but the food is solidly good, the prices are very reasonable, and the service was warm, giving it a comfortable, «neighborhood restaurant» feel.
We started our meal with an order of the alfresco antipasto for the table. Overall, the dish was tasty, if not traditional. Unlike other antipastos I’ve had where the various components (fresh mozzarella, cured meats, marinated veggies) are arranged on a platter, the antipasto at Alfresco was served over romaine so that it resembled an American salad.
For an entrée, I ordered the chicken and risotto – I wasn’t really in the mood for pasta, and the risotto was one of the few dishes on the menu that didn’t include pasta. I was pleasantly surprised by the dish: the rice was perfectly cooked so that it still had a nice chew to it and the flavor was great. The chicken was well-​cooked – it had been pan-​sauteed before its inclusion into the risotto – and the addition of the veggies to the risotto made it a relatively balanced meal. The serving size was generous but not ridiculous. Others at my table enjoyed the ravioli pomodoro and the tortellini with prosciutto. The latter was a bit salty, but that was understandable considering the prosciutto.
Alfresco was a lovely spot for a get together of friends and it would also be a nice spot for a family dinner or casual date. For an affordable Italian restaurant in the Davis area, Alfresco is a very solid choice.

The experience was definitely good, and everyone in my party has said they’d go back,. My boyfriend’s father, who is of Italian heritage, said that for a neighborhood Italian place, it was good — not great — his seafood in the Seafood Linguini was fresh, and the pasta was cooked correctly. My boyfriend claims his Chicken Marsala was «different» than marsala he’s had, but he enjoyed it, and my dinner, Chicken Scallopini (a dinner special) was great, despite a few things I will list below.
Here were a few key points that took Alfresco down a couple of notches for my party of three:
1. My «roasted veggies» were: broccoli that clearly came pre-​chopped in a bag, judging by the brownish color on the bottom of the stem; baby carrots (!!! in a restaurant !!!) which clearly came out of a bag, as they were cooked whole and not chopped; and zucchini, which didn’t seem to have any issues. When I go to a restaurant, I expect fresh vegetables, as I can buy bagged stuff in the supermarket.
2. There was a mushroom and gravy sauce COVERING my Chicken. It was gelatinous and the mushrooms looked as if it came from a can, saturated and soft-​looking. The mushrooms and gravy weren’t in the description on the specials menu, so I wasn’t expecting it. My meal probably would have been better without it.
3. There was still a half a toothpick in my scallopini from when it was baked. I thought it was a bone when it stuck in my gums. At least it was just a toothpick.
4. My group did the math, and we figured out that (not that this is fixable at this point) they overcharged us by about 12 dollars, and we factored in tax.
Also, Usually when I walk by, there are nice white tablecloths on the tables, which were absent tonight. Not a big deal, and not worth eliminating a star over, but just a tiny disappointment.
C’est la vie. I’ll go back and give it another chance. The waitress was friendly and the owner came and talked with us for a minute. It’s also a two minute walk from my house. Done.

Had a great time here for dinner. Possibly some of the friendliest service we’ve received anywhere. Not just from the server but also from the kitchen staff, as they gave us a complimentary large dessert plate of cheesecake, baklava-​ish kind of thing, and fresh fruits with whipped cream. It could’ve had something to do with the two bottles of wine we ordered, but I like to think it was our bantering report with the server.
The chicken risotto is pretty darn good. It’s different — there’s a healthy mix of vegetables in it and the chicken is grilled perfectly. It’s also got some sort tomato in the sauce, which is different from any other risotto I’ve seen before, but it’s very light (and yummy) so it’s not akin to a paella.
But what is really really outlandishly good and bordering on sinful is the porcini ravioli. Wow. Those things kick you in the throat with flavor. Amazing. It comes with a cream sauce normally, but I think they’d be willing to substitute it out for you.
Maybe they could use that deliciously spiced tomato spread that comes with the bread.

Oh, Alfresco. Where else can you get a glorious, glorious brunch for under $ 10 in Boston? Most of the time I get the feta omelet, stuffed to the gills (if that is even possible) with fresh veggies. You’d think this would be enough, but then — toasted pita? Fresh fruit topped with chopped pistachioes and whipped cream? Homemade sausage!!!
(I should also point out that they do a good job with strawberry and banana pancakes, as my friends tell me. That information took a few brunches to process, though, as I was too busy tearing into the homemade sausage.)
I rest my case.

3.5 BUT Unilocal DOESN’T OFFER FRACTIONAL STARS
We stumbled along this place after seeing Kick Ass Cupcakes, after not being able to find Boston Burger Company.
This place was not too bad, the bread came out with a tomato tapenad, some olive oil and grated cheese. The appetizer special was phenomenal (5 Stars), it was a sauteed calamari and shrimp with basil, tomatoes, and olives served over garlic bread.
My girl got the Veal Scalopine, that was stuffed prosciutto, spinach, cheese and tomato, in a cherry wine sauce with linguine. It was pretty good, comparable to one of my old favorite restaurants, Orzos N. Andover (it has taken a decline the last four times I’ve been there, things just don’t seem as good and the service has been a steady decline as well) the price was very reasonable @ $ 14.99.
I got a special that was described as scallops sauteed with julienne vegetables served with a pesto fettuccine over salmon. I do not order salmon often, but this I have to say was cooked perfect. The top had a slight crust from being boiled and throughout it was cooked yet not dry. The pesto sauce was a pesto cream, but for me was lacking the garlic, basil, and picnoli nuts that every pesto should have.
The scallops were small bay scallops, and there was four of the, but over all a decent plate for $ 20.00, I had a glass of Pinot Noir, and my better half a glass of Pinot Grigio, the bill came to $ 71.00.
Appetizer — 5
Service — 4 (They were fast, but if the place was at capacity I wonder how good the service would have. However, my better half finished her wine after the appetizer, and no one asked if she wanted another, which is amazing to me, because glasses of wine is a great way to increase the tab.
Food — 3 It was good, but it was lacking the WOW, for a better rating.

I live almost across the street from this place, yet I’ve always avoided going in here because I never really see anyone in there. Strangely enough, this week I ended up going twice, once for dinner and once for brunch.
When I went in for dinner, there was only 1 other table and 4 people working, not including the cooks (the kitchen is open to the dining area). Miraculously, the service was still painfully slow, but they were very nice so I could deal with it. The chicken parm was pretty good. My boyfriend got the dijon pasta, which was so strange.
The next day, we had a group of people visiting and decided to go out for brunch since we knew we could all fit in there. The food again was decent, but they got every singly order incorrect and there were 6 of us. Two people asked for no whipped cream on their fruit plate (which was such a bizarre concept to me to begin with) and nobody got whipped cream. Half the table asked for wheat and the other half white, everyone got wheat. My boyfriend asked for the 4 available cheeses in his omelette from the list of options and specifically said only the cheeses and nothing else. It came back with everything listen on the menu.
We are not a fussy bunch, and were recovering from the night before and just wanted food so we ate what we got and didn’t complain. Also, when the waitress would very occasionally come by to refill our waters, she would only fill it ½ of the way so she could make the pitcher last longer and wouldn’t have to keep going back to refill it. I found that laughably strange.
I’d give it another .5 star if I could because the waitstaff is very pleasant, but alas.

This place was recommended by a friend, but it was disappointing.
Experience:
I loved the décor and intimate setting. The waitress was also very friendly. The one thing that bothered me a bit about our waitress is when we ordered a bottle of wine she didn’t let us taste it first. Luckily the wine was ok and it could just be a restaurant policy. Who knows, I thought it was standard procedure.
Food:
The food was unimpressive and very bland. I had to dump loads of crushed red peppers on everything to make it decent. We had the sauteed calamari to start and I had the Chicken Zitti as my main course. All I can say was eh, move on.
Overall:
For the price and expectations, best if you go elsewhere. I love Italian and didn’t know you could mess up pasta, but this place managed to.

Food — 2 stars
Ambience — 3 stars
Customer service — 3 stars
As far as cheap brunch goes, this place has everything you’d want. The waitstaff is super-​friendly without being imposing, the dining room is small yet open-​looking and spacious, thanks to the light that streams in through the multiple windows, and the food is decently cheap.
As far as taste goes, most everything was bland. My omelette was in dyer-​need of some serious salting, the coffee is watery, and toast was served bare until we flagged down the waitress and asked for butter.
However, for $ 6-​$ 7, you get a generously-​stuffed omelette, a bowl of fruit with whipped cream and pistachios on top, toast, and homefries. You could certainly get a tastier breakfast somewhere else, but it is unlikely you’d get a cheaper one outside of a greasy-​spoon atmosphere.
Will I go back? Honestly? Probably not. But I did enjoy the 1.5 hours I spent there last time, so if you’re passing by, craving brunch, and want a cheap sit-​down meal, consider popping in.

What an amazing surprise for a great breakfast. I’m not going to harp on how conveniently located it is because not everyone lives 13 feet from it’s front door! Not only was the waitress friendly, happy and quick to start joking around with our table, the breakfast was delicious. If you’ve ever been to Zaftig’s in Brookline. you know how well the food is presented. From a picture you couldn’t tell them apart.
I will definitely go back and recommend their breakfast to anyone!

Went there for dinner earlier today after walking around Davis Square in search of a place to sit down for a nice dinner. Erick and I both used our Unilocal apps and figured that this place would be the bang for our buck. I’m not sure how exactly this place has receive just good reviews, but it must not have been for their dinner menu. Maybe their brunch?
Anyways, we proceeded to sit down, ordered wine and I figured that the best way to challenge an Italian restaurant’s chef is by ordering a risotto. It’s a tricky thing to do right and when executed properly, can be marvelous but can often and easily be prepared wrong. The wrong ingredients, the wrong rice, the wrong execution… The attention to detail is crucial. So yeah, I asked for a risotto with prosciutto.
A few minutes later it arrived and I was shocked; even before taking a bite, this didn’t look at all like a risotto. I was stunned. Not very pleased I figured that I’d try it and that maybe it would taste like one but nope, it fell short. Very, very short. It was dry, it wasn’t the right rice or even the right recipe, the ingredients used were out of place and worst of all, the prosciutto they used wasn’t prosciutto. I was not pleased at all but on the other hand the wine was great, the service was decent although a bit slow at times and the food came out very quickly (not sure if that’s a good thing considering what they served us though…) The prices are fair.
I probably wouldn’t return there, unless maybe for brunch but with Soundbites only a few blocks away it would be a stretch to sacrifice that for AlFresco…

Hidden gem!
I totally expected run of the mill Italian food, nothing special and nothing to knock my socks off. Well I was wrong! The food was delicious, I got the pan seared chicken in a lemon sauce with mushrooms and artichokes with linguine. Everything was cooked perfectly and the flavors were very well paired.
Prices are good. Service is a little slower than I’d like but everyone that works there is very friendly.

This is a very solid local dinner spot for those in the Davis/​Spring Hill area. Big flavors came out of the small kitchen there, as the cook and two waitresses worked at a quick pace to feed me on Friday night. I opted for tortellini with prosciutto in a light cream sauce, served with a refill of the bread basket since I had demolished the first round. I was satisfied with everything — the tortellini was nicely cooked, the prosciutto was of good quality, and the service was friendly.
A good neighborhood Italian place makes for a good neighborhood. I’d say this no-​frills restaurant fits the bill.