Pasta?

Name: Pasta?
Address: 326 University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: 650-325-4585
Web site: www.pastaq.com
Date & Time visited: Friday, January 27, 2006, 7:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Tuaca Lemon Drop (me), Bloody Mary (Jen), Rigatoni All'Matriciana [spicy tube pasta with onions and Italian bacon](me), Bistecca Alla Griglia [Flat Iron steak with mushroom cream sauce and rosemary](Jen).

Without exception, everything was excellent. Our drinks were expertly made and we liked them. I didn't try Jennifer's steak, of course, but she said it was perfect. I did try her potatoes and vegetables; the potatoes were nicely crisp but not too crunchy and had a good amount of spice, and the vegetables were perfectly steamed, not overdone or mushy. My pasta dish was also quite good, though there was almost too much of the Italian bacon. I would also have liked this dish to come with a vegetable side, though I suppose I could have had a side salad.

Service: The "5-10 minutes" estimate when we checked in--granted we did not have a reservation--became about twenty, but we didn't mind waiting in the bar and enjoyed our drinks. We were seated at a small table very close to the entrance and next to the main path everyone in the restaurant walks, so it was definitely not an intimate dining experience. Also the design of the restaurant ensures that the ambient noise level is quite high. These issues notwithstanding, our server was friendly and checked back several times.

Would we go back: Yes, but we'll try to find a less busy time than Friday evening. During the day the large glass doors at the front of the restaurant are open to the sidewalk, which I would imagine reduces the noise level inside.