Lew Gambino's

Recently I was planning my offices' holiday outing for 2019. I'd previously visited under the former name (Ciao Bella) but, thought why not go back?! They did not fail to disappointed again. Deb graciously assisted us each step of the way in locking down our location and other logistics. Together we were able to come up with a 25.00 per person pre-fixe menu for my group of 13. While here we dined on Garlic Wine Pasta with our choice of chicken or shrimp protein, side salad and fresh bread with garlic olive oil dipping. I'd say it was a success and delicious because everyone cleaned their plates. If you are every looking to host a lunch/dinner for your family or job, you should definitely consider Lew Gambino's.Ps. The sports memorabilia and other updates work for the new look!

I'm a regular Groupon visitor here. Service is cheery, prompt, and professional. The restaurant seems set for a more formal, fancy meal, so they advertise that causal attire is welcome. The carbonara was great after some ground pepper and 2 spoonfuls of Parmesan for the saltiness and kick. The cream sauce was originally bland, but it became DELICIOUS after the Parmesan and pepper. I subbed out the original capellini for angel hair, which made the dish much more enjoyable, but made the mushrooms seem a tad large. In the past, I've also liked the gnocchi, which also leans towards the simple side. Note: if you order ravioli, you get about 5 large squares. They are large ravioli, not small ones.

I have been here twice and both times, the service was great. To be honest, I was a little nervous to come here because their ratings are not that impressive, but I was pleasantly surprised with my experience (mainly due to the good service) and decided to come back. The restaurant itself is bigger than most in Little Italy, making it a good place to gather with friends/family.The meal started off with some complimentary bread, which was nice and soft and perfectly crunchy on the edges. Our table also split an order of calamari; it was nice and crispy, served with delicious marinara sauce. I ordered the eggplant parm, which comes with a bowl of pasta with marinara sauce, and I tried a bite of my sister's chicken parm. Both were yummy, but I think I actually prefer the eggplant to the chicken, in terms of flavor. I also took a bite of my friend's chicken fettucine alfredo, which in my opinion was pretty bland; wouldn't really recommend this dish.Overall, we still had a great time and had a wonderful experience here!

The shrimp oregano was disappointing and actually pretty disgusting. All you taste is oregano throughout the whole dish the shrimp got lost in the overbearing almost raw flavor. I swapped the shrimp for a regular Caesar salad which was good enough for me. On the other hand the chicken parmigiana with the penne pasta combined with the feel and ambiance of the place was the only reason this review gets 4 stars. It's also a rare sight that you actually see the owner of the establishment serve guest and make sure that everyone is taken care of, it makes the customer feel appreciated. All in all I had a good experience at Ciao Bella and hope for an even better one the next time I am in the harbor!P.S. - watch out for their obnoxious sized menus.

My wife and I stopped in for a quick drink and left three hours later will full stomach and a sweet cravings filled. When we first got in there was a group of four at the bar chatting it up with the bartender, and no other customers in the place. Only the bartender (soon found out that she is also the owner) and a couple waiters/waitresses were around. The atmosphere was enjoyable, almost like a local hole in the wall, neighborhood bar -- a mix between classy and down-to-earth. All the staff was extremely friendly, like welcoming in old friends to their home. Made perfect recommendations for my wife and I -- we will absolutely be visiting Little Italy for this little gem of a restaurant again soon. As we were heading out for the night, it was starting to get busier as couple and groups began filling in for dinner before their NYE plans.We started with drinks (Sangria Martini), and for the entree, my wife had the Seafood Tetrazzini, which was phenomenal (though I did not get to try too much of it. I took the recommendation of the staff to try the Shrimp Ricardo, instead of my normal Italian food, lasagna. Another recommendation that we took from the staff was the Chocolate Lava Cake (before dinner) and took home a large slice of Tiramisu.We walked out feeling perfectly satisfied, but not overfull like my normal trips to Italian restaurants.if you are ever in the area and looking for great food from a family-owned place, this is the one to visit. Depending on the time of day, it may be a little busy or it may be empty -- either way, you will not be disappointed that you stopped in.

This place was nice. Classic Italian-American food, done pretty well. Located in Baltimore's Little Italy section, they offer a decent seledtion of the classics of that genre. The puttanesca sauce was fresh and tasty. They start you with really good fresh bread, served with a delicious olive oil blend. The decor was fine as well, again about what one would expect in this setting. The wine list was fairly limited, with nothing remarkable, especially considering the lowest-priced Italian bottle was $39, which seemed a bit much. We had an early dinner before an Orioles game, and enjoyed it. It didn't blow me away, I've had similar meals countless times, and nothing stood out either way, thus the 3 star rating.

Cozy Italian place in the heart of Little Italy. Lots of tables with two dining rooms and bar area. The bar has a full stock for mixed drinks, wine and beer. The sangria was very tasty and I would recommend. I was only there for drinks and happy hour but the food smelled really good. I'd definitely come back and try this place with food. It seems to fill up quickly especially around dinner time so make sure you plan ahead.

I randomly saw this restaurant on my way to another, and it had a great menu and clean, open space so decided to check it out for dinner! I was with a friend and we had two toddlers in tow and they each wanted pizza and pasta, and this restaurant had it all!This place is super family friendly and the food is great. They have a kids menu for $5 which includes milk or juice and an entree. Also, we ordered their tortellini with vodka sauce (we changed the sauce), and their pizza and I must say, this was the best tortellini I've had! Soft, pillowy and delicious, with the best creamy tomato sauce. They were like little pillows of heaven! And the pizza was pretty good too- the margherita didn't have any tomato sauce which was unusual but the cheese and flavors on top were great.

Pros: the customer service was great. We really enjoyed our waiter as he was friendly and relatively quick. Also, the food was absolutely amazing (tip: order the seafood tetrazzini--you won't be disappointed!). You'll enjoy the bread with oil as well. We felt pleasantly satisfied at our experience until the end.Con: the menu lists the chicken Gabriella as $21. When we got the bill, we were charged $30 for it. There is no way chicken should cost $30, which was the exact same price as my seafood pasta. Why did they grossly overcharge us? The world may never know. For this reason, I don't think we'll be coming back. What a bummer.

I came here for lunch on a weekday with a groupon worth $40 (paid $18). The restaurant interior was far from impressive. The decor seemed a bit cheap, furniture seemed a bit rundown, the air smelled a bit stale. Although there was a ton of space and amble seating, The restaurant itself wasn't too packed. While we were offered seats immediately, no one came to get our orders and greet us until about 15-20min after sitting down. I only noticed one waiter and when he eventually approached us, he seemed a bit frazzled but he was very sweet and nice. We ordered escargot for appetizer, penne bacon carbonara, and the mussel marinara. I read from prior reviews that the bread with olive oil was delicious, but we didn't get anything for the first 25 min. But once it did come out, man oh man was it glorious. The bread came steaming out with a super crunchy crust and soft, warm interior. The escargot soon followed next. I thought it was awesome, de-shelled, served with garlic and parsley seasoning. The juices were perfect for dipping our bread into. My girlfriend has a bit milder taste bud, so she thought the dish was too salty... she's odd. The mussel marinara was 'pretty good' with a home made taste. The mussels were large but not too fresh, sauce was on the milder side, and the noodles were firm. The carbonara was creamy, peppered, with huge chunks of bacon and mushrooms. Everything was solid, but not mind blowing. Overall, I enjoyed my lunch at Ciao Bella. The food was good, but would I come back and pay full price for the exact same meal? Probably not. But was it worth the $18 that I paid for the Groupon? Definitely.