Cappella Restaurant

Italian restaurants in the Northeast are light years better than Italian restaurants in Texas where I live.This is upscale Italian so it is reasonable to expect higher standards.I could not tell you where Cappella rates compared to upscale Italian restaurants in New England.But Cappella is freaking amazing.Pure and unadulterated happiness on a stick.I don't care if Cappella is #1 or #63,598.I want to eat there again and I want to eat there all the time.* * *The bartending is very good at Cappella.I was drunk and happy at Cappella so my memory of details is not as "accurate to the fifth digit" as I would like it to be.The menu changes frequently, so using the internet menu as a spur to the memory is not all that helpful.I will tell you what I do remember - because what I remember was completely happy and wonderful.a) There was a house original mixed drink was. Whatever that drink was - it was powerful and amazing. (Heckler at the back: It was forgetfulness potion!)Yeah, Heckler. Maybe it was.b) I had a modern appetizer and a traditional main course. The modern appetizer got an A. The traditional main course was A +++++++++++c) The appetizer was thinly sliced tempura acorn squash with pistachios, butter and drizzles of a white dip.Acorn squash is just good. New Englanders get acorn squash all the time.We in Texas get acorn squash rarely. The squash travels just fine and the squashes are good.But you would pay more for a car than you would for an acorn squash in Texas.(Cars are cheap in Texas. Pickup trucks are even cheaper.)Note that just a plain ordinary baked acorn squash cut in half with the seeds removed and butter in the middle would have utterly delighted me.The tempura coating here was so light as to be nearly non-existent.All the better to taste your squash with - my dear.Sauteed pistachios are just good.I would have gone with any white dip they wanted for a sauce as long as it was not Crest toothpaste.I was happy.d) The follow up was the chicken parmigano of my dreams.Which is like saying the follow up was the honeymoon sex of my dreams.Yeah the sex looked like the sex had by everyone else on the planet.But I kind of suspect I had a superior version of a classic.We have had ho hum parmigano dishes before.Heck you can get a chicken parmigano at any one of four hundred sub shops in the Boston Area.No surprises as to what was good here.A good natural tomato sauce. No marinara. No spicing. Just very good tomatoes doing their job.A fine crusting and saute on a very good chicken breast.Cheese being cheese.That was all I needed.I was in complete bliss for most of an hour.e) It broke my heart I couldn't have dessert.I would have exploded all over the restaurantWhich might have been distasteful for other patrons.f) I sat outside on Chapel Street.Chapel Street down where Cappella is is both scenic and not scenic.The good news is that you get lovely views of both Needham Town Hall and Saint Joseph's Church.The bad news is that you are in the heart of the dry cleaning district - and next to a gas station to boot.(A major one that services the needs of much of the Needham population.)There are a lot of diners going to and from Cappella or the other well frequented restaurants of Chapel Street.So there is a scene to watch - and some beautiful buildings to look at.If I had spilled tomato sauce on my shirt - which I didn't,I had a broad choice of places to bring my dry cleaning the next day.* * *Altogether a wonderful and magical evening.An evening to remember served with magical potions of forgetfulness.

The food was good. The service, on the other hand, was not. While other tables were being served attentively and cheerfully, our server was nowhere to be found. We repeatedly had to flag down other staff - to ask for water, to have our orders taken, to ask for a spoon with the stew. Yes, I was served a seafood stew with neither a spoon nor a bowl for the shells. While none of this may have been badly intended, it was nonetheless lacking. Will I return? Unlikely. For while the experience wasn't terrible, I believe that I - and my time and my money - deserve better.

Cappella is a frequent dinner spot for us because it's across the street from the hair salon we visit every 5-6 weeks. Why do we keep going back? The food is great, the service is very good, and the ambiance is perfect for us (upscale casual). We were there again last night. We like to sit at the bar, have a cocktail or two, and share an entree or several small plates. We used the latter approach last night. My fiancee had an earlier appointment than mine and finished before me. She walked across the street to grab two seats at the bar before it filled up--it frequently does by 7:00 or so, in our experience. She ordered a Manhattan and the Woodfired Octopus special appetizer. She finished it before I arrived :( She says it was excellent, and I believe her.When I arrived, I ordered a Manhattan of my own and the Woodfired Squid, which came on a bed of dressed arugula and fennel with pistachios. It's a new addition to the menu, and I CAN'T WAIT TO ORDER IT AGAIN! It was fantastic.We've had many other dishes here during previous visits and have been happy every time. Our only complaint--more of a wish really-- is that they would add a second bar tender during their busy days/hours. If you like upscale Italian and are in the area, I highly recommend trying Cappella.

Overview: Really good Italian FoodMeal/Time: Dinner/Wednesday/Party of 5Seated: immediately 446PM for a 5PM reservation Ordered: 503PMFirst ordered item arrived: 513PMDecor/Atmosphere: Nice classic Italian American Restaurant; high end casualService/ Front of the House:Very nice and accomdating. Note you are not allowed to bring in outside beverages, including an iced coffee I was drinking.Service/Serving Staff:Bread and water on the table within 1 minutes of seating.Jen is friendly and personable. She checked back regularly.Food:The Brussels & Buratta $16- appetizer... charred Brussel Sprouts served with a creamy mozzarella. You get a combination of flavors, nuttiness, sweetness and a bit of bitter. A really well balanced dish. The Chicken Parmigiano $29- hearty breaded chicken served over a bed of gemelli well sauced with plum tomato sauce topped with fresh basil.My wife had the Black Truffle Wheel $26. I had a few bites of this. The pasta is brought to the table in a wheel of Parmigiano. The heat from the pasta and truffle oil melts the cheese and in turns coats the pasta. If you like cheese, truffle and freshly cracked black pepper this dish is for you.Value: Really good value to quality and quantity. We had leftovers.Restroom: Men's Room single. Clean and well stocked. Bright with plenty of room.Will I come back?: Yes, I would come back. Next time, I will order the Truffle Wheel.

Food was OK for Italian place. Pasta was cooked well. My biggest complaint was the server claim they ran out of bread at 7:45 PM. What kind of Italian restaurant doesn't have bread? Ordered 1 L bottle of Caymus server brought 750 and it registered about 46°. Not sure why this place keeps their red so cold. Still charged us for the litre. I'm thinking you could use to tighten up your operation. There's a lot of competition in the Italian dining market.

10 out of 10 every. Single. Time! Delicious food from local farms, incredible flavor profiles, great rotating specials menu and well made cocktails with an excellent staff that ties the experience all together. Typically I don't like to try steaks from restaurants that aren't steak houses but Cappella made me the best steak I've ever eaten. Flavor and temperature were perfect. Their cod special last week was out of this world, I've traveled to over 35 countries and love eating good food, that meal was one of the top meals I've ever had. Thank you to Erin for being a great bartender and to the chef's for making it a special experience every time we come in for dinner and dessert. There's a reason people travel great distances to get dinner here, it really is wonderful!

Food is out of this world! I was really impressed with the atmosphere and cuisine. They have a pianist which really elevates the energy in the restaurant. The only minor setback was it took a little bit for the servers to come around, but the food and wine made up for it. Try the black truffle parm. Definitely would go back!

Small neighborhood place with lovely ambiance and food. We enjoyed the meatballs and the vodka pasta. Winter sangria was solid. Service was very attentive. I would definitely return. Recommend reservations.

Came in here for early dinner with the kids and everything was excellent. We LOVED the calamari and specifically loved that it was grilled not breaded and fried. I feel like it's so rare to actually get calamari prepared that way--light, fresh, so tasty! I have been dreaming about cheese wheel pasta and love that I don't need to go into the city and deal with terrible parking etc... The truffle cheese wheel pasta was excellent! The brussel/burrata appetizer was cooked to perfection. The brussels were crispy and had charred bits just like we love them. We will be back very soon.

Amazing meal- so impressed by their pasta dishes. Service was great and made me and my family feel right at home.