Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993

Oh wow, what a delightful experience this was! Honestly I'm not a regular at Bartolotta restaurants, so my rare visits feel extra special. We came here on a Monday night for my dad's birthday dinner, a few of us being first timers. My initial thought was how much the place, and overall atmosphere, gave off a true Italian experience. From the decor and white table clothes, to the wonderful staff offering great service, it was really nice.I had no idea that this was the kind of place where the menu is set up in courses, so you truly have to order four total. And listen that's not a complaint because everything was delicious. The menu rotates every few months to having dishes from different regions of Italy (how cool!), and during our visit it was Lazio. Lots of great options to choose from, and our sweet serve Carissa was so helpful in explaining each and offering her favorites.I started with the Insalata Mista for course one, which was fresh vegetables, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. For my pasta dish I chose the Pizzicotti alla Reatina aka Rieti-style "pinched" leavened pasta that came in with tomato sauce, basil, and Pecorino Romano. Very unique for a pasta dish, and I thoroughly enjoyed. Course three was the Petto di Pollo alla Romana, free-range chicken breast with braised sweet peppers, in a tomato sauce of sorts. And my meal finished with flourless chocolate cake which was to die for. Not only were all of the dishes flavorful, they were the perfect small portions, allowing you to get through them all. In addition to all of the Italian eats, you can of course find copious amounts of wine options here, and other various cocktails and beers. We split a vino for the table, which paired well.This is definitely a special-occasion spot in my book. Would highly rec.

Finally came back to give them another try. The food was much better, still not what it has been: The shrimp dish was a little too fishy, a tad under-seasoned, and the shrimp mealy. I generally prefer fish and seafood but it wasn't hitting for me that night. The duck ragout as always was phenomenal. They need to bring back the duck papardelle-- if the tiramisu can be a regular staple, it can too!!! I loved the bean pasta this time too- so savory and just reminded me of a great home cooked dish. The sea bream was again a little fishy for me, but the mushrooms were the best part. The rabbit dish was also my husband's favorite. The tiramisu, as always, made my husband so happy. The almond cake was a bit dry for me but I loved the cream anglaise. Our server was very attentive at first but as the restaurant got less busy (only around 9pm, mind you!) we had to search for her and flag her down to order more drinks near the end of the menu. Will certainly be keeping them back in the rotation when in the Tosa and MKE area.

I had dinner with my two closest girlie cousins for one of their birthdays. When I arrived they were seated outside. Even though I had never been there before, the feel was so familiar. Ah, it's because it reminded me of Tuscany! I loved the decor, the plants, the color... My favorite area in Italy happened to be the theme of the menu - Culinary Journey to Tuscany. I LOVED IT!For my four dishes, I chose: Tanglier Di Salumi Topic Toscani (assortment of traditional Tuscan cured meats), Pappardelle al ragu d'anatra (duck ragu), Branzino con salsa crudo (sea bass), and then Tiramisu and a cappuccino. I was not disappointed! Everything was perfecto. I finished every single delicious morsel. I'm very picky, so this is saying a lot!I did not have any wine since I'm cutting down on my alcohol intake. The sparkling water was perfect with a twist of lemon.Parking was a bit of a challenge, but the food made it all worthwhile. I will be back to try the next menu!

My girlfriend and I stopped in here to celebrate our anniversary, we have never been here and I wasn't sure how the food was going to be or what the atmosphere was going to be like, so I decided to book our reservation. We were seated outside like I had requested, but little did I know we were the only ones outside. We had the entire patio to ourselves! It felt like it was out of a movie or something, it felt very romantic. Carissa, our server was excellent. She gave us a history of the restaurant and the dishes that are served! She really knows her stuff and she made us feel very welcomed. I have attached some pictures of our wonderful night, we can't wait to come back again!!

If you want to treat yourselves, this is the place to do it! They serve a 4 course meal based on an area in Italy, which is so special. You choose one item from each category (antipasti, primi, secondi, dolci). We had the tiny clams, couscous/lasagna, mixed grill/shrimp, tiramisu/chocolate-coconut financier with olive oil sorbet. Portions are the perfect amount to not leave you overstuffed by the end of the evening. Our servers were Carissa and Karla, who were incredibly attentive and knowledgeable about the menu! I cannot suggest enough to sit outside if it's nice out. It was like dining in an Italian garden. Drinks were also delicious!

I think this is one of those restaurants where you might come once but probably won't return. The atmosphere is nice and shooting for romantic but honestly the chairs are not comfortable at all.The food is probably the most disappointing. It is a 4 course meal and you get to choose from 3-5 choices for each course and a couple of them will be for extra charge. That would be fine but honestly for the price, quantity, and choices i really didn't think it was worth it. You can definitely get better food for the same price you would pay here.For the anti pasta we tried the Carne Salada Alla Trentina andPolenta Di Mais E Patate Con Ciuiga Del Banale E Formaggio Di Malga Trentino (yes, the names are long). The shaved beef was really good and we enjoyed it but the sausage was horrendous; it was burnt and just sad.For the primi we went with Rufioi Mocheni Con Burro Fuso E Salvia and Strangolapreti Agli Spinaci Con Crema Di Formaggi Dolci D'Alpeggio. The ravioli was good but not phenomenal and the gnocchi was really not great. I actually probably didn't like the gnocchi the most out of the courses we had.For the Secondi, we got the Puntine Di Maiale Con Cavolo Rosso In Agrodolce and Guancette Di Vitello Al Teroldego Con "Oro Rosso Di Storo" Polenta. These two we liked but were on the fatty side. The ribs were deff on the burnt side but the veal was cooked really well.Finally the desserts, we went with Strudel Di Mela Con Gelato Alla Cannella and Budino Di Mou Salato. The strudel was ok but the pudding was a killer. I really liked it and would happily go back if i can just get that :)

I was hesitant to try this restaurant due to some conflicting reviews, but I am SO glad I went! The food was delicious, and the service was great. I tried meatballs, ravioli, perch, tiramisu, and small complimentary desert wine. It was such an outstanding meal, I cannot wait to come back! I think the rotating menus make it such a fun and unique experience. Although it is pricey, I think everyone should check it out at some point!

I have eaten here twice. I was reluctant to try it because of the fixed price menu and the lack of vegetarian main courses on it. However, during their Ligurian month, I took the plunge. I was astonished on how serious they took their cuisine. I'm not easy to please. I lived in Italy for four years, learned to cook from my friends' grandparents and have traveled the world in search of great epicurean pleasures. When I say they had it right with their pesto, I mean it. Was it exactly like dining in Genova, no. But, do the majority of American Italian restaurants even know what pesto is? no. So, I was happy. Everything they made was delicious. I left very satisfied with the confidence to put Bartolotta dal 1993 in my top 10 MKE finds. Bravi.

I've been here prior to them forcing you into the 4 course meal and that's where part of the problem is.Sometimes I just want to sit down have an app and the duck ragu and move on with my day.My last trip here the duck was removed off the menu the day before and we had made reservations in advance.My dining companion is vegetarian. This is an issue apparently because you are forced into the 4 course meal and a lot of the options were meat centric. Not an issue for me but I could see they were dismayed at the selection which shoehorned them into what little choice was left.We made mention of this to the waiter who didn't offer a solution, didn't offer to check and ask the kitchen as to how this person could be accommodated. Sometimes making the effort is appreciated.The only other complaint is that some of my food was room temperature. Not sure if it was sitting?I think at this price point, where dinner for two could put you at 200-300 (depending on drinkings or if you get the white truffles), you need to be executing at the highest possible level. I think it's safe to say they are not and that is the difference between good and great.If you only go to a place like this for the rare special occasion then it's probably good enough. If you frequent other high end dining options then you might feel as though things could use some improvement.

Phenomenal meal and service! They are currently focused on Lazio region ( where Rome is) for the pre-fixe. Some of the highlights were the torta salata, cacio e Pepe and mixed grill. And of course the desserts