[al & jane]

If this has been posted I must have missed it. Has anyone been to Francescos Italian Restaurant located where Taverna Red used to be?

[Sagitarius 6]

Not open yet. I stopped by yesterday talked with the owner and looked at a menu. The menu looked good, uncomplicated Italian dishes. They will open in 3 weeks from 2-10-14 He is a partner in Pasta Fare in Belleview. He owns this one alone. I look forward to a new Italian restaurant in the area.

[walterray]

I would think the owners of Little Joey's at the other end of the strip mall would be a little concerned about a new Italian restaurant opening. Taverna Red wasn't a direct competitor based on style of food and had been going downhill for a while. It will be interesting to see how good Francesco's will be.

[jet10s]

Francescos -- the place previously occupied by Taverna Red -- we had just a wonderful dinner there last night -- and we are from New York and are Italian -- so feel like we could comment accurately -- prices are good and each meal comes with soup or salad -- great bar and atmosphere -- this is sure to become a favorite -- the owner was very gracious and there is a card at the desk with a 15% discount attached. Try it you will like it.

[rubicon]

There is an old joke that goes "She cooks like my mother, my mother was also a lousy cook. In that same vein ethnicity doesn't guarantee that you are an expert. All it means is that this particular restaurant uses condiments and spices, in the amount and to your liking. Even in our Italian family we were divided on likes and dislikes of the dishes my mother made.

and to her credit my mother would say Rubicon ( I had that name even as a child ) you don't like -----in the sauce so I made some sauce with the combinations of the meats you favor. Oh thank you Mama.

So the only way you gonna know if you like-a this restaurant is to go and mangia for yourself

[jet10s]

HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH THE ABOVE -- although ethnicity does not guarantee expertise -- it certainly gives you an edge in being able to claim expertise when you have grown up with excellent Italian food being cooked and served everyday of the year from three generations of Italian cooks, (my Grandmother would have considered it a failure to eat out in a restaurant when the food was so much better at home) expertness can be certainly learned and discerned by repeated exposure to good quality as experienced in dining from some of the numerous Italian eating establishments in the 5 boros of New York and the suburbs (and also by having taken over 30 trips back to the "homeland" with your aunties and Grandmothers) -- certainly I value my judgement on things that I have a great understanding and familiarity with -- and that knowledge is what I base my opinion that it is just not the taste of my mothers cooking in comparison -- I DO KNOW that this meal was prepared well and authentically AND I STAND MY MY CRITIQUE THANK YOU VERY MUCH

[zcaveman]

We went the other day and enjoyed the meal. Although I prefer the spaghetti side that comes with the Chicken Parm at Olive Garden. It has less tomato sauce / tomato gravy on it.

Z

[scrapple]

We went a few weeks ago and felt like it was Taverna Red Revisited...same staff, same disappointing food. We shared a pizza. Didn't realize you had to ask for sauce. Sauce less is ok, that's traditional Italian, but the whole thing was pretty bland. To their credit, we did ask for a cup of sauce which was very good. I doubt I'll return, but if I do, I'll get something with their tomato sauce.

[Bill32]

Had lunch there yesterday, service good, drinks good ( happy hour) , my chicken Marsala good, Fettuccine Alfredo tasteless, Wife's Chicken Piccata good, salad good, price reasonable.