Mezza Luna - Just Another Red Sauce Italian Restaurant

[Richard1366]

I usually like to give a restaurant a couple of months before giving it a try so that hopefully they have gotten the kinks out. Last night we decided to give Mezza Luna in Colony Plaza a try. I had read about the lighting, but thought that they had probably worked that out....NOT. It was really dark in there, luckily they sat us next to one of the wall booths that had extra light so I borrowed their light to read the menu. The small print on the menu made reading the menu even more of a challenge.

My wife and I usually like to split an entr�e, when we go to Bonefish, we split an entr�e and a salad and the restaurant does all of it for us and serves the half entr�e and half salad on separate plates. When we decided to split an entr�e at Mezza Luna we were informed that there would be an $8.00 charge. No, I wouldn't object to a dollar or two charge because it had to be split and the extra dishes, but $8.00 insane. If you do decide you want to split, don't say anything, one of you order the dinner and one order only an appetizer, an appetizer can be purchased for less than the $8.00 split charge.

Why don't local Italian restaurants serve a variety of items? Where are the wonderful risotto's, gnocchi, osso buco, grilled fish?? If I want "red sauce" there are plenty of Italian restaurants to choose from and they won't charge me an $8.00 split fee!!

[graciegirl]

I usually like to give a restaurant a couple of months before giving it a try so that hopefully they have gotten the kinks out. Last night we decided to give Mezza Luna in Colony Plaza a try. I had read about the lighting, but thought that they had probably worked that out....NOT. It was really dark in there, luckily they sat us next to one of the wall booths that had extra light so I borrowed their light to read the menu. The small print on the menu made reading the menu even more of a challenge.

My wife and I usually like to split an entr�e, when we go to Bonefish, we split an entr�e and a salad and the restaurant does all of it for us and serves the half entr�e and half salad on separate plates. When we decided to split an entr�e at Mezza Luna we were informed that there would be an $8.00 charge. No, I wouldn't object to a dollar or two charge because it had to be split and the extra dishes, but $8.00 insane. If you do decide you want to split, don't say anything, one of you order the dinner and one order only an appetizer, an appetizer can be purchased for less than the $8.00 split charge.

Why don't local Italian restaurants serve a variety of items? Where are the wonderful risotto's, gnocchi, osso buco, grilled fish?? If I want "red sauce" there are plenty of Italian restaurants to choose from and they won't charge me an $8.00 split fee!!



We don't have restaurants that serve those wonderful things in Ohio either. You must be used to the glorious food choices of a former home like New York City?


AND on the issue of the charge for splitting an entry, you are taking up space from someone who would be paying full price for their meal. Wait staff and the restaurant need to be making a certain amount. That is just business. Imagine if everyone would do it?


I suggest on the entry splitting issue that you do what many of us do and just ask for a box and take it home and then you can have the leftovers.

[waynet]

split an entree? Never. Can't make any money.

[TexaninVA]

I usually like to give a restaurant a couple of months before giving it a try so that hopefully they have gotten the kinks out. Last night we decided to give Mezza Luna in Colony Plaza a try. I had read about the lighting, but thought that they had probably worked that out....NOT. It was really dark in there, luckily they sat us next to one of the wall booths that had extra light so I borrowed their light to read the menu. The small print on the menu made reading the menu even more of a challenge.

My wife and I usually like to split an entr�e, when we go to Bonefish, we split an entr�e and a salad and the restaurant does all of it for us and serves the half entr�e and half salad on separate plates. When we decided to split an entr�e at Mezza Luna we were informed that there would be an $8.00 charge. No, I wouldn't object to a dollar or two charge because it had to be split and the extra dishes, but $8.00 insane. If you do decide you want to split, don't say anything, one of you order the dinner and one order only an appetizer, an appetizer can be purchased for less than the $8.00 split charge.

Why don't local Italian restaurants serve a variety of items? Where are the wonderful risotto's, gnocchi, osso buco, grilled fish?? If I want "red sauce" there are plenty of Italian restaurants to choose from and they won't charge me an $8.00 split fee!!


Well my two cents ...

a few weeks ago we tried ML ... I actually like the darker ambience but the food was ...sigh .. disappointing. Good portion sizes, and tasted ok but nothing special.

Most surprising ... the bread was stale ...actually not even tasty.

I may go back ... but probably not. Oh well ...

[Bonny]

6 of us ate at the bar last night after our Parrot Head 5 O'Clock Somewhere. Everyone really liked what they got. All happy campers here.

[skyguy79]

I haven't been to Mezza Luna yet so can't really comment on the OP. However, I do wish they would launch their website (mezzalunagrill..com) complete with their menu. Every time I check out their website, I get nothing but the sounds of crickets... and that sound is generated in my own mind. Unfortunately, I can't get out to restaurants like most of you can, and frequently have meals delivered through The Villages Delivery Service. But I haven't been able to order since I don't have access to an online menu to make choices. I hope this changes soon!

BTW, I can add this about Mezza Luna... I've seen comments about ML both here and on other review sites, and have heard mostly positive comments along with some not so positive ones with one outside of TOTV being extremely negative. To me this further proves one thing, and that is that there's no substitute for finding out for yourself just how good or bad any restaurant is.

[jdmess]

Great restaurant, food, service, the best barteners
my wife will be back

[JSR22]

We eat there every week and are very happy with the food.

[mickey100]

Why don't local Italian restaurants serve a variety of items? Where are the wonderful risotto's, gnocchi, osso buco, grilled fish?? If I want "red sauce" there are plenty of Italian restaurants to choose from and they won't charge me an $8.00 split fee!!

I'm originally from western NY and our Italian restaurants always carried those dishes. It was considered standard fare. Based on that I doubt one only has to be from a large metropolitan area to encounter that type of Italian food. I expect you have to be in an area that has a larger Italian population that serves authentic Italian food. I would also not pay an $8 split fee. I guess they feel they can get away with it, with all the snowbirds back and restaurants are packed. Thanks for the heads up.

[donb9006]

We don't have restaurants that serve those wonderful things in Ohio either. You must be used to the glorious food choices of a former home like New York City?


AND on the issue of the charge for splitting an entry, you are taking up space from someone who would be paying full price for their meal. Wait staff and the restaurant need to be making a certain amount. That is just business. Imagine if everyone would do it?


I suggest on the entry splitting issue that you do what many of us do and just ask for a box and take it home and then you can have the leftovers.

I guess single diners should pay this $8 penalty too?

[CFrance]

I guess single diners should pay this $8 penalty too?

A single diner is not going to split an entree with anyone! The restaurant gets the full price of a meal out of a single diner without having to do twice the work and soil twice the dishes and silverware.

And the tip is reflective of the entire cost. I wonder if the entree splitters tip on the price of what it would be if they both had full meals? The waitstaff loses out here too.

[buggyone]

I totally agree with GracieGirl (of course) that there is no reason to split the entree. Just get a box for the left-overs and have a nice lunch or dinner at home the next day. We usually have a couple of take-out boxes in our fridge at any given time.

As for quality of Italian food, I am no expert but I do like Italian food. Giovanni's at Southern Trace Plaza is always a good choice. They have large portions and we always get a lot of left-overs when we go there.

I do not understand the one poster's comment about single diners being charged an $8 penalty at MezaLuna.

[DianeM]

$8 seems fair. Why would a restaurant want to let folks take up dining space and not get paid for it? Take your leftovers home for the next day and stay in that night.

[Bonny]

People do have a choice of paying the split fee. Don't mind paying it, great split the meals. Don't want to pay it, have leftovers or go somewhere else.

[Golfingnut]

Split an entree but use two sets of dishes, silverware and two people that get wait service. Really. I am sorry to say, but that is just bazar behavior to me. I can't believe that really happens. WOW!!!

[courtyard]

We went to MezzaLuna for lunch a few days ago. Loved the Eggplant Parm...generous portions...service was great...would definitely go back!

[donb9006]

A single diner is not going to split an entree with anyone! The restaurant gets the full price of a meal out of a single diner without having to do twice the work and soil twice the dishes and silverware.

And the tip is reflective of the entire cost. I wonder if the entree splitters tip on the price of what it would be if they both had full meals? The waitstaff loses out here too.

What "twice the work"? Bringing 2 plates instead of one is twice the work? Thats like saying grabbing a PAIR of socks from the drawer is twice the work of just grabbing one sock. It's an empty plate and a bundle of silverware. The cost of washing the extra stuff...a dime, a quarter maybe?

A single diner takes up a whole table, be it a couples table, or a table for four. Should you pay depending on how many diners they COULD have served at your table? A couple at a table for 4 should pay the "penalty" too...?

Speaking of tips...being a waiter/waitress isn't a career to be raising a family on. And why does a server who happens to be employed at a less expensive restaurant get half or less the pay of someone at an expensive one? Shouldn't there be a "standard rate" for servers? $5 for a couple, $10 for a party of 4, etc. I've never noticed a real noticable difference in quality of "service". I tip the cheap restaurant worker a higher percent than I do at the expensive place where they usually get the minimum "acceptable" tip. I'm not handing some idiot $40 for doing...really nothing. But the other guy, doing the same work at a different restaurant gets $10? Because his restaurant has lower prices?

They don't lose out THAT much for the ocassional couple who shares a meal.

[Bonny]

Reading some of these responses sure makes me glad I was never a server. LOL ;)

[tainsley]

We went to MezzaLuna for lunch a few days ago. Loved the Eggplant Parm...generous portions...service was great...would definitely go back!

We went for dinner Tuesday evening. Waited 50 mins for our food to come out. I had eggplant parm. The cheese on top of the eggplant was as thin as the eggplant itself. I asked the waitress if there was eggplant on my platter! She told me it is just sliced very thin...more like shaved. I think that our dinner order was misplaced. Our waitress was good and kept apologizing for the wait.

[OpusX1]

We split entrees at Carrabba's all the time, no split charge. We each have two martini's, split the mussel's and split the entree. Always have great service and always tip 25 percent. The servers know us and treat us well. Our bill is around $50.00 plus a $12-$15 tip. The take home is just not that good reheated.

[BarryRX]

I haven't been to Mezza Luna yet so can't really comment on the OP. However, I do wish they would launch their website (mezzalunagrill..com) complete with their menu. Every time I check out their website, I get nothing but the sounds of crickets... and that sound is generated in my own mind. Unfortunately, I can't get out to restaurants like most of you can, and frequently have meals delivered through The Villages Delivery Service. But I haven't been able to order since I don't have access to an online menu to make choices. I hope this changes soon!

BTW, I can add this about Mezza Luna... I've seen comments about ML both here and on other review sites, and have heard mostly positive comments along with some not so positive ones with one outside of TOTV being extremely negative. To me this further proves one thing, and that is that there's no substitute for finding out for yourself just how good or bad any restaurant is.
Sky guy , if you'd like, I will gladly get a menu from them and drop it off at your house. Just pm me and we can get it done.

[DianeM]

I've never heard of entree sharing but it just seems wrong somehow. It is as if one person eats free but still uses the services. I would not permit that if I owned a restaurant.

[jpharmat]

Great because I had a wonderful meal with great service at Red Sauce!!

[CFrance]

A chain like Carrabbas... I don't know, would they have enough income over all their restos to suck up the sharing-an-entree thing? A private resto like Mezza Luna might not.

I agree with Gracie... buy a meal and take the leftovers home. A little savvy with the microwave... even musels can be reheated.

[skyguy79]

Sky guy , if you'd like, I will gladly get a menu from them and drop it off at your house. Just pm me and we can get it done.Thanks for your generous offer, but it won't be necessary.

After posting this morning, my wife had to run to Publix to pickup a prescription for me. So I decided to call Mezza Luna to see if they had what we knew we would like. They did have what we had in mind, so we ordered and my wife picked it up while going to Publix. During the discussion with them I asked about menus and was told that their menu is not finalized yet. So I guess I'll wait, especially since I'm trying to lose weight and won't be ordering from there all that often.

In our order I had angel hair pasta with mushrooms, one meatball and one piece of sausage. I really enjoyed it and next time will try it with meat sauce instead of the meatball. The pasta reminded me of the Olive Garden's Capellini Pomodoro, which is one of their under 575 calorie selections and with enough that it could be split into 2 meals. My wife got eggplant parm. Like another poster mentioned, the slices were thin, but I had a half eggplant sandwich from my wife's left overs. It was yummy and the thickness of the slices was a non-factor as far as I was concerned.

Again Barry, thanks for your offer!

[travelguy]

i heard that the food is fabulous so we will be going there for dinner tomorrow evening. am sure that whatever kinks there might have been have all been eliminated.

[bluedog103]

Reading some of these responses sure makes me glad I was never a server. LOL ;)
Glad I'm not an owner or manager either. Tough crowd to please. Whew!

[patfla06]

We really liked it when we went.
I would each order an entree and enjoy the leftovers.

[Shirleevee]

I'm originally from western NY and our Italian restaurants always carried those dishes. It was considered standard fare. Based on that I doubt one only has to be from a large metropolitan area to encounter that type of Italian food. I expect you have to be in an area that has a larger Italian population that serves authentic Italian food. I would also not pay an $8 split fee. I guess they feel they can get away with it, with all the snowbirds back and restaurants are packed. Thanks for the heads up.

Mezzaluna has Saltimbocca (Veal) no red sauce either!

[jblum315]

Mezza Luna is not like Cheesecake Factory where one entree would serve a family of four. I think their portions are just right, not too big not too small. And delicious. Plenty of choices that don't involve red sauce.

[2BNTV]

Most restaurants serve a double portion. Before I would pay another $8, I would just order two dinners and get doggie bags at the beginning of a meal. Scape half of the dinner off your plate, and into the doggie bag, to have for another meal.

I would reheat the extra meal in a microwave, with a cup of water, as the food will come out moist and enjoyable.You still get the most bang, for your buck that way. IMHO

[travelguy]

Fabulous! My wife and I and friend went to Mezza Luna last night. Arrived around 6 45 and only had a 10 minute wait before getting seated at one of the high-topped tables. Our attentive and enthusiastic server could not have been more helpful; she knew the menu and described and suggested entrees that we might like. The portions allowed us to take some home (more than enough to eat); the Italian bread was warm and crusty, and the Pasta Fagioli (soup) was creamy and delicious. My friend and I had a veal dish, while my wife had Mahi-mahi. We all enjoyed espresso and cheesecake (shared with 3 forks), and were last guests to leave the restaurant, around 9 45. Definitely one of the best restaurants in the area.

[ULCHUCK]

Just got back from the restaurant. Extremely poor service. We asked for the person in charge. The server talked to an older man in a tee shirt that seemed to be charge. He sent over a young kid who identified himself as THE MANAGER. He blamed a large group for the delay, even though we observed that some persons that arrived after us got their meal before us. He offered nothing to make up for the long delay. When the food did arrive, one was over cooked and the others cold. I had the cobb salad and it was the worst that I've seen---the lettuce was shredded like cole slaw. When we got the bill they charged us the dinner prices even though we were there and ordered before 3:00 (the cut-off for lunch). Again, we needed the manager to get it corrected. NEVER AGAIN

[graciegirl]

Fabulous! My wife and I and friend went to Mezza Luna last night. Arrived around 6 45 and only had a 10 minute wait before getting seated at one of the high-topped tables. Our attentive and enthusiastic server could not have been more helpful; she knew the menu and described and suggested entrees that we might like. The portions allowed us to take some home (more than enough to eat); the Italian bread was warm and crusty, and the Pasta Fagioli (soup) was creamy and delicious. My friend and I had a veal dish, while my wife had Mahi-mahi. We all enjoyed espresso and cheesecake (shared with 3 forks), and were last guests to leave the restaurant, around 9 45. Definitely one of the best restaurants in the area.



I thank you travelguy. We haven't been there but I know you to be a person whose opinion I trust. Your report made us want to go there sooner.


Sometimes I wonder if some posts that are so negative are from the competition....people who describe things they don't like are so entitled to their opinion and it IS helpful knowing of issues like waiting or lack of cleanliness or less than yummy food at our restaurants..


Most of the folks I have heard from or read on here seem to like the place. I will go with that and we will have to try it, once the birdies have flown.

[golf2140]

We dined there a couple of days ago. Our server thought that she was doing us a favor in serving us. We ordered drinks and didn't see her for sometime. She finally walked by and we asked for another round of drinks. HWe finished these drink and she came by and started to clear our table. We had to inform her that we hadn't received our dinner yet. Twenty or so minutes later we had dinner which was warm not hot. This was our third time at the restaurant, will not return.

[Skip]

We've heard so many complaints about slow kitchen and poor service here, then to top it off, Paul is indignant to his customers and doesn't make things right.

This is a "recipe" for failure. Going down the same path as Luigino's and Havana CC.

Lets see which of the 3 goes belly up first. Any bets?

Skip

[Patty55]

I'm betting that Mezza Luna will be successful. I've been there a few times, the food is fantastic, never had a problem with the service. As for "slow service" I don't want to rush in, shovel down dinner and rush out the door.

I consider this restaurant on a par with some of my favorites on LI and in the city. It's not fast food or a pizza joint ....RELAX and Mangia.

[jblum315]

I like Mezza Luna because it seems to be an adult restaurant, not a "family restaurant"People aren't likely to take small noisy kids there. I've had great food and adequate service every time I've been there.

[senior citizen]

..............

[waynet]

had another good meal Saturday afternoon. Good food ,good service,Paul came by and asked how things were. No complaints.

[dadspet]

We had Pizza there on Sunday. Crust was very thin but flavor was good, we enjoyed it. Lighting was nice. We could read the menus and clearly prefer it a bit dim instead of bright lights. Beer at 3.50 a bit pricey. Didn't try a meal but will in the near future.