It’s another day and another new feature here on Eat in OC, where you the readers share your reviews about local restaurants in Orange County. Todays review of Francoli Gourmet Italian Restaurant in Orange comes from Jennifer Lentz who describes herself as Old Town consumer and supporter.
Francoli Gourmet Italian Restaurant
I was finally able to try Francoli Gourmet Italian Restaurant, in Orange, for the first time this past Friday, March 5, 2010. I went in with a good friend of mine and we were both very excited to try something new in our neighborhood. There was a thirty minute wait, so we opted to sit at the bar for dinner. This was a mistake. The service was far from great, we both felt very overlooked during our entire meal.
We started our meal with a couple of drinks and then ordered an olive plate. We love olives, so they were enjoyed but they were nothing special, just green and black olives in a bowl.
Francoli - Salmone Monte Rosa
Not that we expected much else when ordering something simple. It came time to order our entrees, I ordered the Salmone Monte Rosa, sautéed fresh salmon with tomatoes, capers, garlic and other goodies, served on a bed of spinach. My friend ordered the Osso Bucco, which they were out of, so she decided on the Scaloppine Valdostana,
Francoli - Scaloppine Valdostana
veal topped with prosciutto crudo and fontina cheese cooked in a white wine reduction sauce. Our meals were good, we both thought that they were prepared well, but were lacking a bit in the flavor department. Nothing really jumped out at us and said “delicious!”. Our neighbors to either side of us, who by the way sat after us and received their food before us, looked like they made better choices on their meal options. I was very jealous of the woman directly next to me who had ordered the Cioppino. It looked “delicious!”. We finished the evening off by sharing a glass of port.
Overall, I would give our experience at Francoli 3 out of 5 stars. The ambiance is beautiful and inviting. With a wall of wine, gorgeous italian pottery and handblown glass, it feels very “Italian” inside. Also, the food was good enough to go back and try again. The only real downfall was the service, and when spending close to $100.00 on a meal for two, personally, I would like to feel more welcomed and attended to. I look forward to giving Francoli another try. I will definatly wait for a table next time, order the Cioppino, and hope for the best!
[xrr rating=3/5]
Visit on Friday 03/05/10 for dinner
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