Review of Senza Gluten

I'm really surprised by how many great reviews this place has. We were in town for the holidays and I was so excited to go to a GF Italian restaurant but left profoundly underwhelmed.

It seemed promising at first - the atmosphere was lovely, the staff pleasant and professional, and the fried calamari appetizer was crisp and tasty, if a little chewier than fresh calamari should be. Things started to head south with the breadbasket, which was a few pieces of blah GF white bread baguette. I can get better ones from my local grocery store freezer section - much better, in fact. But it was the pasta dishes that really disappointed. The pasta was al dente, but so unbelievably bland I can only think they don't salt the boiling water - which is literally the worst thing you can do to GF pasta. It had all the flavor of damp cardboard. We had 3 different pasta dishes in our party and the lasagne, and they were all totally flavorless. There wasn't even fresh grated parmesan - just that weird powdery stuff that comes in the green tube. The atmosphere, prices, and small portions suggest high-end dining, but the food was decidely not high-end - no matter how much truffle oil you dump on it.

Maybe 10 years ago you could get away with charging $100 a person (cash only, by the way) for food this mediocre, but GF food has come a long way. I'd skip this place - I guarantee you can whip up something better at home in 30 minutes or less just by remembering to put salt in the pasta water, adding garlic to the sauce, and grating decent cheese on it.

Is ALL the food in this establishment gluten-free?

— Yes, the establishment is dedicated gluten-free

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average