Scotto's Cafe - Classic Italian Cuisine

Overall Rating: 3/5
Budget: $35-50/person
Address: 5 Bel Air South Parkway, Bel Air, MD 21015

Due of a friend's suggestion, my family traveled 18 miles [during the rush hour] to satisfy my longing  to go to this restaurant. At first I thought it's a delicatessen because of the "cafe", but to my surprise, it's an Italian restaurant. The ambiance was perfect, I'd say, for a date. They also have a bar so people on-the-look can mingle. Their lights won't make you feel sleepy and it's just ample to provide a good view of your food and the people you're with. I like that.

My first impression was great but we had to wait. It was dinner time and it was a Tuesday, but we waited 30 minutes to be seated. Good thing it's in the mall area so we strolled around the shops and went back to Scotto's after awhile.

Food 
As usual, if there's calamari, I order them ASAP! This is not the best calamari I've tasted but I thought the price was just. The reason I'm not much of a fan is because it's not as crunchy as I wanted. Though if I'll visit them again, I'm still going to order calamari!

Calamari Fritti

 Lasagna Napoletana and  Napoli

Since there's a lot happening in the menu and I am hungry, I ordered something familiar - lasagna. It was delicious, I thought I would't get tired of it, but I did. I wasn't able to finish it. The serving was huge for me. It was good, as you can see in the picture, because there's much more meat than pasta. The thing is, the sauce is somewhat at the normal range, meaning there's nothing much to compare it with others. I thought that somehow the taste would linger and I'm going to remember it. My husband ordered Napoli which is sauteed with tomatoes and served with large scallops and shrimp. He let me taste it and it was good for me, but not for him. I was surprised because he's the one with an adventurous palate. He said he's not so much into Italian food and I know that.

I would just like to say that when me and my husband discussed about the food we ate right after dining, it was like un-enjoyable. But while writing this review, it seems good. That's why from 2.5 rating, I changed it to 3 and it confuses me a lot. Oh, I know, maybe because we were wowed by the pricing in the menu but still didn't finish our entrees.

Cleanliness 
Perfect! Just like what I wanted to see them doing! Each table is bussed - sprayed and wiped, immediately after the guests leave. They look instantly clean and sparkly!

Kid-Friendliness
We sure did ask for a high chair but they provided none. I'm not sure but the hostess talked to the server and the latter nodded. So, I'm guessing they don't have one? Impossible. I didn't ask so maybe they do have one. Well, my little one liked to sit on a regular chair so it doesn't matter.

Also, the table is made of a material that's somehow slippery and so our glasses kept on sliding. I hope coasters were provided or at least napkins. We had to put our glasses on an empty chair so that my daughter won't reach them. Not just that, the chairs slide too! I recognized that because my little one kept leaning on the table and she almost fell when her chair moved. I had to use my left foot to stop it from moving which happened 90% of our stay.

Customer Service
Great customer service, I should say. Even if the place was somehow jam-packed, they didn't look dissatisfied and they still served with enthusiasm. Literally no sweat at all. They attended to their guests promptly.

Complimentary Stuff
Bread and butter.
Parking is free since it's within the mall area.

So having tried and tested it, are we going back? Maybe on a special occasion and we won't order the same thing, except for calamari.

DISCLAIMER

I was not compensated in anyway to do a review of the products or services mentioned this post. Everything was based on my 100% honest opinion.