A classic in need of updating Restaurants, posted by Editor, Mountain View Voice Online, on May 20, 2011 at 10:34 am
On a recent, cool spring evening I rushed into Ristorante Don Giovanni Cucina Italiana on Castro Street. I was running embarrassingly late (by my standards), but my friend had texted me and assured me the waiter was taking excellent care of her. I rushed through the front door and into a totally empty restaurant. Stunned, I realized the hum of conversation was coming from next door. I whirled back outside and ducked into the catering hall next door, where apparently everyone, including my buddy, was seated for the evening.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, May 20, 2011, 12:00 AM
Posted by Observer, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 11:52 am
I don't think anything or any restaurant can satisfy this reviewer. Let customers decide what they like and don't like. But once again The Voice allows its reviewer to slam yet another restaurant that employees people and raises tax revenue. Perhaps this is the reporter need to pick apart the poor service and waste going on in City Hall and the schools.
Posted by Ellen Wheeler, a resident of the Blossom Valley neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 4:53 pm
I am surprised by this reviewer's experience. My husband and I enjoy going to Don Giovanni's for dinner at least once a month and love having a restaurant of such high quality at a convenient location. We think the appetizers, entrees, and desserts are excellent. And yes, the service is good, too.
Posted by Dan Escueta, a resident of the Blossom Valley neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 6:12 pm
To quote this critic "My spaghetti alla Bolognese ($13.95) was lacking in meat. There was some, but nothing I could sink my teeth into, and the sauce lacked any flavor of red wine or garlic...". The only way to get more meat in this sauce would be to drop a steak on top of the dish. As for this robust hearty sauce lacking in flavor, I only have one thing to say to this would be food critic. Shame on you. The only way you couldn’t enjoy this sauce would be that your taste buds have been deadened by years of chain smoking. The only point that I will agree with this review, the Blood Orange Mousse Cake Torte is a disappointment and should be replaced with their sublime fruity Zabayon.
Why didn’t this writer use this paper’s precious real estate to editorialize about traffic congestion instead of spending two pages tearing down this bright spot on the culinary scene.
Posted by Tommy, a resident of the Sylvan Park neighborhood, on May 28, 2011 at 12:23 pm
I'm surpised by the harsh review, because I've had nothing but good meals @ Don Giovanni's. It seems somewhat silly to knock the restaurant for sticking to traditional Italian dishes (which is what Italian restaurants do), particularly when Ms. Stallings in another review praises a Korean/Japanese restaurant in Palo Alto for "stick[ing] to the basics" (Web Link).
Ms. Stallings appears to be going out of her way to bash a restaurant that a lot of people seem to like (it gets good reviews on Yelp). The Mountain View Voice ought to be ashamed for printing this sophomoric piece.
Posted by Joanne, a resident of the Sylvan Park neighborhood, on May 30, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Our family has visited DG on several occasions over the past several months and found the service and food to be excellent; the servers have been prompt with the bread, beverage, and food. We have sampled several different dishes and found them all to be very delicious and presented visually appealing. The only downside is that some main dishes are very small in serving size, and the desserts are not consistent in size from one visit to the next. All and all, we keep going back beacuse the entire environment and quality is better than most restaurants in the area for the comparable price. So Enjoy !!
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