Pretty restaurant, forgettable pasta/seafood entrees that took over an hour to be served on a dead Tuesday evening. Two stars for the bread basket and Tiramisu. One of the best tira's I have ever had. I wanted to ask them where they buy it, it's definitely not homemade. OK service. Drive the extra mile or so and go to Olivadi in Norwood Center, it's much, much better.
(2)
Katie S.
I had heard really good things about this restaurant especially since it had been visited by the phantom gourmet. I made a reservation for my husband and I and got there about 5 minutes before. We waited for 15 minutes to get seated and when we finally did it took another 10 minutes for our waitress to come over. The food was okay. The gnocchi di ricotta was very small. The only really good thing was the bread!
(2)
patty c.
Decent Italian food, but the service is somewhat lackluster. The host is snobby, and it sometimes seems that he is bothered by customers. The gnocchi was not good when I ordered it, but I have had lobster and pizza here which were above-average for the area. It's not the North End or Federal Hill, but it beats the chain Italian restaurants for sure!
(3)
Samantha H.
The service is HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!! And when our table was finished complaining, the very next table had complaints that went unresolved and unvalidated as well. I ordered the seafood fra diavlo, but I preferred only scallops and the waiter told me this is fine....I assumed the scallops would somewhat compensate for the missing FIVE OTHER SEAFOOD I opted to not have.... I got my plate and it had 5 scallops....5. I ordered a small plate of pasta with 5 scallops and still paid $24. I politely asked the waiter why I only have 5 scallops and he goes, "Oh...you can't substitute seafood...." Thanks for telling me guy. He sees my irritation with the lack of communication. He goes, "You can order a substitute side if you want." THANKS FOR TELLING ME GUY!! On top of this, my friend was charged $5 for her 'gluten free' pasta, I grabbed a menu and nowhere on the menu was an extra charge indicated. The manager removed this charge and took a starter salad off but told me, "Scallops are expensive I can't do anything about that." But what she didn't understand is that it was the fact that he didn't tell me that I'd be getting 5 whole scallops instead of 5 different types of seafood....if he had told me that, I would have ordered something else. I had been looking forward to going out to eat for 2 weeks and that's the shit meal I received because our waiter sucked.
(2)
judy s.
The food and service were amazing!!! I had a lovely waitress named Taylor who was beyond attentive,intelligent, and helpful. The wine list was also really great featuring wines from all over Italy at reasonable prices. We also loved the food, and started with the antipasti for two, a Ceaser salad, and the mussels and sausage app. All were superb! The mussels from PEI were large and tender, and the sausage infused broth with roasted red peppers and tomatoes was sublime. For dinner we had the homemade pasta with frutti di mare Fra diabolo and also the gnocchi in red, both also excellent. Please do try this great neighborhood restaurant, the atmosphere is gentle and comfortable and the food is just lovely, so I really recommend this place.
(4)
George C.
Boncaldo Restaurant provided some of the best Italian food I've had since visiting the North End in Boston, 2 years ago. The descriptions and presentations of their specialty dishes certainly don't strike you as "typical" Italian, but the flavors deliver in the robust way that I have come to expect from this cuisine. The restaurant itself is extremely sleek and modernized, a pretty stark contrast to most of the traditional restaurants that it's surrounded by in Little Italy. Definitely put this on your list of places to go in the south shore, especially if you're planning on having a meal or two in the Boston - South Shore area. Something else you might want to squeeze in is a cocktail, or two, as they are made quite well here. Italian restaurants aren't exactly known for creativity behind the bar, but here they focus on top notch execution of traditional recipes with slight twists for seasonality.
(5)
Jay D.
I would imagine staying on top of your business is hard, especially in the food industry. The sad story of Bon Caldo is what was once a wonderful place to eat with a mildly elegant feel is now anything but great. Listed as having a dress code of business casual, the backwards baseball caps, jeans and sneakers set the tone immediately. Great for the 99, not great for $100 meals. Sadly, this couldn't be offset with great service because there was none. We sat for 45 minutes and our waiter appeared briefly twice. (The restaurant had 10 open tables..not busy) Our appetizer, a small portion of gnocchi came long after her attention to other tables and conversations with familiar faces, rarely turning a glance our way. After getting wonderful advice ("Ahh, yeah, its good.") to our questions, we finally got to order 50 minutes into our night. My girlfriend had the pork which was the only dish of the night they got right. great flavor and preparation. The mezzaluna was swimming in cream sauce and had undetectable amounts of cheese. This was ordered by a child, so bringing this our attention upfront would have been helpful. Independent of this, a pool of any sauce that completely covers everything in the dish is never appetizing. The orrachette and sausage appeared almost as a seasoning to a dish filled with broccoli rabe and sundried tomato...so much so that the table smelled of sun dried tomato over everything else. A nice distraction to the fact that it was cold. I barely touched the dish and the waiter offered no concern. After dinner a cup of tea was Lipton, not what you might expect from a place billing itself as better dining. Coffee as bad as a truck stop and luke warm. Desserts were partly good...croissant bread pudding with blueberries and a the chocolate mouse. The bread pudding was tasty, but the sweet of the croissant didn't require the addition of blueberries. Sadly, the mouse came with ingredients the waiter did not disclose that didn't make sense for a child. I know the difference between the neighborhood family joint, middle of the road suburban dining, chains, upscale, urban vs. suburban...I get it. Not everywhere is going to satisfy a foodie nor should it. But, Bon Caldo presents itself as place that should but simply fails as anything better than the chain next door, This was a disappointment at every level other than the company I was with. The price tag did not reflect the experience and the quality, craftsmanship, preparation, attention, and care were all sub-standard. Save yourself and go elsewhere. We will from now on.
(2)
Beth P.
It was our 5 year wedding anniversary and we researched nice restaurants in the Norwood area, and this was a top contender. What made us decide to come here was that it had been featured on Phantom Gourmet. We made reservations, which was a good thing because it was pretty packed. We were greeted at our table by a very nice server to fill our waters and bread and marinara (good idea, I've never seen that combination of bread and sauce before) promptly, then the server taking our order came by soon after to regurgitate that night's specials. There must have been a miscommunication between servers and/or hostess because the server informed us that she, in fact, was not going to be our server but Peter instead. Peter was super nice and took a picture (and one more for good measure) of us because it was our anniversary. He also brought us a champagne toast on the house. For the app we ordered the bacon wrapped scallops, because everything is better with bacon! The scallops were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Entrees were the Vitallo alla Saltimbocca (Veal) and my husband ordered the steak. The steak was a little too peppery but cooked to PERFECTION. My veal was scrumptious and the polenta and spinach on the side were great as well. The food came hot on the plate and nicely presented. Dessert was tiramisu, of course, and it looked homemade. We ate every little bit. Can't wait to come back for the next special occasion, or not because there were some people wearing jeans and casual clothes. Great experience.
(5)
Alisa C.
I went here last Saturday night with my Living Social voucher. I have been here a handful of times in the past and have had an ok experience in general. The bread is served with a cold tomato sauce which I find odd. We had the eggplant appetizer which I liked, chicken marsala and veal parm. Unfortunately I ordered the chicken marsala and I did not care for it at all. It had no taste to it and barely any mushrooms. The veal parm I did like and luckily my husband shared. He also ate my chicken marsala as I don't think he wanted to make a big deal about it(I would have sent it back for something else). We sat at the bar and the bartender asked if we liked the food and I told her I didn't care for the chicken marsala...she didn't offer to compensate or replace so I guess she didn't care. Why ask??? So at least my Living Social covered the bad meal but I would not make a return trip out of my way. Thanks, Alisa
(2)
Alan V.
I wasn't blown away by the food. With so many great Italian places in the greater Boston area my bar has been raised. Definitely would go back again to try more of the menu.
(3)
harvey s.
Had veal saltambucca, great. The service is great along with the warmth of the building. The waitstaff is very accommodating, you can't go wrong at boncaldos.
(5)
Tainabelle J.
I dined at Bon Caldo restaurant the night of my birthday. A few days earlier I found a deal on groupon and after reading some yelp reviews, decided to try it out. The experience was not anything particularly amazing but the food was delicious. I started with the lobster ravioli which, my best friend and I enjoyed so much, we decided to order another. The calamari was great! Crispy and buttery, and not in a greasy way. I usually can not stand to even look at the tentacles but they were just as good as the rings! My sisters had the carbonara which, they made clear they were unimpressed with. It was just okay. The sauce was bland. My boyfriend and best friend both enjoyed the shrimp and clam linguini which came in a divine white wine sauce. I think they enjoyed their dishes more than anyone else. I had the pumpkin ravioli, which disappointingly came with 3 little scallops! They weren't even U-10. That was pretty upsetting but they were perfectly cooked. The pumpkin ravioli was good but I would not try it again. It was slightly sweet. I personally don't like the sweet and salty mix but that's just me. The lobster ravioli really took the cake for me. The service wasn't very interactive as far as conversation between the server and guests but I can understand what it feels like to wait on a larger group and not knowing whether you are intruding or not. My one complaint would be that the server felt the need to remind me the amount my groupon discounted from the check as if I couldn't read that myself and tip based on the pre-discounted total. I found that insulting. Other than that I would definitely visit Bon Caldo again! (probably not with another groupon). Overall, I had a good experience. If my review was based solely off of the food and ambience I would have rated 4 stars!
(3)
Noah E.
We went in during a busy time of night but our table of 7 was seated right away. The menu has a great selection, including handmade pastas and fresh ingredients. Our server was great as well, and portion sizes were great. One question though...there is beef, chicken, fish, and veal on the menu...but no pork??
(5)
Ik B.
I actually engaged my wife here last year and i am going back for a dinner on Sunday the 16th for our one engagement anniversary .They are really good.
(4)
Dan C.
OK, first the good.The restaurant itself is very warm and welcoming. Great atmosphere, decor, etc. It's a bit dark inside, but nice. Now the bad.. the food-- bland, not much flavor. the red sauce was more like a cocktail sauce. I ordered the prime rib medium well, came out medium rare. sent it back, as did another person in my party who ordered the same and his was red raw, too. Came back out the same way, but this time was delivered by a scowling oaf, who seemed upset that he had to deliver my food again. This guy had ZERO personality and should not have interaction with customers. I would not recommend.
(2)
Bridget G.
The service was AMAZING....thank you Amy and Edwardo!!!! You guys rock!!! We enjoyed the food and wine but the owner is the most unprofessional person we have ever dealt with! Our group had Gilt City coupons - the owner told us how much money he lost on these and insulted our entire table. Additionally, he called us a bunch of second graders when we asked him to use multiple coupons at one table. We asked to move to 2 separate tables to accomodate requirements of the coupon and he chose to embarass us. If he did not treat us in this fashion he would have 9+ new customers. It is obvious that this restaurant has a negative vibe because at the end of our night there was a fight in the kitchen between staff that resulted in a serious verbal altercation. In the end my husband tried to shake the owners hand to make amends but the owner chose not to shake his hand and again reacted in a confrontational manner. It is unfortunate but we will never go back!! Our recommendation is to stay far away from Bon Caldo, Norwood MA!!!!
(1)
Paula C.
Food, atmosphere and service was fantastic.
(4)
lily l.
OMG that's all I have to say, I expected alot out of this restaurant as we pulled up to a large sign that said "Phantom Gourmet's choice for Italian". We walked into a dimly lit restaurant and was greeted promptly by a hostess and was quickly seated. As we sat we looked around and enjoyed the view. Before I could even open up a menu a waitor came up to me and asked what I would like to drink. Which is fine, sometimes service wants to get the tab started and so I just opted for water. My fiance seemed a bit annoyed and I tried to just laugh it off. Then immediately following we had another waitor come up to us and asked if we would like to place a drink order...we thought to ourselves "again?" again we said we were fine with water he then started naming the specials...now mind you there was italian music playing in the background and the waitor was slightly soft spoken and took two steps towards my fiance and spoke only to him. Now needless to say I was very annoyed. I simply said to the waitor TWICE, excuse me sir I only heard less than half of what you said. He excused himself, but at this point I just said it was fine and that I would just order off the regular menu. What a surprise, the "I'm too good for this table" waitor decided another waitor must take his place and a THIRD waitor appeared. This one was at least very pleasant and gave us plenty of space. Dinner - mussels, they were ok not bad but not great. Fiance had the clams with white sauce and I had the some type of seafood pasta dish. I was dissapointed that freshly grated parm was never offered, nor was desert. If our third waitor was our first and only waitor I would've offered this restaurant at least 4 stars...unfortunately I have been spoiled with North End's portions and food. I definitely was not impressed.
(2)
Brian M.
Despite the fact that our waiter was totally hitting on my girlfriend, I loved this place. To be honest, the waiter was pretty funny and very good at his job (despite the fact that he misheard us when we ordered a bottle of wine and nearly brought us a $150 bottle...I'm glad he came back to double check). I'm kinda surprised she didn't leave me for him. We arrived at 5 (in order to make it home in time for a playoff game) and the place was obviously dead. With the exception of two 70 year old couples we had the place to ourselves. So we were promptly seated and the waiter had ample time to go through the specials, offer suggestions on what to order, and check in on us. The food was great. It took me quite a while to decide on what to eat because there were several options on the menu that sounded really good. The meatball appetizer was a little denser than I like my meatballs, but still quite tasty in a very good sauce. On a side note. why do most restaurants seem to serve their meatballs in odd numbers? The girlfriend and I nearly got into a knife fight over who got the fifth meatball. We both enjoyed our pasta dishes and the dessert was also a hit. The bill was very reasonable considering we had an app, two entrees, a dessert, and a bottle of wine. Even after the girlfriend fell for the Italian watier's doting and left a generous tip, we didn't hit triple digits. After an enjoyable night I have a feeling that we'll be making our way back to this place.
(5)
Edward P.
Every time I come here I always end up ordering the same thing because it is so delicious. The braised beef short ribs over polenta with a wine reduction sauce. It's just fabulous. Tastes similar to beef bourguignon , but it's better. The beef just melts in your mouth Sign up for email specials , they usually have some great deals like buy 1 meal get 2nd meal free, but on short notice . They email you in morning and the Internet coupon is good only for that day. They will let you just show them the coupon on your phone screen. Any way this place is always a pleasure to visit. It is very nice inside and service is excellent. Someday I will try something else on the menu and update this review, but those shortribs are just to darned good to pass up.
(4)
Nora S.
Had a Groupon for Bon Caldo and went with a friend this past Friday night. We had a reservation for table in the bar area. The hostess seated us promptly. And we sat, for 10 minutes with no waitperson in sight. Finally asked a waitperson going by our table who our server was. She said she didn't know, but came back a few minutes later and said she would take our drink over and our server would be there in a few minutes. When he showed he simply said no one told him we were there. The service was not good. He was not friendly and a little on the surly side, just throwing plates on the table. The appetizer was ok (grilled shrimp). I ordered pan friend sea scallops with pumpkin ravioli and my friend ordered swordfish. They were four of the smallest sea scallops I've ever seen (they couldn't possibly have been sea scallops) and were swimming in sauce ($23). My friend did not like her swordfish and had only a few bites. She didn't think it tastes fresh and was topped off with too many chopped tomatoes. She said the mash potatoes were good. When we told our server we were not pleased with our food he said "those are our two most popular dishes." Really?? He did buy us a glass of wine, but it did not make up for this dismal meal and poor service. Will not be back......ever.
(1)
Dawn E.
The only thing that sucked about my experience at Bon Caldo was who I chose to take. Whiny bitch complained about how the portions weren't big enough (and they were plenty big) and how everything was too expensive (I was buying - shut up) and how his lobster was undercooked (his perfectly cooked lobster that might have been the most perfectly cooked lobster on the planet). Everything here is perfection. Yes, it's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. The sauces are rich and delightful. The meats are always juicy and perfectly cooked. The pasta is at just that perfect point where al dente almost ends and soft begins.... I dumped the loser years ago, but I kept Bon Caldo close to my heart.
(4)
Lisa K.
I thought the service was good. the staff was accommodating to our large family size. The food was wonderful however desert was a little to rich for my taste. For an italian style meal I would recommend this place to friends. W e actually had a family function and we had a lot of fun.
(3)
Nicole N.
Hands down the best Italian south of Hanover and north of Federal Hill. Great place for business dinners, romantic, first date, a girls night out... but who needs an excuse to get some tasty Italian food, just go! They also have a bar separate from the dining area in which you can eat at as well if you want a more casual experience. Ive been here twice and plan on coming back again soon. (Tried the bolognese & carbanora, both were excellent)
(5)
T C.
My wife and I went to BonCaldo's for the first time tonight. It was quite good. We had the eggplant and mussels appetizers and both were excellent. Their tomato sauce is very good. Veal marsala was quite good, although the sauce was a bit thin for my taste and I thought there was more prosciutto than mushrooms. I guess that's really nitpicking; it was very good and I ate every bite. My wife had the chicken and artichoke dish which I didn't try but she liked it very much. We split the cannoli for dessert (you get two!) and they were excellent, shell was very crispy. Complaints are really minor, no cheese offered to sprinkle on the marsala, my wife got a different wine than what she ordered, and the thin marsala sauce. Leaving, the hostess & manager(?) stood there and nobody said bye, thanks for coming, or anything. I admit, these are really picky points. We'll be back. The place was very good, and it's very nice inside. Don't know why it was so empty at 6PM saturday night.
(4)
Deb F.
I really enjoy this place. It is set back a tad on route 1 so you need to look for it... and I don't think it looks that appealing from the outside. We didn't go for a while because, frankly, we thought it was French food (I have nothing against French food, it just isn't something I eat a lot of) - but once we realized it was Italian we tried it out! The food is really good. We've been there a few times and had fish, meat, and chicken dishes - all of which passed the test. The wine is delish and fairly priced - and both our waiters have made good recommendations as to what accompanies our food. When you make reservations they take you right on time, the ambiance is nice and soft, not too noisy (even with a table with children next to us), and the staff are great. When my leftovers were thrown out by accident I got a brand new half order put in my "doggy bag". They really take care of you there (and don't look down on you for using coupons!) - this is why we will go for special occasions or whenever the craving strikes! Great local food!
(4)
Sheila F.
I went on a date there last weekend because there was a Groupon for Bon Caldo that week. I don't know if I ever would have tried a restaurant on Route 1 otherwise. But it was great. They had very attentive staff so we didn't have to wait too long for anything. We started with the scallops wrapped in prosciutto and then I had the braised short ribs over polenta while my boyfriend had the cannelloni stuffed with groun beef, pork, and veal. We were extremely pleased with all of the dishes. The braised short ribs definitely worth coming back for.
(4)
Juan C.
Place has gotten worse from 2 years ago. It smells bad inside -- maybe carpets need to be replaced. Very warm on one side of restaurant. steak ordered medium rare but came as medium to well done and it was cold. Others in my party didn't like either. The wait staff was indifferent. The place is also too dark
(2)
Champagne C.
Gee, I'm not sure where the other yelpers are getting the 5 stars from. The place is OK but certainly not worth raving about. Ambiance is too dark - you feel like you're in a storage cellar. Big gaudy wall mural doesn't help. All 3 times I've been there, the room has been cold, too. There is a constant noisy din and there's always a table of people who are just too loud. SInce we've had this experience all 3 times we've been there, I suspect that the acoustics are bad. I would NOT go here for a special occasion but am happy to stop in for dinner on the way home on a weekday. re the food: Fun wine list. And, lots of by the glass choices if you like to adjust your wine choices to what you are eating. We appreciated that the vintages were printed on the menu. We didn't challenge the bar tender with a classic cocktail request. They have lots of vodka "martinis" on the bev menu if you're into sweet drinks. Artisanal bread served with a cold garlicky red sauce. Tasted fine. Shrimp risoto was made properly and served well. Tasted great. Veal tenderloin special was delicious. HOWEVER Beware, if you're hungry and want to avoid the temptation of eating a dessert, order a salad, too. At our last visit here, I chose not to add a salad and regretted it. I was still a little hungry after dinner but didn't want the calories of a dessert. Went home and had a bowl of vegetable soup!
(3)
Victoria M.
My parents had given my fiance a gift card to Bon Caldo when he received his MBA back in May. We were saving it for a special occasion... whats more special than a birthday dinner just the two of us. I made reservations online the night before, and they politely called the next day to confirm. We showed up early for our 7:30 reservation, and they were able to seat us right away. After looking around the dining area, there was no need for a reservation, but you can never be too sure. The decor is typical of an Italian restaurant. But with a bit more class. There were real candles on the tables, and you were given new flatware with each course. The center of the dining area had a nice fireplace. The booths were roomy without being too big. We started our meal off with the Fritto appetizer, and two Terza's (1/3 of a bottle) of wine. The Fritto consisted of fried calamari, fried shrimp, and fried red onions. It was delicious... well the calamari, and the onions were (I don't like fried shrimp). The Terza's were just the right amount of wine for the entire meal without springing for a whole bottle. For our meals my fiance ordered the 10 ounce New York sirloin with spinach and twice backed potatoes. He ordered the steak medium, but it came out more medium-rare. But he still enjoyed it. It was easy to cut into, and just melted in your mouth. I ordered the Oscar... pan seared veal scallopini, lump crab meat, roma tomatoes, whipped potato, and sauteed zucchini. I wasn't sure how the crab meat was going to go with the rest of the dish. But it was delicious. The crab really complimented the veal well. The potatoes were creamy, and smooth. We didn't have any room for dessert... which I am a bit bummed about. I really wanted to try their Tiramisu. It was a great dining experience. The location is convenient, with ample parking right off of Route 1. And the service is accommodating, without being overbearing. They really pride themselves on allowing the guest to enjoy their meal, and take their time in between courses. LOVE THIS PLACE!
(4)
Colleen B.
I was starved when we arrived and glad to see bread on the table. But sad when I bit in and the bread was hard and stale. NOT COOL. Maybe it was an off night, but that bread was really weird. Appetizers made a recovery with a juicy goat cheese and beet salad. The presentation was a 10 and the taste was a 10+. I heart beets! Overall the menu selection was huge and there seem to be something for everyone. Though I didn't think there were enough special entrees to differentiate it between other Italian bistros especially in Waltham. ENTREES...there were hits and big misses: HITS -Wood grilled salmon with potatoes and a brown butter sauce was exceptionally savory. Capers were ginormous and full of salty goodness (Though I'd wished my waiter listened to the fact that I wanted a "light" brown butter sauce) -gnocchi di ricotta was truly soft "little pillows" as described. We were all jealous of this one -brasato di manzo which I think is Italian for "my husband's entree is better than mine". I was sneaking bites of the tender beef short ribs and additively creamy polenta -Wine list was a wine-o's delight MISSES -The ravioli must have been having an off night, much like the bread. The white wine butter sauce tasted and smelled funky and was promptly sent back. Desserts were pretty standard. I thought the tiramisu was a touch bland. Service was ok. I wasn't "wowed" overall. The waiter adeptly handled the returned entree and replaced it with the fantastic gnocchi. In closing, I think I'd like to spend big money at one of the upscale Italian restaurants in Waltham over Bon Caldo.
(2)
Joanie L.
I always wish there were half stars, 3.5 is what I really want to rate it. Finally tried Bon Caldo after being curious for a while then buying a Groupon (or Buywithme or CoupMe or whichever). The parking lot looked jammed but it was quiet inside. Sat at the bar and had friendly if a bit brusque service from the bartender. I like that you can pay a couple dollars more for basically a 2nd glass of wine, had a nice dry white. Friend wasn't thrilled w/ their beer choices so stuck w/ water. Bread was fair, some hard some soft and not a huge fan of the tomato sauce served with it so asked for olive oil. Meatballs were delicious, salad was ample but too much vinegar in the dressing. We split a chicken breast dish w/ supposed risotto but the sauce w/ the dish kind of took away any risotto consistency. Good but the pasta w/ eggplant and smoked mozzarella was better. Some women chatting with the owner about the Phantom Gourmet appearance. If I lived in Norwood, I'd visit more often.
(4)
David M.
This is one of the better Italian Restaurants in the area. The service was excellent and the food was fantastic. My friend and I started off by sharing a fried calamari appetizer. It was fried nicely and came with a nice dipping sauce. The one thing I did not like was the dipping sauce that came with the bread. I had my friend laughing just by the facial expressions I made while tasting some. I had the Veal Marsala. It was cooked nice and tender. The Marsala sauce was excellent. It was loaded with Prosciutto and mushrooms. My friend had the Layman's lobster. She thought it was delicious but was a little low on the lobster. The dessert menu looked impressive but I was too stuffed to order some. I highly recommend Bon Caldo!!!
(4)
Timothy G.
Absolutely atrocious service. Waited 2 hours for food (literally). Never visited by a manager and we HAD to ASK FOR A COMP. When we went to leave manager conveniently went to the other side of the dining room. From a former waiter there is NO EXCUSE! !! I will NEVER go there again.
(1)
Elizabeth S.
One of the best restaurants in the Boston area. Better than those in the heart of Boston's north end. Wonderful service and superb food. If we are fortunate enough to visit the area again it will be the only restaurant we visit! Best of all Lori made us feel like we were part of the family.
(5)
Ronald L.
Excellent dinner menu. I was their tonight and staff was friendly and attentive. This was my first time there and definitely not my last. more to come later on the menu..
(5)
David C.
Man... this place is bad.. Hostess was a young girl who would rather have been any place else on a Saturday night. Barely cracked a smile nor gave any welcome. Just looked up at us when we walked in. Entered a dining room in which the atmosphere was right out of the 80's. Waiter was invisible most of night and when he was around he didn't get our order right. Ceasar salads were mushy, short ribs were very fatty, pasta dishes were not good. Just not a good place.
(1)
Erin M.
The boyfriend got a promotion at work, so I decided to be a super nice girlfriend and take him out for a nice dinner to celebrate! I had plans to take him somewhere else, but then the Phantom Gourmet aired an Italian restaurant special that morning, and I'm a sucker for food visuals... so there went that plan! I made an early reservation for 5, since the Bruins playoff game was on at 7, and being the amazing girlfriend I am, I didn't want him to miss any of it. The reservation ended up being completely unnecessary, since the place was pretty dead that early, but better safe than sorry! The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice. Sophisticated and homey feeling, with a wood fireplace at the center of the main dining room. Our server was training a new guy, so we kind of had two servers throughout the meal. One of them was pretty much fresh off the boat from Italy, and he did a pretty fantastic job of buttering me up for a good tip. He was pretty shamelessly flirting with me throughout the meal, but in a funny and endearing sort of way. I didn't really mind... which probably had something to do with his dreamy accent... and the fact that he kept trying to pour me more wine than the boyfriend. The boyfriend didn't seem to mind much either once he tasted the food. The bread was a little bit to hard for my liking, and came with some sort of cold tomato sauce, which I also wasn't crazy about. We opted to save the rest of the bread for sopping up extra sauce later in the meal. We started off with the meatball app (they had a fancier name for it, but I forget what it was) while we continued to peruse the entree selections. It was very tasty and the sauce was fantastic. There was a lot that sounded delicious on the menu, but I, of course, went straight for the gnocchi. The boyfriend took a lot longer than usual trying to decide on what he wanted before finally settling on the fettuccine bolognese. Both were *fantastic* The gnocchi was the lightest, fluffiest, gnocchi I've ever tasted... but in fairness, they did sort of cheat. There was no potato in it. It was made of creamy delicious ricotta that was formed into little fluffy pillows. I think I still might prefer traditional potato gnocchi (when done right) over it, but it was still very drool-worthy! We ordered an appetizer, two handmade pasta entrees, a dessert, and a bottle of wine and didn't even end up going into triple digits after (a generous and well-flirted-for) tip! Try pulling that trick in the North End! Great service, great ambiance, great service, and fantastic food for a decent price! We will be returning!
(5)
Mark W.
We were disappointed in our overall Wednesday evening dinning experience at Bon Caldo Ristorante. The appetizers were poor to fair an example was the calamari appetizer with hot cherry peppers which was missing the hot cherry peppers and substituted with onion rings which there was more of then the calamari. The veal dish tasted metallic and the mash potatoes were not real potatoes. The pasta in the chicken marsala was warm almost cold and the chicken was over cooked and flavorless. I could taste the gin in my dirty vodka martini, apparently the bartender didn't clean the shaker. Watch out or the sand and broken shells in the clam and mussel dish... The real surprise was the finial bill that included an 18% gratuity for a PARTY OF FIVE?!?! And no, nothing was mentioned on the menu or the website of the forced gratuity. The only good part of this meal was the desserts, which were all very good. We do not recommend this place at all.
(1)
Lisa P.
I went with friends for a nice dinner out. Ambiance was okay; we expected old folks to be there, but there were a coupe of families and a couple on a date. The restaurant said it's "dressy", not so much. The staff was very nice. The bread was served with a cold marinara sauce; we had to ask for olive oil and butter for the group. The olive oil was almost empty when we got it, just strange. The beef carpaccio was okay, I had never seen the perfect circles of beef before, looked like it had been on the plate for a while. What really disappointed me was the wine cellar/menu. The first bottle we asked for was a 2004 Chianti. We were brought out a 2007, which i sent back. We then asked for a second 2004 Chianti on the wine list and were brought a 2008! It does make a difference, in taste and in price. I didn't want to embarrass my friends, so we just took it...and were charged the same price as the 2004. Pretty lame. The eggplant pasta dish was okay, the fried shrimp and pasta was okay...certainly nothing to write home about. the wine bait and switch was not cool. either update your wine list, or give a break on the price of the lesser wine you do have. With so many good restaurants within a 30 minute drive, we won't go again.
(2)
K F.
Bon Caldo is in a great location (plenty of parking) right on route 1 in Norwood. The restaurant is beautiful inside, the staff is extremely professional and courteous and the food is to die for. I have only been disappointed once when they closed early because "it was slow". I hate when restaurants do that...don't post your hours if they are going to change. They are consistently excellent. The Chicken Picatta is so juicy and the sauce is perfection every time. The mashed potatoes are never dry and old. Yes it is a simple, popular and perhaps over done dish but when done right it is so exciting. Their Ceasar is the best around...dressing is clearly homemade garlicky and creamy with homemade croutons and white anchovies (optional of course). I have never had anything from Bon Caldo that wasn't amazing this includes desserts!!
(5)
Nina R.
Similar to Michelle M., we went here on a Tuesday night. It was pretty quiet but we appreciated feeling like we had the restaurant to ourselves. First, the bread was good, however, it was served with a cold red sauce which left us going for the butter. The chicken parm(which all italian restaurants should get right) was tender but it lacked flavor and was too thick. I like a thinner cutlet so you really taste the fried breadcrumbs, but this was kind of on the soggier side. The gelato tasted more like ice cream but it satisifed my chocolate craving. The chicken marsala my husband got had a good taste but it didn't have a lot of sauce. Overall, I wouldn't rush to go back here. It has a nice ambience but the food like another reviewer said was forgettable.
(2)
Melissa S.
I've been there once for my husband birthday and we really like it! The service is great, the food is delicious and not that pricy! The atmosphere is nice and warm. They have as an appetizer smoked clams, my husband asked the waiter to make like a dinner plate (bigger) and it wasn't a problem at all. The may negotiate and substitute easy for something you want.
(5)
Mike M.
Bon Caldo is a great place to eat with a fantastic menu. They are now serving pizza which is a good addition to the menu. The chicken parm and marsala are quite good as are the portions. The waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. The decor of the restaurant is also very inviting.
(4)
Jackie A.
My boyfriend & I went here for a nice dinner. I enjoyed everything about it, except our waitress. The appitizer was my favorite. It was a combo with fried shrimp, fried calamari & fried onions. I couldn't stop eating it!...Delicious. I had the Chicken Marsala which was quite yummy and left me with enough for dinner the next night. I believe it had bacon instead of prochutto which was a nice surprise. My boyfriend had the Veal Marsala which came out as 2 huge pieces of veal & a huge portion of pasta. Very good as well. Unfortunetly we had no room for dessert. Definitly looking forward to going back. Sky next door is also very good.
(4)
Holly M.
Had to go here for a company dinner last eve and boy was I surprised. The atmosphere is not for the young, or young at heart even, but it was perfect food. The only reason I am giving this place a 4 star is b/c of the crowd. It totally had the over 55 thing goin on, but thats cool, cause my company is a bit older. Anyway, I digress. The food was so good. The wine was great. The parking was easy and from what I could tell, the price was good. It was great to not have to go all the way downtown for a great meal. I would totally go again :)
(4)
A W.
I really wanted to like this place and had high hopes based on the reviews here. But, I knew it was a bad sign when there were 3 cars in the parking lot at 6pm!!! There were only 2 tables being waited on (including our table of 2 people) and the service was extremely slow!! The salad had way too much dressing to start. The gnocchi was mushy and tasteless and the chicken parm tasted like it was re-heated- how do you mess up chicken parm?! We didn't even finish the meal it was so bad. As for the service, we only saw the waiter once, to take our initial order. What a disaster!!!
(1)
Dan S.
I'm only writing this review to save fellow diners their time and money, for this place really does not deserve a review. If you care about atmosphere, it's pretty awful..but I'm mostly concerned with food, which may be summed up as simply disgusting. I do not know how this place remains in business, but unfortunately it has and I hope you are lucky enough to stumble across my review before going. Not only will you be presented with food that is borderline inedible, but you'll be charged somewhat high prices for it (considering the quality). They advertise that they are phantom gourmet's choice for Italian, which baffles me. Although phantom isn't the greatest of food authorities, one wonders how they could even have eaten this food. None of the people in my party were able to eat more than a few bites of their rock hard (undercooked) pasta, or beyond oily short ribs, not to mention that salty pizza?!?! Yikes, serious problems with this place.. i guess that's why it's always empty.
(1)
Lizzy K.
I came here with a big group of people and we had a backroom. I wasn't impressed. The decor of these backrooms were tacky to the point where I was distracted. It was very hard to find something on the menu and the waiter wasn't too helpful with deciding, besides stating the obvious. I ended up getting a Scampi which was OK but there was more sauce than pasta and it was definitely under-seasoned. Many people complained about their dishes being too plain. Service was accommodating and polite.
(2)
TinoX T.
Good place,Nice Food,The Service is very SLowwww. Good Place during Week Days.
(3)
Kay B.
My husband and I bought a groupon here since we just moved to the area. The food was delicious. It was for an app and 2 entrees. I got a pasta dish and my husband got the maiale, which is a pork dish and there wasn't anything left on his plate. Great to make reservation before hand on opentable. Service was a little slow, but we did go at the end of the night. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice date night!
It's astonishing to me that this place is still in business. Very expensive and some of the worst Italian food I have ever had, especially for the price. My wife and I went here once for a wedding anniversary 5 years ago and still talk about the price of the meal, the poor service, and the bad food. Very, very overpriced wine too. We since moved to Connecticut and think this restaurant would be closed in a week if it had to compete with the great Italian restaurants down here. The restaurant's exterior looks very regal and the inside is dark and kind of romantic. Not a good spot to take kids. But, the food and the service were memorably bad.
(1)
Lamont C.
A step up from the Chateau, many steps behind Federal Hill or the North End. First the positives, Servings were big and price was in line with what you would pay for the quality. Chocolate Gelato was a big serving but oddly tasted like chocolate Ice cream versus a Gelato and was suspect, reminded me of breyers Ice cream. I had the veal Oscar and the Potatoes were served mashed and were tasty. Now the negatives; The veal was tough and the asparagus was not even cooked. Antipasti was big but could have used a little more flavor. At least I know now not to go back and that was what I said to the wife going in. Although there is no smoking in the establishment it does not help when the two hipsters beside us with their parents went out to smoke and came back reaking of cigarette smoke.
(1)
Lindsey M.
Went to Bon Caldo on a Friday night and got a reservation via Open table. The table split the PEI mussles and the caprese salad. The appetizers were really tasty and a generous portion. For main meals the food was OK, I got a lobster special that included lobster meat baked with bread crumbs and a side of corn/chive risotto. The lobster still had veins in it and tasted a little different, the risotto was really dry and flavorless. I was not impressed with the service. Our waiter was very slow to take our order and never asked if we wanted anything else. We had to call out to him a few times for more water or additional items. When the waiter came over with our second bottle of wine, he poured it and never asked me to taste it. I felt rushed and not very cared for in terms of service. If I ever went back again I would definitely get the wine again as they do have a great wine list and the wine specials are a good deal. I would never get any of the lobster specials again.
The two stars are solely for the great wine selection, the good meatball appetizer, and the OK eggplant appetizer. My fiance got a "terzo" (1/3 bottle) of the nicest pinot noir on the menu -- we're actually going to pick up a bottle on the way home, it was that good. The hostess was also quite nice and asked us if we'd prefer a table for two available right when we arrived, or if we'd like to wait a couple more minutes for a booth....we opted for a cozy booth in the dining room. The decor was a bit cheesy, with the giant painted murals and electric fireplace. However, that is unfortunately where Bon Caldo's limited redeeming qualities end. The "proscuitto-wrapped filet mignon" special was disgusting and gelatinous. The meat was gray, covered in a white cream sauce and odd balsamic vinegar, and nearly inedible. The proscuitto was the thickest cut I've ever seen and was also chewy and gelatinous. The mozzarella appetizer was cold. The service was quite bad -- the waitress was friendly enough when she was at the table, but she stopped at the booth behind ours to talk to her friends for 5+ minutes before she even put in our drink order. Needless to say, we will not be back.
(2)
Shari J.
Visited on a Saturday night for our anniversary. Ordered glasses of wine, an app and food. Got the app in a reasonable amount of time. 20 minutes later, wine has yet to arrive. Waitress tries to take our app away when we are clearly not done -- we stop her, but ask about our missing wine. No apology -- only that the "bar is backed up" (I'm pretty sure it takes a matter of seconds to pour two glasses of wine). We finish app, 10 minutes later wine finally appears (hallelujah). Runner finally brings our food, places it down without saying a word (a little bit weird, but that's okay). I ordered chicken parm. I take one bite, and it tastes "off". I look at it, and it's either that flattest, grey-est piece of chicken I've ever eaten, or it's veal. I call the waitress over, and she scoops it up, only saying that it's for another table (no apology). I don't eat red meat for dietary reasons, I haven't for 20+ years, and I'm pretty disgusted that I just bit into some, unknowingly. I get a real chicken parm a few minutes later, but by now I've already lost my appetite. Waitress sees that I'm not eating, but doesn't say anything. Definitely a disappointing anniversary meal. I would never pay full price here, I wouldn't even recommend buying one of their Groupons. Just not worth it. How can I trust them to bring the right food? My husband has a cheese allergy -- if they weren't paying attention to that, that would have been VERY bad. My father has celiac -- again, would not be good if the kitchen fumbled this. Pay attention, Bon Caldo, or customers like myself will be out the door for good..
(2)
cabrio q.
I came here to use a groupon. It was dead. I almost felt bad for the staff it seemed lifeless! I had the fra diavlo it was mediocre and my friend had Marsala again mediocre. Nothing to go back for.
(3)
Vivian C.
A voucher deal popped up for BonCaldo so I ran over to Yelp to give it a look-over. I decided that there were enough good things being said that I'd give them a shot. BonCaldo is located on a stretch of Route 1, west of Route 95/128, across the street from IHOP, neighbor to Sky. A benefit of this area is that there was plenty of parking in their private lot. Out on their sign they advertised a dinner for 2 with wine for $40, and their Lazyman lobster specials. We bit on the lobster, selecting the lobster al forno $26 (twin lobster oven baked in a casserole, crumb topping, corn & chive risotto). As the lobster specials were not available with their voucher deals, we simply ordered more than enough off the menu to cover the value of the voucher without consideration of the lobster, and thus, we had lobster! They started us off with glasses of ice water and a basket of bread with some tomato sauce. The bread was merely a conveyor of the sauce to my mouth. It was 20 minutes till the melanzana (layered parmigiana eggplant - calabro ricotta - mozzarella - san marzano tomato sauce) $7 arrived piping hot to the table. Its many thin layers of sliced eggplant were many layers of deliciousness. With the bread, the eggplant, and the frozen yogurt we had consumed before heading out this way, the edge of our appetite was satiated, and good thing too since it was several minutes still after our last bites of eggplant before the lobster arrived with the pappardelle (braised short rib - wild mushrooms - cream - truffle oil - fresh pappardelle) $19 and the $4 side of grilled asparagus. The asparagus tasted fine, but numbered only 6 in stalks. The pasta was rough thick wide noodles, prepared al dente, and rich with fungus. It was tasty, but the shreds of short rib acted more as seasoning than main protein ingredient - if short rib is your priority, get the entree instead. The lobster seemed rather puny in proportion to the metal shell casserole dish it was served in till you realize as you shift through the pieces that there are indeed enough half tail pieces and claws to count two entire crustaceans topped with the rich rough toasted crumbs. We had been warned to particularly beware of the casserole dish as it was hot, however this entire course was actually rather tepid. The pasta ranked the hottest at an easy to eat temperature, followed by the lobster at just warm, and last was the lumpy risotto accompanying the casserole dish which was actually a bit cold in spots. We brought this to the server's attention, and presented the solution we wished for - a fresh plate of the risotto - as the lobster, though only warm, was tasty and tender enough. The new plateful was creamy with flavors that were better revealed by the hotter temperature. It also looked much more appetizing. A thirteen minutes wait produced two desserts, but until I tasted the darker of the two, I hadn't realize that we had been brought a torta (rich warm molten chocolate bundt cake, coconut sorbetto, caramel swirls) $8 in place of the budino (blueberry custard & croissant bread pudding, fresh creme anglaise) $8 that we had selected to go with the coppa (ripe bananas sauteed in vin santo and brown sugar served in a phylo cup with vanilla bean gelato) $8 - we were going for a fruit theme. This was quickly remedied once we brought it to their attention. Portions of the desserts were acceptable, and all were tasty and moist. I preferred the banana most, followed by the blueberry, and last but not least, the chocolate. From our entrance, to our departure, dinner lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes - a bit more leisurely than the average dinner out.
(3)
Matt S.
BonCaldo is a nicely staged restaurant with an intimate ambiance. It's business casual, and the wait staff was friendly, though not exceptional. The food was sadly sub-par. I went with a group of eight, and as a result, I got to sample several dishes. Granted, this was only one night, and one experience, but this is what I found: The antipasto plate was good. The selection of meats and cheeses wasn't astounding, but was better than most restaurants would provide here in the US. The meats presented were delicious, though I felt like the selection would have been well -served by including something other than just prosciutto and ham. A nice salami would have been a good addition. Also, the amount of cheese was rather small - a single slice of buffalo mozzarella (but hey, it was actually buffalo mozzarella, so that was good) and another hard cheese that disappeared before the plate got to me. Parmesan? And the selection of olives was nice. There was a _lot_ of vegetables. A summer squash of some kind, egg plant, olives, a mound of roasted red peppers. Too many vegetables, I would say, but the flavor was decent. Two plates served seven adults well. Unfortunately, the pasta plates were just bad. I ordered the orecchiette with sausage, my wife ordered the mezzaluna with spinach, and my neighbor on the other side ordered the lobster scampi with linguine. Universally, the food was over cooked. My orecchiette had just been dumped from a box into water, and then seemingly not stirred until they were ready to be taken out, because the plate basically consisted of clumps of noodles where they would be under-cooked in the middle and rubbery on the outside. To their credit, the sausage was good, and cooked well. My wife's mezzaluna was filed with spinach, and that part of the noodle was good, but the outside ring was almost inedible it was so overcooked. I don't know if the noodles were dumped in the water frozen and boiled until the middle was cooked, or not, but this is really not how you cook pasta. An Italian restaurant should know this. My neighbor's linguine was apparently so overdone that she didn't even want to send it back, she felt so bad. I can't say that the food is always like this, or that the non-pasta dishes are ill-prepared. Someone at our table got the maiale (bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin) and said that it was fantastic, so it's possible that the person who normally cooks pasta was out and someone who doesn't know how to cook pasta took over for them. I don't know, but I know based on my experience, I wouldn't order the pasta again, and that's a shame because the menu that chef Angelo Costa put together looks wonderful. This doesn't directly reflect on the food, but I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that we tried to order champagne, and the first two selections we tried were out (they had the third). I didn't think anything about this, except when I went to get my newly-married friend an after-dinner scotch, they were also out of the Macallan 21. It seems strange to me that they would run their bar like that, but again, it doesn't directly impact the food. It just helped to lower my impression of the restaurant. I would like to try BonCaldo again, if only to see if my first impressions were wrong. I read some other reviews before I posted this, and apparently they recently took part in a GroupOn thing, so it's possible that I could have come when supplies were low and when no one knew how to cook pasta. I don't know, but I think that the restaurant should definitely work on increasing the quality of the food that they plate and serve to customers.
(2)
Beezee H.
Tried BonCaldo for the first time about a month ago and it was by far one of the worst meals I've ever had. We went with another couple that had a Groupon, and gosh I was relieved we didn't pay full price for what we ordered. No one enjoyed their meals, I don't remember the name of my meal, but the mushroom cream sauce that it came with was so sweet that you could smell it when the waitress put it on the table. Not a good thing. The restaurant was dead on a Thursday night. If they were trying to bring in new patrons by offering a Groupon, they aren't succeeding. Anyone who gives this place more than 3 stars either knows the owners/management, or had a cold when they ate there. The service was OK - friendly - but not professional. Our waitress had her fingers in inside of the dishes when we she served our food, and couldn't open a bottle of wine to save her life.
(1)
Mike V.
I agree with most others that I probably wouldn't come here without the Groupon/Living Social deal. Ordered bolognese, and the portions, for pasta, were pretty skimpy. We've always had good, attentive, service. The food is by no means bad, it's just far from memorable.
(2)
Deb W.
Disappointed in this restaurant. Write up in the local paper so thought we would check it out on a Sat night. Sat in the lounge as no table was available in dining room. Ordered fish with lemon sauce. Risotto came with it but it was so garlicky that it killed the fish taste. Veggie was tough, I think it was broccolini. Husband had a steak which he said was good, he did not eat the sides which came with steak. Salads were fine. No dessert for us. Will be a while before we go back. Chef needs to get the flavors right. Friends love it. Wonder what they order?
(2)
Anonymous J.
The worst place I've ever eating at. In addition it was expensive too. My meal was bland and burnt. I ordered steak and it came out not the way I would expect it to be. There was no flavor, juice or even looks that would appeal me to enjoy my meal! The vegetable that came with as the sides were so disgusting and bitter!
(1)
V R.
Not great food or service for a Saturday night. Maybe just an off night who knows but I would not be rushing back any time soon. Food lacked flavor.
(2)
Polly S.
This place has gotten progressively worse the last few times I visited. On my last visit, the broccoli rabe that accompanied the overcooked haddock was so salty that it was on the verge of being bitter - not to mention that they looked brownish. My husband's seafood linguine was also salty and you can smell how fresh the clams and shrimp were - not. Anyways I won't be coming back which is sad since I was looking for a solid place for Italian.
(2)
Jennifer I.
One of the worst meals I've ever had at a restaurant and I was embarrassed that I even suggested to bring friends here. Here ya go.... Restaurant Decor: Very dark and dreary Food: It came out so fast that there was no way that anything was "homemade". I ordered the orichette which consisted of Ragu sauce (I wish I was kidding), sundried tomatoes (Never had these in red sauce), really wilted broccoli rabe (I think) and 4 slices of sausage. Everyone elses dish looked just as sad. When the waitress brought over the bread it was actually inedible. Wine: They only had one Malbec on the wine list. Being that Malbecs are so popular now you would suspect more variety. Either way that was awful. Service: The service is very weird here. The waitresses had their hands actually in our dishes when they served us. It was disgusting. It took us a while to get started on ordering dinner and it just was not classy service in any way. Thank god this was paid via a Groupon b/c there is NO way I would pay $160 for 4 people to go here.
(1)
Erin L.
The hostess was really nice. Went WAY downhill from there. The place smells like a dirty ashtray. We ordered two apps: calamari which was flavorless and the antipasto which was nothing great. Our waitress, who was clearly in a hurry to get us in and out, brought bread with chilled red sauce. It was gross. My hubs ordered the Orichette which came with one large, brown piece of broccoli rabe and 4 (I'm not kidding) pieces of sausage. The pasta was salty and really undercooked. I got the margherita pizza which was really salty and greasy. Never going back.
(1)
C C.
From from frozen in the middle apps to canned sauce and a piece of well past fresh veal....just stay away. Plain awful.
(1)
karen m.
I posted a 5 star review several months ago and wanted to update. i still love this place for a local (to me) quickie meal. I go several times per year - it's been one of the better Italian ristorantes in the area. In my opinion, their gnocchi is truly sublime-not the doughy balls served in most; instead, little pillows of light-as-a-feather ricotta on a plate of very good sauce. Last time I visited it was lobster season so I split two lobster specials with my date. One a cold lobster salad, the other lobster in red sauce. Both were unmemorable but the cold dish was presented nicely -not particularly bad but nothing to write a review over. Service on the other hand was horrible. Weekday early evening, very few customers, we sat at a table in the bar area with clearly a new waiter. After he spilled water on my silk top (accidents happen, no biggie,) he served my cocktail. Then he had a fight with the bartender who in turn blamed me for screwing up my approx $10 slightly dirty Ketel One martini. Apparently, it was my fault that the inept bartender didn't know that vermouth should not be used in a dirty martini. He in turn yelled at the waiter for not asking me if I wanted vermouth. All within my earshot (which ruined my meal). I just got a Groupon for Bon Caldo and will go again. Generally, if I'm unhappy with a restaurant I don't go back to give a second chance. I've lowered my expectations a bit because of the Groupon but plan on trying an early week dinner in the hopes my "stars" will go back up to five.
(3)
Dawn A.
I went here on a Groupon. It was incredibly busy here, so much so that I couldn't understand why they were even offering a Groupon. I had tried to get a reservation, but was told there weren't any, and I could take my chances at the bar. We lucked out and got two spots at the bar. The food was pretty good, but the bartender was pretty tough. She asked us if we had a Groupon and she nearly rolled her eyes when we said yes. I really felt that she treated us differently because of it. She made a huge point of showing us the original total of the bill, so that we tipped her appropriately. I guess she has been burnt a few times. The food was good. I would go back, based on the food. I probably wouldn't sit at the bar if I saw her working it again. Of course, I always tip the original total, so she was very nice to us after she realized that we tipped her generously. That kind of burnt me. It's a bit insulting. This restaurant is too nice to have someone at the bar treating potential future patrons that way.
(3)
Mimi b.
Never again, the service was terrible , when I say terrible I mean the worst, Debbie, our server was rude, yelling at us, kept complaining how she was too busy that she does not have time, she was too busy to tell us what the specials were, she had too many tables. Food was edible just barely, The room we were in was smelly, and there was a light issue, as they kept flickering which was annoying. The people at the next table were equally disappointed with the same server, she realised how badly she had treated us, and offered to bring us cannelies on her, we said NO thank you, we just needed to get out of this negative vibe. and as we were leaving we got to talk to them and when she saw us talking to them, she freaked out telling us that we were not allowed to talk to them, they were her customers, and to leave. the owner could not give a dam, Never again don't bother, eating a boiled egg at home would have been a better experience than going to BonCaldo, I wish we had read the reviews before going there
(1)
F L.
Yup as good as it gets ,next to the North End Boncaldos is it. I have eaten here many times. As you sit around the bar eating .You can see people enjoying the food, And I mean enjoying the food .This is not Olive Garden where ten people sit down and order the same thing. And eat bread till they are Full .This is a great place , people care about each meal and it shows. Take your time enjoy a drink and the meal comes out great. For good dining at a reasonable price this is it .try it
(5)
Kristen T.
I could eat here every night I love their food. Service is often hit or miss, I've been there a few times and service has been inconsistent.... But I can't turn the gnocchi down :)
(4)
Jackie B.
First time trying Bon Caldos. We had the parmesan crusted fish and the mesclan raviolis in a cream sauce. The fish was mediocre but the mesclan raviolis were so bad I had to send it back. The cream sauce was watery and had a bitter taste and the raviolis were really chewy. We wont be visiting again.
(1)
Pedro S.
Had dinner here tonight with my family. Not many people at 5:30. We were seated immediately and had fresh water and bread w/ sauce (delicious). The server buzzed by a few times apologizing that she'd be right with us. 3, maybe 4 times. Not even a drink order. By the time she finally came by, we had read, debated, and settled on what we were eating. The wine list is very good, although they were out of my first choice, a Spanish Tempranillo (misspelled as Tampranillo in the menu). The recommended replacement terzo, a Super Tuscan, (Bruni) was very good. ($11.50) The Calamari Fritti was spectacular, it comes with pickled julienne vegetables and an orange aioli that made it unique and delicious. I try to order calamari in every Italian restaurant I visit, and this presentation is the best I've had. ($9) The Mezzaluna (sage butter sauce, spinach, Pecorino Romano) looked good, but came out very salty. Although the Romano note was clearly present, it lacked any discernible sage or spinach flavor. The pasta was also a bit too al dente, a theme that was to repeat in the other two dishes. ($16) The Carbonara was a disappointment. While they are to be lauded for the homemade pasta, it, too, stopped way short of al dente - it was downright chewy. And again, while the pancetta made its presence known, the rest of the dish lacked any subtlety in its flavor. The parmigiano cream was closer in consistency to half and half than the rich egg-based sauce it should have been. ($18) Ravioli de Casa, jumbo ravioli with "marscarpone" (someone needs to proofread their menu), peas, and truffle butter sauce, was tasty. The pasta, again, a bit too tough, but the flavor was good enough to forgive it this minor sin. ($19) All in all, it was a 50/50 kind of night. We've had better Carbonara and Mezzaluna dishes at other restaurants, but the calamari and lobster ravioli were distinctive and good. The final bill came to $120.... but wait, there's only $73.50 listed above! The server accidently added two dishes from another table on to our tab. As I mentioned at the beginning, the restaurant was maybe 60% full. The lack of attention at the beginning of our visit, and the mix-up with the check at the end - both of which might have been understood and forgiven on a busy night - turns what might have been a solid 4 out of 5 stars into 3. Given so many other Italian restaurants in the area, I'm not sure we'll return. On the plus side, it's a very swanky place. Romantic, atmospheric, & upscale. Great for first dates, (any dates), special occasions, and small formal gatherings.
(3)
Ann S.
I have been here several times and always had good food and good service. The owner is usually around and he is great. Chicken Parmesan is the best--huge, cheesy, crunchy and a delicious red sauce. Chicken Marsala and swordfish have also been great. Delicious sourdough bread with an amazing dipping sauce. Great cocktails and bar. Only weak link was the scallop appetizer which was super salty. Service is good. Look for specially priced dinners for 2 or for frequent Groupons!
(4)
Paige D.
We were here on a crowded Saturday night, fortunately we had a reservation as there was over an hour wait for those without. We were early so we sat at the bar for a drink. There was a sign over the bar saying they had a Sauvignon Blanc for $6/glass. It didn't say anything other than that, so I ordered it. I guess I had to specify that I wanted the one on the board, as they charged me $8.50. My husband ordered a gin & tonic and he said "they know how to make a drink." When we were seated at our table we noticed that the wine prices on my husband's menu were lower than the prices on my menu (when the bill came they at least had charged us the lower prices). The food we ordered was very good: scallops wrapped in bacon with a balsamic reduction; short ribs with polenta; and the bolognese. The food didn't blow me away, but it was better than most of the tourist traps in the North End, so that's saying something. For dessert we had tiramisu which was very good. We had a free babysitter for the night, so I wasn't too concerned about staying out late, but there was an extremely long pause between the appetizer and the entree. All told we were at our table for almost two hours, which is a lengthy dinner for just my husband and I, but I would certainly come back here again.
(4)
Tara D.
Service was horrible, food was nasty & cold. In spite of reservations got seated in lounge area. Worst meal Ive had
(1)
Kitty F.
We have eaten at the bar at Bon Caldos in the past and always had a great experience and food. This past Saturday night we went back and we quite surprised at the rather surely bartender. The evening was quiet and yet we felt as though we were a bother to the bartender. She was running around like the place was packed. In reality there were 2 other couples at the bar and the tables empty. The food was great as usual. What bothered me is that the bartender had nothing to say to us, not even a greeting but the minute an acquaintance came she was as friendly as could be! I miss the old bartenders who we always happy to see a customer and treated them all the same. A smile and a friendly word goes a long way!
(3)
Suzanne C.
Food and drinks and atmosphere great. However a couple of things I disliked: chipped dinner plates, the barbabietola is supposed to have red and gold beets-mine came with red bets , no explanation as to why the gold beets weren't included. Also, didn't appreciate the manager sitting in the customer waiting area texting on his phone as guest were leaving, even if you are getting ready to close I think thats inappropriate. Last thing is one of the hostesses every now and then hanging over a chair to chit chat with her friends who were having dinner at the restaurant. Are you out with your friends or at work?! Make up your mind and go with one. Would I go back, yes the food and atmosphere was great. just a few tweaks that are needed.
(4)
Susan P.
Went to this restaurant for a friend's birthday and was quite disappointed with the food quality. We had lobster ravioli that was soggy. They should have described it as 'lobster flavored cheese ravioli'. Also tried their scallop entree - this item didn't taste anything like a sea scallop and it was sent back. The salmon was better but the overall quality of the pasta was poor (think soggy center and crispy edges). I have had better food from out of a can.
(2)
Lisa M.
I actually would have given this review at the very least one more star, but I just can't. I have been here two other times with good results. The food is good depending on what you order and I thought the service was good all three times I have been. Unfortunately last night...and yes, I know it was July 3rd...I met a friend I hadn't seen for a long time who had just returned from Prague for dinner and drinks. The place was pretty empty, and I don't know if that was because it was a Wednesday or if it was the 3rd of July. I sat at the bar and waited for her for a few minutes. The bartender was wonderfully nice, accommodating and attentive. When my friend arrived we talked for a while and perused the menu and eventually decided to order a bottle of wine and dinner entrees. She liked her chicken/artichoke/capers dish, and I ordered the surf and turf medium rare, but it came medium to medium well and a little cold and the fish was just okay. However the risotto really was outstanding!!! The problem was that they advertise that they are open until 10:00 p.m. and at 9:15 or so I noticed a man staring at us with a white shirt/coat on. After that time it had hit me that the same man had come out on at least one other occasion, if not more. Originally I had thought he was a customer coming to the bar for a drink until the staring event when it finally hit me that he wanted to close. I hadn't noticed that the place had cleared out. We were nearly in the corner of the bar and I was enjoying my company. I felt horrible! I looked at my phone and it was only closing in on 9:30. I looked on Yelp to see their times and it said it was closing in 30-some-odd minutes. I told my friend and we promptly left after she used the bathroom. On the way out the door she said all the lights were off in the bathroom. We had only been in the parking lot 30 seconds and in the process of saying our good-byes and wishing each other a Happy Fourth when the man and the bartender left the building. Not cool! I realize he wanted to get home. It only would have been another half hour, and even that wasn't a big deal. We weren't doing anything intentionally. We were just talking to each other oblivious to what was around us. The staring and obvious annoyance from this man was what was really not cool. It was very clear he thought we were overstaying our welcome. A very polite "We're closing soon" or something to that effect would have been better. Will not be back!
(2)
Jack B.
Disappointing food. We have been here before and the food was good. This visit the food was bland and lukewarm at best. Wait staff as very good but couldn't make up for the lack of quality. We will not be going back and can not recommend it.
(2)
RoslindaMal E.
Based on all the good reviews on Yelp, I decided to give BonCaldo a try and I am glad I did. Atmosphere / Ambiance: -Excellent. A very warm and romantic setting. Drinks: -BonCaldo offers an extensive wine menu with Italian beers (Moretti & Peroni), which is a plus; I like Italian beers and I was ordering Moretti drafts. Not sure if it was just me, but the drafts tasted a little watery. Appetizer: -Polpetti (homemade meatballs) - Good Pasta Dish: -Pappardelle (slow braised short rib meat, wild mushrooms, cream, truffle oil, fresh pappardelle) - Really Good Service: -Good. (Just remember to offer grated cheese on the pasta dishes!) Conclusion: -I really cannot say anything negative about BonCaldo except that the water from the sinks in the men's room were cold. -With so many things sounding good on the menu I am already planning my next visit. -If I have another good experience at BonCaldo I may have to bump my rating up a star.
(3)
Kati K.
Never again! I have an allergy to wheat and as such I ordered the gluten free pasta that they offer... I was served normal pasta instead and now my face is all swollen as a result. : (
(1)
Jay G.
Have been going here for years and have been negligent in writing them the review that they deserve. Have had everything from private dinners in the private dining room business functions to sitting at the bar with a friend. Always an enjoyable experience. The only requirement is you start off with eggplant appetizer it is to die for!
(4)
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Address :1381 Boston Providence Tpke
Norwood, MA, 02062
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Intimate, Romantic Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Michelle C.
Pretty restaurant, forgettable pasta/seafood entrees that took over an hour to be served on a dead Tuesday evening. Two stars for the bread basket and Tiramisu. One of the best tira's I have ever had. I wanted to ask them where they buy it, it's definitely not homemade. OK service. Drive the extra mile or so and go to Olivadi in Norwood Center, it's much, much better.
(2)Katie S.
I had heard really good things about this restaurant especially since it had been visited by the phantom gourmet. I made a reservation for my husband and I and got there about 5 minutes before. We waited for 15 minutes to get seated and when we finally did it took another 10 minutes for our waitress to come over. The food was okay. The gnocchi di ricotta was very small. The only really good thing was the bread!
(2)patty c.
Decent Italian food, but the service is somewhat lackluster. The host is snobby, and it sometimes seems that he is bothered by customers. The gnocchi was not good when I ordered it, but I have had lobster and pizza here which were above-average for the area. It's not the North End or Federal Hill, but it beats the chain Italian restaurants for sure!
(3)Samantha H.
The service is HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!! And when our table was finished complaining, the very next table had complaints that went unresolved and unvalidated as well. I ordered the seafood fra diavlo, but I preferred only scallops and the waiter told me this is fine....I assumed the scallops would somewhat compensate for the missing FIVE OTHER SEAFOOD I opted to not have.... I got my plate and it had 5 scallops....5. I ordered a small plate of pasta with 5 scallops and still paid $24. I politely asked the waiter why I only have 5 scallops and he goes, "Oh...you can't substitute seafood...." Thanks for telling me guy. He sees my irritation with the lack of communication. He goes, "You can order a substitute side if you want." THANKS FOR TELLING ME GUY!! On top of this, my friend was charged $5 for her 'gluten free' pasta, I grabbed a menu and nowhere on the menu was an extra charge indicated. The manager removed this charge and took a starter salad off but told me, "Scallops are expensive I can't do anything about that." But what she didn't understand is that it was the fact that he didn't tell me that I'd be getting 5 whole scallops instead of 5 different types of seafood....if he had told me that, I would have ordered something else. I had been looking forward to going out to eat for 2 weeks and that's the shit meal I received because our waiter sucked.
(2)judy s.
The food and service were amazing!!! I had a lovely waitress named Taylor who was beyond attentive,intelligent, and helpful. The wine list was also really great featuring wines from all over Italy at reasonable prices. We also loved the food, and started with the antipasti for two, a Ceaser salad, and the mussels and sausage app. All were superb! The mussels from PEI were large and tender, and the sausage infused broth with roasted red peppers and tomatoes was sublime. For dinner we had the homemade pasta with frutti di mare Fra diabolo and also the gnocchi in red, both also excellent. Please do try this great neighborhood restaurant, the atmosphere is gentle and comfortable and the food is just lovely, so I really recommend this place.
(4)George C.
Boncaldo Restaurant provided some of the best Italian food I've had since visiting the North End in Boston, 2 years ago. The descriptions and presentations of their specialty dishes certainly don't strike you as "typical" Italian, but the flavors deliver in the robust way that I have come to expect from this cuisine. The restaurant itself is extremely sleek and modernized, a pretty stark contrast to most of the traditional restaurants that it's surrounded by in Little Italy. Definitely put this on your list of places to go in the south shore, especially if you're planning on having a meal or two in the Boston - South Shore area. Something else you might want to squeeze in is a cocktail, or two, as they are made quite well here. Italian restaurants aren't exactly known for creativity behind the bar, but here they focus on top notch execution of traditional recipes with slight twists for seasonality.
(5)Jay D.
I would imagine staying on top of your business is hard, especially in the food industry. The sad story of Bon Caldo is what was once a wonderful place to eat with a mildly elegant feel is now anything but great. Listed as having a dress code of business casual, the backwards baseball caps, jeans and sneakers set the tone immediately. Great for the 99, not great for $100 meals. Sadly, this couldn't be offset with great service because there was none. We sat for 45 minutes and our waiter appeared briefly twice. (The restaurant had 10 open tables..not busy) Our appetizer, a small portion of gnocchi came long after her attention to other tables and conversations with familiar faces, rarely turning a glance our way. After getting wonderful advice ("Ahh, yeah, its good.") to our questions, we finally got to order 50 minutes into our night. My girlfriend had the pork which was the only dish of the night they got right. great flavor and preparation. The mezzaluna was swimming in cream sauce and had undetectable amounts of cheese. This was ordered by a child, so bringing this our attention upfront would have been helpful. Independent of this, a pool of any sauce that completely covers everything in the dish is never appetizing. The orrachette and sausage appeared almost as a seasoning to a dish filled with broccoli rabe and sundried tomato...so much so that the table smelled of sun dried tomato over everything else. A nice distraction to the fact that it was cold. I barely touched the dish and the waiter offered no concern. After dinner a cup of tea was Lipton, not what you might expect from a place billing itself as better dining. Coffee as bad as a truck stop and luke warm. Desserts were partly good...croissant bread pudding with blueberries and a the chocolate mouse. The bread pudding was tasty, but the sweet of the croissant didn't require the addition of blueberries. Sadly, the mouse came with ingredients the waiter did not disclose that didn't make sense for a child. I know the difference between the neighborhood family joint, middle of the road suburban dining, chains, upscale, urban vs. suburban...I get it. Not everywhere is going to satisfy a foodie nor should it. But, Bon Caldo presents itself as place that should but simply fails as anything better than the chain next door, This was a disappointment at every level other than the company I was with. The price tag did not reflect the experience and the quality, craftsmanship, preparation, attention, and care were all sub-standard. Save yourself and go elsewhere. We will from now on.
(2)Beth P.
It was our 5 year wedding anniversary and we researched nice restaurants in the Norwood area, and this was a top contender. What made us decide to come here was that it had been featured on Phantom Gourmet. We made reservations, which was a good thing because it was pretty packed. We were greeted at our table by a very nice server to fill our waters and bread and marinara (good idea, I've never seen that combination of bread and sauce before) promptly, then the server taking our order came by soon after to regurgitate that night's specials. There must have been a miscommunication between servers and/or hostess because the server informed us that she, in fact, was not going to be our server but Peter instead. Peter was super nice and took a picture (and one more for good measure) of us because it was our anniversary. He also brought us a champagne toast on the house. For the app we ordered the bacon wrapped scallops, because everything is better with bacon! The scallops were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Entrees were the Vitallo alla Saltimbocca (Veal) and my husband ordered the steak. The steak was a little too peppery but cooked to PERFECTION. My veal was scrumptious and the polenta and spinach on the side were great as well. The food came hot on the plate and nicely presented. Dessert was tiramisu, of course, and it looked homemade. We ate every little bit. Can't wait to come back for the next special occasion, or not because there were some people wearing jeans and casual clothes. Great experience.
(5)Alisa C.
I went here last Saturday night with my Living Social voucher. I have been here a handful of times in the past and have had an ok experience in general. The bread is served with a cold tomato sauce which I find odd. We had the eggplant appetizer which I liked, chicken marsala and veal parm. Unfortunately I ordered the chicken marsala and I did not care for it at all. It had no taste to it and barely any mushrooms. The veal parm I did like and luckily my husband shared. He also ate my chicken marsala as I don't think he wanted to make a big deal about it(I would have sent it back for something else). We sat at the bar and the bartender asked if we liked the food and I told her I didn't care for the chicken marsala...she didn't offer to compensate or replace so I guess she didn't care. Why ask??? So at least my Living Social covered the bad meal but I would not make a return trip out of my way. Thanks, Alisa
(2)Alan V.
I wasn't blown away by the food. With so many great Italian places in the greater Boston area my bar has been raised. Definitely would go back again to try more of the menu.
(3)harvey s.
Had veal saltambucca, great. The service is great along with the warmth of the building. The waitstaff is very accommodating, you can't go wrong at boncaldos.
(5)Tainabelle J.
I dined at Bon Caldo restaurant the night of my birthday. A few days earlier I found a deal on groupon and after reading some yelp reviews, decided to try it out. The experience was not anything particularly amazing but the food was delicious. I started with the lobster ravioli which, my best friend and I enjoyed so much, we decided to order another. The calamari was great! Crispy and buttery, and not in a greasy way. I usually can not stand to even look at the tentacles but they were just as good as the rings! My sisters had the carbonara which, they made clear they were unimpressed with. It was just okay. The sauce was bland. My boyfriend and best friend both enjoyed the shrimp and clam linguini which came in a divine white wine sauce. I think they enjoyed their dishes more than anyone else. I had the pumpkin ravioli, which disappointingly came with 3 little scallops! They weren't even U-10. That was pretty upsetting but they were perfectly cooked. The pumpkin ravioli was good but I would not try it again. It was slightly sweet. I personally don't like the sweet and salty mix but that's just me. The lobster ravioli really took the cake for me. The service wasn't very interactive as far as conversation between the server and guests but I can understand what it feels like to wait on a larger group and not knowing whether you are intruding or not. My one complaint would be that the server felt the need to remind me the amount my groupon discounted from the check as if I couldn't read that myself and tip based on the pre-discounted total. I found that insulting. Other than that I would definitely visit Bon Caldo again! (probably not with another groupon). Overall, I had a good experience. If my review was based solely off of the food and ambience I would have rated 4 stars!
(3)Noah E.
We went in during a busy time of night but our table of 7 was seated right away. The menu has a great selection, including handmade pastas and fresh ingredients. Our server was great as well, and portion sizes were great. One question though...there is beef, chicken, fish, and veal on the menu...but no pork??
(5)Ik B.
I actually engaged my wife here last year and i am going back for a dinner on Sunday the 16th for our one engagement anniversary .They are really good.
(4)Dan C.
OK, first the good.The restaurant itself is very warm and welcoming. Great atmosphere, decor, etc. It's a bit dark inside, but nice. Now the bad.. the food-- bland, not much flavor. the red sauce was more like a cocktail sauce. I ordered the prime rib medium well, came out medium rare. sent it back, as did another person in my party who ordered the same and his was red raw, too. Came back out the same way, but this time was delivered by a scowling oaf, who seemed upset that he had to deliver my food again. This guy had ZERO personality and should not have interaction with customers. I would not recommend.
(2)Bridget G.
The service was AMAZING....thank you Amy and Edwardo!!!! You guys rock!!! We enjoyed the food and wine but the owner is the most unprofessional person we have ever dealt with! Our group had Gilt City coupons - the owner told us how much money he lost on these and insulted our entire table. Additionally, he called us a bunch of second graders when we asked him to use multiple coupons at one table. We asked to move to 2 separate tables to accomodate requirements of the coupon and he chose to embarass us. If he did not treat us in this fashion he would have 9+ new customers. It is obvious that this restaurant has a negative vibe because at the end of our night there was a fight in the kitchen between staff that resulted in a serious verbal altercation. In the end my husband tried to shake the owners hand to make amends but the owner chose not to shake his hand and again reacted in a confrontational manner. It is unfortunate but we will never go back!! Our recommendation is to stay far away from Bon Caldo, Norwood MA!!!!
(1)Paula C.
Food, atmosphere and service was fantastic.
(4)lily l.
OMG that's all I have to say, I expected alot out of this restaurant as we pulled up to a large sign that said "Phantom Gourmet's choice for Italian". We walked into a dimly lit restaurant and was greeted promptly by a hostess and was quickly seated. As we sat we looked around and enjoyed the view. Before I could even open up a menu a waitor came up to me and asked what I would like to drink. Which is fine, sometimes service wants to get the tab started and so I just opted for water. My fiance seemed a bit annoyed and I tried to just laugh it off. Then immediately following we had another waitor come up to us and asked if we would like to place a drink order...we thought to ourselves "again?" again we said we were fine with water he then started naming the specials...now mind you there was italian music playing in the background and the waitor was slightly soft spoken and took two steps towards my fiance and spoke only to him. Now needless to say I was very annoyed. I simply said to the waitor TWICE, excuse me sir I only heard less than half of what you said. He excused himself, but at this point I just said it was fine and that I would just order off the regular menu. What a surprise, the "I'm too good for this table" waitor decided another waitor must take his place and a THIRD waitor appeared. This one was at least very pleasant and gave us plenty of space. Dinner - mussels, they were ok not bad but not great. Fiance had the clams with white sauce and I had the some type of seafood pasta dish. I was dissapointed that freshly grated parm was never offered, nor was desert. If our third waitor was our first and only waitor I would've offered this restaurant at least 4 stars...unfortunately I have been spoiled with North End's portions and food. I definitely was not impressed.
(2)Brian M.
Despite the fact that our waiter was totally hitting on my girlfriend, I loved this place. To be honest, the waiter was pretty funny and very good at his job (despite the fact that he misheard us when we ordered a bottle of wine and nearly brought us a $150 bottle...I'm glad he came back to double check). I'm kinda surprised she didn't leave me for him. We arrived at 5 (in order to make it home in time for a playoff game) and the place was obviously dead. With the exception of two 70 year old couples we had the place to ourselves. So we were promptly seated and the waiter had ample time to go through the specials, offer suggestions on what to order, and check in on us. The food was great. It took me quite a while to decide on what to eat because there were several options on the menu that sounded really good. The meatball appetizer was a little denser than I like my meatballs, but still quite tasty in a very good sauce. On a side note. why do most restaurants seem to serve their meatballs in odd numbers? The girlfriend and I nearly got into a knife fight over who got the fifth meatball. We both enjoyed our pasta dishes and the dessert was also a hit. The bill was very reasonable considering we had an app, two entrees, a dessert, and a bottle of wine. Even after the girlfriend fell for the Italian watier's doting and left a generous tip, we didn't hit triple digits. After an enjoyable night I have a feeling that we'll be making our way back to this place.
(5)Edward P.
Every time I come here I always end up ordering the same thing because it is so delicious. The braised beef short ribs over polenta with a wine reduction sauce. It's just fabulous. Tastes similar to beef bourguignon , but it's better. The beef just melts in your mouth Sign up for email specials , they usually have some great deals like buy 1 meal get 2nd meal free, but on short notice . They email you in morning and the Internet coupon is good only for that day. They will let you just show them the coupon on your phone screen. Any way this place is always a pleasure to visit. It is very nice inside and service is excellent. Someday I will try something else on the menu and update this review, but those shortribs are just to darned good to pass up.
(4)Nora S.
Had a Groupon for Bon Caldo and went with a friend this past Friday night. We had a reservation for table in the bar area. The hostess seated us promptly. And we sat, for 10 minutes with no waitperson in sight. Finally asked a waitperson going by our table who our server was. She said she didn't know, but came back a few minutes later and said she would take our drink over and our server would be there in a few minutes. When he showed he simply said no one told him we were there. The service was not good. He was not friendly and a little on the surly side, just throwing plates on the table. The appetizer was ok (grilled shrimp). I ordered pan friend sea scallops with pumpkin ravioli and my friend ordered swordfish. They were four of the smallest sea scallops I've ever seen (they couldn't possibly have been sea scallops) and were swimming in sauce ($23). My friend did not like her swordfish and had only a few bites. She didn't think it tastes fresh and was topped off with too many chopped tomatoes. She said the mash potatoes were good. When we told our server we were not pleased with our food he said "those are our two most popular dishes." Really?? He did buy us a glass of wine, but it did not make up for this dismal meal and poor service. Will not be back......ever.
(1)Dawn E.
The only thing that sucked about my experience at Bon Caldo was who I chose to take. Whiny bitch complained about how the portions weren't big enough (and they were plenty big) and how everything was too expensive (I was buying - shut up) and how his lobster was undercooked (his perfectly cooked lobster that might have been the most perfectly cooked lobster on the planet). Everything here is perfection. Yes, it's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. The sauces are rich and delightful. The meats are always juicy and perfectly cooked. The pasta is at just that perfect point where al dente almost ends and soft begins.... I dumped the loser years ago, but I kept Bon Caldo close to my heart.
(4)Lisa K.
I thought the service was good. the staff was accommodating to our large family size. The food was wonderful however desert was a little to rich for my taste. For an italian style meal I would recommend this place to friends. W e actually had a family function and we had a lot of fun.
(3)Nicole N.
Hands down the best Italian south of Hanover and north of Federal Hill. Great place for business dinners, romantic, first date, a girls night out... but who needs an excuse to get some tasty Italian food, just go! They also have a bar separate from the dining area in which you can eat at as well if you want a more casual experience. Ive been here twice and plan on coming back again soon. (Tried the bolognese & carbanora, both were excellent)
(5)T C.
My wife and I went to BonCaldo's for the first time tonight. It was quite good. We had the eggplant and mussels appetizers and both were excellent. Their tomato sauce is very good. Veal marsala was quite good, although the sauce was a bit thin for my taste and I thought there was more prosciutto than mushrooms. I guess that's really nitpicking; it was very good and I ate every bite. My wife had the chicken and artichoke dish which I didn't try but she liked it very much. We split the cannoli for dessert (you get two!) and they were excellent, shell was very crispy. Complaints are really minor, no cheese offered to sprinkle on the marsala, my wife got a different wine than what she ordered, and the thin marsala sauce. Leaving, the hostess & manager(?) stood there and nobody said bye, thanks for coming, or anything. I admit, these are really picky points. We'll be back. The place was very good, and it's very nice inside. Don't know why it was so empty at 6PM saturday night.
(4)Deb F.
I really enjoy this place. It is set back a tad on route 1 so you need to look for it... and I don't think it looks that appealing from the outside. We didn't go for a while because, frankly, we thought it was French food (I have nothing against French food, it just isn't something I eat a lot of) - but once we realized it was Italian we tried it out! The food is really good. We've been there a few times and had fish, meat, and chicken dishes - all of which passed the test. The wine is delish and fairly priced - and both our waiters have made good recommendations as to what accompanies our food. When you make reservations they take you right on time, the ambiance is nice and soft, not too noisy (even with a table with children next to us), and the staff are great. When my leftovers were thrown out by accident I got a brand new half order put in my "doggy bag". They really take care of you there (and don't look down on you for using coupons!) - this is why we will go for special occasions or whenever the craving strikes! Great local food!
(4)Sheila F.
I went on a date there last weekend because there was a Groupon for Bon Caldo that week. I don't know if I ever would have tried a restaurant on Route 1 otherwise. But it was great. They had very attentive staff so we didn't have to wait too long for anything. We started with the scallops wrapped in prosciutto and then I had the braised short ribs over polenta while my boyfriend had the cannelloni stuffed with groun beef, pork, and veal. We were extremely pleased with all of the dishes. The braised short ribs definitely worth coming back for.
(4)Juan C.
Place has gotten worse from 2 years ago. It smells bad inside -- maybe carpets need to be replaced. Very warm on one side of restaurant. steak ordered medium rare but came as medium to well done and it was cold. Others in my party didn't like either. The wait staff was indifferent. The place is also too dark
(2)Champagne C.
Gee, I'm not sure where the other yelpers are getting the 5 stars from. The place is OK but certainly not worth raving about. Ambiance is too dark - you feel like you're in a storage cellar. Big gaudy wall mural doesn't help. All 3 times I've been there, the room has been cold, too. There is a constant noisy din and there's always a table of people who are just too loud. SInce we've had this experience all 3 times we've been there, I suspect that the acoustics are bad. I would NOT go here for a special occasion but am happy to stop in for dinner on the way home on a weekday. re the food: Fun wine list. And, lots of by the glass choices if you like to adjust your wine choices to what you are eating. We appreciated that the vintages were printed on the menu. We didn't challenge the bar tender with a classic cocktail request. They have lots of vodka "martinis" on the bev menu if you're into sweet drinks. Artisanal bread served with a cold garlicky red sauce. Tasted fine. Shrimp risoto was made properly and served well. Tasted great. Veal tenderloin special was delicious. HOWEVER Beware, if you're hungry and want to avoid the temptation of eating a dessert, order a salad, too. At our last visit here, I chose not to add a salad and regretted it. I was still a little hungry after dinner but didn't want the calories of a dessert. Went home and had a bowl of vegetable soup!
(3)Victoria M.
My parents had given my fiance a gift card to Bon Caldo when he received his MBA back in May. We were saving it for a special occasion... whats more special than a birthday dinner just the two of us. I made reservations online the night before, and they politely called the next day to confirm. We showed up early for our 7:30 reservation, and they were able to seat us right away. After looking around the dining area, there was no need for a reservation, but you can never be too sure. The decor is typical of an Italian restaurant. But with a bit more class. There were real candles on the tables, and you were given new flatware with each course. The center of the dining area had a nice fireplace. The booths were roomy without being too big. We started our meal off with the Fritto appetizer, and two Terza's (1/3 of a bottle) of wine. The Fritto consisted of fried calamari, fried shrimp, and fried red onions. It was delicious... well the calamari, and the onions were (I don't like fried shrimp). The Terza's were just the right amount of wine for the entire meal without springing for a whole bottle. For our meals my fiance ordered the 10 ounce New York sirloin with spinach and twice backed potatoes. He ordered the steak medium, but it came out more medium-rare. But he still enjoyed it. It was easy to cut into, and just melted in your mouth. I ordered the Oscar... pan seared veal scallopini, lump crab meat, roma tomatoes, whipped potato, and sauteed zucchini. I wasn't sure how the crab meat was going to go with the rest of the dish. But it was delicious. The crab really complimented the veal well. The potatoes were creamy, and smooth. We didn't have any room for dessert... which I am a bit bummed about. I really wanted to try their Tiramisu. It was a great dining experience. The location is convenient, with ample parking right off of Route 1. And the service is accommodating, without being overbearing. They really pride themselves on allowing the guest to enjoy their meal, and take their time in between courses. LOVE THIS PLACE!
(4)Colleen B.
I was starved when we arrived and glad to see bread on the table. But sad when I bit in and the bread was hard and stale. NOT COOL. Maybe it was an off night, but that bread was really weird. Appetizers made a recovery with a juicy goat cheese and beet salad. The presentation was a 10 and the taste was a 10+. I heart beets! Overall the menu selection was huge and there seem to be something for everyone. Though I didn't think there were enough special entrees to differentiate it between other Italian bistros especially in Waltham. ENTREES...there were hits and big misses: HITS -Wood grilled salmon with potatoes and a brown butter sauce was exceptionally savory. Capers were ginormous and full of salty goodness (Though I'd wished my waiter listened to the fact that I wanted a "light" brown butter sauce) -gnocchi di ricotta was truly soft "little pillows" as described. We were all jealous of this one -brasato di manzo which I think is Italian for "my husband's entree is better than mine". I was sneaking bites of the tender beef short ribs and additively creamy polenta -Wine list was a wine-o's delight MISSES -The ravioli must have been having an off night, much like the bread. The white wine butter sauce tasted and smelled funky and was promptly sent back. Desserts were pretty standard. I thought the tiramisu was a touch bland. Service was ok. I wasn't "wowed" overall. The waiter adeptly handled the returned entree and replaced it with the fantastic gnocchi. In closing, I think I'd like to spend big money at one of the upscale Italian restaurants in Waltham over Bon Caldo.
(2)Joanie L.
I always wish there were half stars, 3.5 is what I really want to rate it. Finally tried Bon Caldo after being curious for a while then buying a Groupon (or Buywithme or CoupMe or whichever). The parking lot looked jammed but it was quiet inside. Sat at the bar and had friendly if a bit brusque service from the bartender. I like that you can pay a couple dollars more for basically a 2nd glass of wine, had a nice dry white. Friend wasn't thrilled w/ their beer choices so stuck w/ water. Bread was fair, some hard some soft and not a huge fan of the tomato sauce served with it so asked for olive oil. Meatballs were delicious, salad was ample but too much vinegar in the dressing. We split a chicken breast dish w/ supposed risotto but the sauce w/ the dish kind of took away any risotto consistency. Good but the pasta w/ eggplant and smoked mozzarella was better. Some women chatting with the owner about the Phantom Gourmet appearance. If I lived in Norwood, I'd visit more often.
(4)David M.
This is one of the better Italian Restaurants in the area. The service was excellent and the food was fantastic. My friend and I started off by sharing a fried calamari appetizer. It was fried nicely and came with a nice dipping sauce. The one thing I did not like was the dipping sauce that came with the bread. I had my friend laughing just by the facial expressions I made while tasting some. I had the Veal Marsala. It was cooked nice and tender. The Marsala sauce was excellent. It was loaded with Prosciutto and mushrooms. My friend had the Layman's lobster. She thought it was delicious but was a little low on the lobster. The dessert menu looked impressive but I was too stuffed to order some. I highly recommend Bon Caldo!!!
(4)Timothy G.
Absolutely atrocious service. Waited 2 hours for food (literally). Never visited by a manager and we HAD to ASK FOR A COMP. When we went to leave manager conveniently went to the other side of the dining room. From a former waiter there is NO EXCUSE! !! I will NEVER go there again.
(1)Elizabeth S.
One of the best restaurants in the Boston area. Better than those in the heart of Boston's north end. Wonderful service and superb food. If we are fortunate enough to visit the area again it will be the only restaurant we visit! Best of all Lori made us feel like we were part of the family.
(5)Ronald L.
Excellent dinner menu. I was their tonight and staff was friendly and attentive. This was my first time there and definitely not my last. more to come later on the menu..
(5)David C.
Man... this place is bad.. Hostess was a young girl who would rather have been any place else on a Saturday night. Barely cracked a smile nor gave any welcome. Just looked up at us when we walked in. Entered a dining room in which the atmosphere was right out of the 80's. Waiter was invisible most of night and when he was around he didn't get our order right. Ceasar salads were mushy, short ribs were very fatty, pasta dishes were not good. Just not a good place.
(1)Erin M.
The boyfriend got a promotion at work, so I decided to be a super nice girlfriend and take him out for a nice dinner to celebrate! I had plans to take him somewhere else, but then the Phantom Gourmet aired an Italian restaurant special that morning, and I'm a sucker for food visuals... so there went that plan! I made an early reservation for 5, since the Bruins playoff game was on at 7, and being the amazing girlfriend I am, I didn't want him to miss any of it. The reservation ended up being completely unnecessary, since the place was pretty dead that early, but better safe than sorry! The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice. Sophisticated and homey feeling, with a wood fireplace at the center of the main dining room. Our server was training a new guy, so we kind of had two servers throughout the meal. One of them was pretty much fresh off the boat from Italy, and he did a pretty fantastic job of buttering me up for a good tip. He was pretty shamelessly flirting with me throughout the meal, but in a funny and endearing sort of way. I didn't really mind... which probably had something to do with his dreamy accent... and the fact that he kept trying to pour me more wine than the boyfriend. The boyfriend didn't seem to mind much either once he tasted the food. The bread was a little bit to hard for my liking, and came with some sort of cold tomato sauce, which I also wasn't crazy about. We opted to save the rest of the bread for sopping up extra sauce later in the meal. We started off with the meatball app (they had a fancier name for it, but I forget what it was) while we continued to peruse the entree selections. It was very tasty and the sauce was fantastic. There was a lot that sounded delicious on the menu, but I, of course, went straight for the gnocchi. The boyfriend took a lot longer than usual trying to decide on what he wanted before finally settling on the fettuccine bolognese. Both were *fantastic* The gnocchi was the lightest, fluffiest, gnocchi I've ever tasted... but in fairness, they did sort of cheat. There was no potato in it. It was made of creamy delicious ricotta that was formed into little fluffy pillows. I think I still might prefer traditional potato gnocchi (when done right) over it, but it was still very drool-worthy! We ordered an appetizer, two handmade pasta entrees, a dessert, and a bottle of wine and didn't even end up going into triple digits after (a generous and well-flirted-for) tip! Try pulling that trick in the North End! Great service, great ambiance, great service, and fantastic food for a decent price! We will be returning!
(5)Mark W.
We were disappointed in our overall Wednesday evening dinning experience at Bon Caldo Ristorante. The appetizers were poor to fair an example was the calamari appetizer with hot cherry peppers which was missing the hot cherry peppers and substituted with onion rings which there was more of then the calamari. The veal dish tasted metallic and the mash potatoes were not real potatoes. The pasta in the chicken marsala was warm almost cold and the chicken was over cooked and flavorless. I could taste the gin in my dirty vodka martini, apparently the bartender didn't clean the shaker. Watch out or the sand and broken shells in the clam and mussel dish... The real surprise was the finial bill that included an 18% gratuity for a PARTY OF FIVE?!?! And no, nothing was mentioned on the menu or the website of the forced gratuity. The only good part of this meal was the desserts, which were all very good. We do not recommend this place at all.
(1)Lisa P.
I went with friends for a nice dinner out. Ambiance was okay; we expected old folks to be there, but there were a coupe of families and a couple on a date. The restaurant said it's "dressy", not so much. The staff was very nice. The bread was served with a cold marinara sauce; we had to ask for olive oil and butter for the group. The olive oil was almost empty when we got it, just strange. The beef carpaccio was okay, I had never seen the perfect circles of beef before, looked like it had been on the plate for a while. What really disappointed me was the wine cellar/menu. The first bottle we asked for was a 2004 Chianti. We were brought out a 2007, which i sent back. We then asked for a second 2004 Chianti on the wine list and were brought a 2008! It does make a difference, in taste and in price. I didn't want to embarrass my friends, so we just took it...and were charged the same price as the 2004. Pretty lame. The eggplant pasta dish was okay, the fried shrimp and pasta was okay...certainly nothing to write home about. the wine bait and switch was not cool. either update your wine list, or give a break on the price of the lesser wine you do have. With so many good restaurants within a 30 minute drive, we won't go again.
(2)K F.
Bon Caldo is in a great location (plenty of parking) right on route 1 in Norwood. The restaurant is beautiful inside, the staff is extremely professional and courteous and the food is to die for. I have only been disappointed once when they closed early because "it was slow". I hate when restaurants do that...don't post your hours if they are going to change. They are consistently excellent. The Chicken Picatta is so juicy and the sauce is perfection every time. The mashed potatoes are never dry and old. Yes it is a simple, popular and perhaps over done dish but when done right it is so exciting. Their Ceasar is the best around...dressing is clearly homemade garlicky and creamy with homemade croutons and white anchovies (optional of course). I have never had anything from Bon Caldo that wasn't amazing this includes desserts!!
(5)Nina R.
Similar to Michelle M., we went here on a Tuesday night. It was pretty quiet but we appreciated feeling like we had the restaurant to ourselves. First, the bread was good, however, it was served with a cold red sauce which left us going for the butter. The chicken parm(which all italian restaurants should get right) was tender but it lacked flavor and was too thick. I like a thinner cutlet so you really taste the fried breadcrumbs, but this was kind of on the soggier side. The gelato tasted more like ice cream but it satisifed my chocolate craving. The chicken marsala my husband got had a good taste but it didn't have a lot of sauce. Overall, I wouldn't rush to go back here. It has a nice ambience but the food like another reviewer said was forgettable.
(2)Melissa S.
I've been there once for my husband birthday and we really like it! The service is great, the food is delicious and not that pricy! The atmosphere is nice and warm. They have as an appetizer smoked clams, my husband asked the waiter to make like a dinner plate (bigger) and it wasn't a problem at all. The may negotiate and substitute easy for something you want.
(5)Mike M.
Bon Caldo is a great place to eat with a fantastic menu. They are now serving pizza which is a good addition to the menu. The chicken parm and marsala are quite good as are the portions. The waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. The decor of the restaurant is also very inviting.
(4)Jackie A.
My boyfriend & I went here for a nice dinner. I enjoyed everything about it, except our waitress. The appitizer was my favorite. It was a combo with fried shrimp, fried calamari & fried onions. I couldn't stop eating it!...Delicious. I had the Chicken Marsala which was quite yummy and left me with enough for dinner the next night. I believe it had bacon instead of prochutto which was a nice surprise. My boyfriend had the Veal Marsala which came out as 2 huge pieces of veal & a huge portion of pasta. Very good as well. Unfortunetly we had no room for dessert. Definitly looking forward to going back. Sky next door is also very good.
(4)Holly M.
Had to go here for a company dinner last eve and boy was I surprised. The atmosphere is not for the young, or young at heart even, but it was perfect food. The only reason I am giving this place a 4 star is b/c of the crowd. It totally had the over 55 thing goin on, but thats cool, cause my company is a bit older. Anyway, I digress. The food was so good. The wine was great. The parking was easy and from what I could tell, the price was good. It was great to not have to go all the way downtown for a great meal. I would totally go again :)
(4)A W.
I really wanted to like this place and had high hopes based on the reviews here. But, I knew it was a bad sign when there were 3 cars in the parking lot at 6pm!!! There were only 2 tables being waited on (including our table of 2 people) and the service was extremely slow!! The salad had way too much dressing to start. The gnocchi was mushy and tasteless and the chicken parm tasted like it was re-heated- how do you mess up chicken parm?! We didn't even finish the meal it was so bad. As for the service, we only saw the waiter once, to take our initial order. What a disaster!!!
(1)Dan S.
I'm only writing this review to save fellow diners their time and money, for this place really does not deserve a review. If you care about atmosphere, it's pretty awful..but I'm mostly concerned with food, which may be summed up as simply disgusting. I do not know how this place remains in business, but unfortunately it has and I hope you are lucky enough to stumble across my review before going. Not only will you be presented with food that is borderline inedible, but you'll be charged somewhat high prices for it (considering the quality). They advertise that they are phantom gourmet's choice for Italian, which baffles me. Although phantom isn't the greatest of food authorities, one wonders how they could even have eaten this food. None of the people in my party were able to eat more than a few bites of their rock hard (undercooked) pasta, or beyond oily short ribs, not to mention that salty pizza?!?! Yikes, serious problems with this place.. i guess that's why it's always empty.
(1)Lizzy K.
I came here with a big group of people and we had a backroom. I wasn't impressed. The decor of these backrooms were tacky to the point where I was distracted. It was very hard to find something on the menu and the waiter wasn't too helpful with deciding, besides stating the obvious. I ended up getting a Scampi which was OK but there was more sauce than pasta and it was definitely under-seasoned. Many people complained about their dishes being too plain. Service was accommodating and polite.
(2)TinoX T.
Good place,Nice Food,The Service is very SLowwww. Good Place during Week Days.
(3)Kay B.
My husband and I bought a groupon here since we just moved to the area. The food was delicious. It was for an app and 2 entrees. I got a pasta dish and my husband got the maiale, which is a pork dish and there wasn't anything left on his plate. Great to make reservation before hand on opentable. Service was a little slow, but we did go at the end of the night. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice date night!
(4)Judy F.
We went to BonCaldo's with a Groupon also. I was a bit anxious after reading some of the reviews. I first went to the ladies room, there was lovely Frank Sinatra music playing, which always puts me in a good mood. The bathroom was clean and lovely, after washing my hands they had a stack of cushy high quality clothy,paper type towels, so nice I could not bear to throw it away. I stashed it in my pocketbook for an emergency. Then Nat King Coles, Love came on but to my surprise it was Frankie again, and singing in Italian, great music here, and the décor is very nice also. On to the meal. We were meeting another couple that was delayed, so we waited a bit in the lobby area first. We struck a conversation with the Maitre'de and he was delightful, I felt like we were at a party. We sat down after a bit, still waiting for our party. We ordered drinks and the calamari, asking for marina sauce on the side. It was wonderful. My Cosmo, could have used a bit of falurnum, (sugar syrup) but otherwise good. Our guests arrived in time for the calamari, and we ordered the eggplant appetizer also great, and plenty for us all. The bread was served with marinara - nice touch for a change, low fat. For meals my husband and I had the veal parmesan, with the pasta on the side, our friends ordered the tortolini and the ribs. Everyone was pleased, the veal was so large, I had leftover for today. We shared a chocolate mousse for dessert, and we all left happy. It is a bit pricey, but no more than any upscale type restaurant. We could have had a lower bill with no alcohol, but hey, like they say if you want to have a good time, you have to spend a little dough. The groupon brought it in line. Really glad we chanced it - when I see another groupon, I'll go back. The Service was also good, so maybe they have done a turn-around
(4)Mike E.
It's astonishing to me that this place is still in business. Very expensive and some of the worst Italian food I have ever had, especially for the price. My wife and I went here once for a wedding anniversary 5 years ago and still talk about the price of the meal, the poor service, and the bad food. Very, very overpriced wine too. We since moved to Connecticut and think this restaurant would be closed in a week if it had to compete with the great Italian restaurants down here. The restaurant's exterior looks very regal and the inside is dark and kind of romantic. Not a good spot to take kids. But, the food and the service were memorably bad.
(1)Lamont C.
A step up from the Chateau, many steps behind Federal Hill or the North End. First the positives, Servings were big and price was in line with what you would pay for the quality. Chocolate Gelato was a big serving but oddly tasted like chocolate Ice cream versus a Gelato and was suspect, reminded me of breyers Ice cream. I had the veal Oscar and the Potatoes were served mashed and were tasty. Now the negatives; The veal was tough and the asparagus was not even cooked. Antipasti was big but could have used a little more flavor. At least I know now not to go back and that was what I said to the wife going in. Although there is no smoking in the establishment it does not help when the two hipsters beside us with their parents went out to smoke and came back reaking of cigarette smoke.
(1)Lindsey M.
Went to Bon Caldo on a Friday night and got a reservation via Open table. The table split the PEI mussles and the caprese salad. The appetizers were really tasty and a generous portion. For main meals the food was OK, I got a lobster special that included lobster meat baked with bread crumbs and a side of corn/chive risotto. The lobster still had veins in it and tasted a little different, the risotto was really dry and flavorless. I was not impressed with the service. Our waiter was very slow to take our order and never asked if we wanted anything else. We had to call out to him a few times for more water or additional items. When the waiter came over with our second bottle of wine, he poured it and never asked me to taste it. I felt rushed and not very cared for in terms of service. If I ever went back again I would definitely get the wine again as they do have a great wine list and the wine specials are a good deal. I would never get any of the lobster specials again.
(2)Lauren K.
This experience was awful.... do not go to this restaurant. I came here to a use a groupon, and now understand why this restaurant is using groupons. It is because of their awful customer service, this coming from Management down to wait staff From the start, I walked in to see about four hostess' sitting around the front hallway. When I asked for a table, I was looked at like a had 4 heads. I was seated at a booth, and the restaurant did not appear to be busy. My friend was meeting me and I explained this to the hostess. My friend still had to text me when she arrived to find out where I was because this information was never relayed to my friend from the 4 or 5 host staff standing at the front. It was about 15 minutes before our waitress came over to bring us menus and take our drink order, etc. I wasn't bothered by this as there were 3 other large parties around us, 1 of which was a birthday party. After our drinks came- we placed our order, including our entrée- and appetizer. Our waitress did not check on us again for about 20 minutes. The food runner was the one to bring us the food- and in fact, during her second visit, I ordered another drink, which I was not satisfied with, but only came again to bring the check! I had explained at the start of the meal we were using a groupon- and she overcharged us when she so promptly brought over the check. She scribbled out the total and split the bill, except when she ran the cards, she "mistakenly" still ran it for the wrong amount. She explained that she voided this incorrect amount, and ran it for the right amount. The right amount was never deposited into my account, and after a short conversation with one of lax hostesses- I never received a phone call back from the manager. I received a phone call back from the hostess, who explained that my bank account would be refunded by "x amount of days, and that the manager is really really sorry for the poor customer service" The money is not back my account. Do not visit this restaurant. The manager does not even care enough to look at his accounts and see the money going in and out or call his customers. That is why his parking lots are empty and people are going to SKY.
(1)Steve P.
The two stars are solely for the great wine selection, the good meatball appetizer, and the OK eggplant appetizer. My fiance got a "terzo" (1/3 bottle) of the nicest pinot noir on the menu -- we're actually going to pick up a bottle on the way home, it was that good. The hostess was also quite nice and asked us if we'd prefer a table for two available right when we arrived, or if we'd like to wait a couple more minutes for a booth....we opted for a cozy booth in the dining room. The decor was a bit cheesy, with the giant painted murals and electric fireplace. However, that is unfortunately where Bon Caldo's limited redeeming qualities end. The "proscuitto-wrapped filet mignon" special was disgusting and gelatinous. The meat was gray, covered in a white cream sauce and odd balsamic vinegar, and nearly inedible. The proscuitto was the thickest cut I've ever seen and was also chewy and gelatinous. The mozzarella appetizer was cold. The service was quite bad -- the waitress was friendly enough when she was at the table, but she stopped at the booth behind ours to talk to her friends for 5+ minutes before she even put in our drink order. Needless to say, we will not be back.
(2)Shari J.
Visited on a Saturday night for our anniversary. Ordered glasses of wine, an app and food. Got the app in a reasonable amount of time. 20 minutes later, wine has yet to arrive. Waitress tries to take our app away when we are clearly not done -- we stop her, but ask about our missing wine. No apology -- only that the "bar is backed up" (I'm pretty sure it takes a matter of seconds to pour two glasses of wine). We finish app, 10 minutes later wine finally appears (hallelujah). Runner finally brings our food, places it down without saying a word (a little bit weird, but that's okay). I ordered chicken parm. I take one bite, and it tastes "off". I look at it, and it's either that flattest, grey-est piece of chicken I've ever eaten, or it's veal. I call the waitress over, and she scoops it up, only saying that it's for another table (no apology). I don't eat red meat for dietary reasons, I haven't for 20+ years, and I'm pretty disgusted that I just bit into some, unknowingly. I get a real chicken parm a few minutes later, but by now I've already lost my appetite. Waitress sees that I'm not eating, but doesn't say anything. Definitely a disappointing anniversary meal. I would never pay full price here, I wouldn't even recommend buying one of their Groupons. Just not worth it. How can I trust them to bring the right food? My husband has a cheese allergy -- if they weren't paying attention to that, that would have been VERY bad. My father has celiac -- again, would not be good if the kitchen fumbled this. Pay attention, Bon Caldo, or customers like myself will be out the door for good..
(2)cabrio q.
I came here to use a groupon. It was dead. I almost felt bad for the staff it seemed lifeless! I had the fra diavlo it was mediocre and my friend had Marsala again mediocre. Nothing to go back for.
(3)Vivian C.
A voucher deal popped up for BonCaldo so I ran over to Yelp to give it a look-over. I decided that there were enough good things being said that I'd give them a shot. BonCaldo is located on a stretch of Route 1, west of Route 95/128, across the street from IHOP, neighbor to Sky. A benefit of this area is that there was plenty of parking in their private lot. Out on their sign they advertised a dinner for 2 with wine for $40, and their Lazyman lobster specials. We bit on the lobster, selecting the lobster al forno $26 (twin lobster oven baked in a casserole, crumb topping, corn & chive risotto). As the lobster specials were not available with their voucher deals, we simply ordered more than enough off the menu to cover the value of the voucher without consideration of the lobster, and thus, we had lobster! They started us off with glasses of ice water and a basket of bread with some tomato sauce. The bread was merely a conveyor of the sauce to my mouth. It was 20 minutes till the melanzana (layered parmigiana eggplant - calabro ricotta - mozzarella - san marzano tomato sauce) $7 arrived piping hot to the table. Its many thin layers of sliced eggplant were many layers of deliciousness. With the bread, the eggplant, and the frozen yogurt we had consumed before heading out this way, the edge of our appetite was satiated, and good thing too since it was several minutes still after our last bites of eggplant before the lobster arrived with the pappardelle (braised short rib - wild mushrooms - cream - truffle oil - fresh pappardelle) $19 and the $4 side of grilled asparagus. The asparagus tasted fine, but numbered only 6 in stalks. The pasta was rough thick wide noodles, prepared al dente, and rich with fungus. It was tasty, but the shreds of short rib acted more as seasoning than main protein ingredient - if short rib is your priority, get the entree instead. The lobster seemed rather puny in proportion to the metal shell casserole dish it was served in till you realize as you shift through the pieces that there are indeed enough half tail pieces and claws to count two entire crustaceans topped with the rich rough toasted crumbs. We had been warned to particularly beware of the casserole dish as it was hot, however this entire course was actually rather tepid. The pasta ranked the hottest at an easy to eat temperature, followed by the lobster at just warm, and last was the lumpy risotto accompanying the casserole dish which was actually a bit cold in spots. We brought this to the server's attention, and presented the solution we wished for - a fresh plate of the risotto - as the lobster, though only warm, was tasty and tender enough. The new plateful was creamy with flavors that were better revealed by the hotter temperature. It also looked much more appetizing. A thirteen minutes wait produced two desserts, but until I tasted the darker of the two, I hadn't realize that we had been brought a torta (rich warm molten chocolate bundt cake, coconut sorbetto, caramel swirls) $8 in place of the budino (blueberry custard & croissant bread pudding, fresh creme anglaise) $8 that we had selected to go with the coppa (ripe bananas sauteed in vin santo and brown sugar served in a phylo cup with vanilla bean gelato) $8 - we were going for a fruit theme. This was quickly remedied once we brought it to their attention. Portions of the desserts were acceptable, and all were tasty and moist. I preferred the banana most, followed by the blueberry, and last but not least, the chocolate. From our entrance, to our departure, dinner lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes - a bit more leisurely than the average dinner out.
(3)Matt S.
BonCaldo is a nicely staged restaurant with an intimate ambiance. It's business casual, and the wait staff was friendly, though not exceptional. The food was sadly sub-par. I went with a group of eight, and as a result, I got to sample several dishes. Granted, this was only one night, and one experience, but this is what I found: The antipasto plate was good. The selection of meats and cheeses wasn't astounding, but was better than most restaurants would provide here in the US. The meats presented were delicious, though I felt like the selection would have been well -served by including something other than just prosciutto and ham. A nice salami would have been a good addition. Also, the amount of cheese was rather small - a single slice of buffalo mozzarella (but hey, it was actually buffalo mozzarella, so that was good) and another hard cheese that disappeared before the plate got to me. Parmesan? And the selection of olives was nice. There was a _lot_ of vegetables. A summer squash of some kind, egg plant, olives, a mound of roasted red peppers. Too many vegetables, I would say, but the flavor was decent. Two plates served seven adults well. Unfortunately, the pasta plates were just bad. I ordered the orecchiette with sausage, my wife ordered the mezzaluna with spinach, and my neighbor on the other side ordered the lobster scampi with linguine. Universally, the food was over cooked. My orecchiette had just been dumped from a box into water, and then seemingly not stirred until they were ready to be taken out, because the plate basically consisted of clumps of noodles where they would be under-cooked in the middle and rubbery on the outside. To their credit, the sausage was good, and cooked well. My wife's mezzaluna was filed with spinach, and that part of the noodle was good, but the outside ring was almost inedible it was so overcooked. I don't know if the noodles were dumped in the water frozen and boiled until the middle was cooked, or not, but this is really not how you cook pasta. An Italian restaurant should know this. My neighbor's linguine was apparently so overdone that she didn't even want to send it back, she felt so bad. I can't say that the food is always like this, or that the non-pasta dishes are ill-prepared. Someone at our table got the maiale (bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin) and said that it was fantastic, so it's possible that the person who normally cooks pasta was out and someone who doesn't know how to cook pasta took over for them. I don't know, but I know based on my experience, I wouldn't order the pasta again, and that's a shame because the menu that chef Angelo Costa put together looks wonderful. This doesn't directly reflect on the food, but I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that we tried to order champagne, and the first two selections we tried were out (they had the third). I didn't think anything about this, except when I went to get my newly-married friend an after-dinner scotch, they were also out of the Macallan 21. It seems strange to me that they would run their bar like that, but again, it doesn't directly impact the food. It just helped to lower my impression of the restaurant. I would like to try BonCaldo again, if only to see if my first impressions were wrong. I read some other reviews before I posted this, and apparently they recently took part in a GroupOn thing, so it's possible that I could have come when supplies were low and when no one knew how to cook pasta. I don't know, but I think that the restaurant should definitely work on increasing the quality of the food that they plate and serve to customers.
(2)Beezee H.
Tried BonCaldo for the first time about a month ago and it was by far one of the worst meals I've ever had. We went with another couple that had a Groupon, and gosh I was relieved we didn't pay full price for what we ordered. No one enjoyed their meals, I don't remember the name of my meal, but the mushroom cream sauce that it came with was so sweet that you could smell it when the waitress put it on the table. Not a good thing. The restaurant was dead on a Thursday night. If they were trying to bring in new patrons by offering a Groupon, they aren't succeeding. Anyone who gives this place more than 3 stars either knows the owners/management, or had a cold when they ate there. The service was OK - friendly - but not professional. Our waitress had her fingers in inside of the dishes when we she served our food, and couldn't open a bottle of wine to save her life.
(1)Mike V.
I agree with most others that I probably wouldn't come here without the Groupon/Living Social deal. Ordered bolognese, and the portions, for pasta, were pretty skimpy. We've always had good, attentive, service. The food is by no means bad, it's just far from memorable.
(2)Deb W.
Disappointed in this restaurant. Write up in the local paper so thought we would check it out on a Sat night. Sat in the lounge as no table was available in dining room. Ordered fish with lemon sauce. Risotto came with it but it was so garlicky that it killed the fish taste. Veggie was tough, I think it was broccolini. Husband had a steak which he said was good, he did not eat the sides which came with steak. Salads were fine. No dessert for us. Will be a while before we go back. Chef needs to get the flavors right. Friends love it. Wonder what they order?
(2)Anonymous J.
The worst place I've ever eating at. In addition it was expensive too. My meal was bland and burnt. I ordered steak and it came out not the way I would expect it to be. There was no flavor, juice or even looks that would appeal me to enjoy my meal! The vegetable that came with as the sides were so disgusting and bitter!
(1)V R.
Not great food or service for a Saturday night. Maybe just an off night who knows but I would not be rushing back any time soon. Food lacked flavor.
(2)Polly S.
This place has gotten progressively worse the last few times I visited. On my last visit, the broccoli rabe that accompanied the overcooked haddock was so salty that it was on the verge of being bitter - not to mention that they looked brownish. My husband's seafood linguine was also salty and you can smell how fresh the clams and shrimp were - not. Anyways I won't be coming back which is sad since I was looking for a solid place for Italian.
(2)Jennifer I.
One of the worst meals I've ever had at a restaurant and I was embarrassed that I even suggested to bring friends here. Here ya go.... Restaurant Decor: Very dark and dreary Food: It came out so fast that there was no way that anything was "homemade". I ordered the orichette which consisted of Ragu sauce (I wish I was kidding), sundried tomatoes (Never had these in red sauce), really wilted broccoli rabe (I think) and 4 slices of sausage. Everyone elses dish looked just as sad. When the waitress brought over the bread it was actually inedible. Wine: They only had one Malbec on the wine list. Being that Malbecs are so popular now you would suspect more variety. Either way that was awful. Service: The service is very weird here. The waitresses had their hands actually in our dishes when they served us. It was disgusting. It took us a while to get started on ordering dinner and it just was not classy service in any way. Thank god this was paid via a Groupon b/c there is NO way I would pay $160 for 4 people to go here.
(1)Erin L.
The hostess was really nice. Went WAY downhill from there. The place smells like a dirty ashtray. We ordered two apps: calamari which was flavorless and the antipasto which was nothing great. Our waitress, who was clearly in a hurry to get us in and out, brought bread with chilled red sauce. It was gross. My hubs ordered the Orichette which came with one large, brown piece of broccoli rabe and 4 (I'm not kidding) pieces of sausage. The pasta was salty and really undercooked. I got the margherita pizza which was really salty and greasy. Never going back.
(1)C C.
From from frozen in the middle apps to canned sauce and a piece of well past fresh veal....just stay away. Plain awful.
(1)karen m.
I posted a 5 star review several months ago and wanted to update. i still love this place for a local (to me) quickie meal. I go several times per year - it's been one of the better Italian ristorantes in the area. In my opinion, their gnocchi is truly sublime-not the doughy balls served in most; instead, little pillows of light-as-a-feather ricotta on a plate of very good sauce. Last time I visited it was lobster season so I split two lobster specials with my date. One a cold lobster salad, the other lobster in red sauce. Both were unmemorable but the cold dish was presented nicely -not particularly bad but nothing to write a review over. Service on the other hand was horrible. Weekday early evening, very few customers, we sat at a table in the bar area with clearly a new waiter. After he spilled water on my silk top (accidents happen, no biggie,) he served my cocktail. Then he had a fight with the bartender who in turn blamed me for screwing up my approx $10 slightly dirty Ketel One martini. Apparently, it was my fault that the inept bartender didn't know that vermouth should not be used in a dirty martini. He in turn yelled at the waiter for not asking me if I wanted vermouth. All within my earshot (which ruined my meal). I just got a Groupon for Bon Caldo and will go again. Generally, if I'm unhappy with a restaurant I don't go back to give a second chance. I've lowered my expectations a bit because of the Groupon but plan on trying an early week dinner in the hopes my "stars" will go back up to five.
(3)Dawn A.
I went here on a Groupon. It was incredibly busy here, so much so that I couldn't understand why they were even offering a Groupon. I had tried to get a reservation, but was told there weren't any, and I could take my chances at the bar. We lucked out and got two spots at the bar. The food was pretty good, but the bartender was pretty tough. She asked us if we had a Groupon and she nearly rolled her eyes when we said yes. I really felt that she treated us differently because of it. She made a huge point of showing us the original total of the bill, so that we tipped her appropriately. I guess she has been burnt a few times. The food was good. I would go back, based on the food. I probably wouldn't sit at the bar if I saw her working it again. Of course, I always tip the original total, so she was very nice to us after she realized that we tipped her generously. That kind of burnt me. It's a bit insulting. This restaurant is too nice to have someone at the bar treating potential future patrons that way.
(3)Mimi b.
Never again, the service was terrible , when I say terrible I mean the worst, Debbie, our server was rude, yelling at us, kept complaining how she was too busy that she does not have time, she was too busy to tell us what the specials were, she had too many tables. Food was edible just barely, The room we were in was smelly, and there was a light issue, as they kept flickering which was annoying. The people at the next table were equally disappointed with the same server, she realised how badly she had treated us, and offered to bring us cannelies on her, we said NO thank you, we just needed to get out of this negative vibe. and as we were leaving we got to talk to them and when she saw us talking to them, she freaked out telling us that we were not allowed to talk to them, they were her customers, and to leave. the owner could not give a dam, Never again don't bother, eating a boiled egg at home would have been a better experience than going to BonCaldo, I wish we had read the reviews before going there
(1)F L.
Yup as good as it gets ,next to the North End Boncaldos is it. I have eaten here many times. As you sit around the bar eating .You can see people enjoying the food, And I mean enjoying the food .This is not Olive Garden where ten people sit down and order the same thing. And eat bread till they are Full .This is a great place , people care about each meal and it shows. Take your time enjoy a drink and the meal comes out great. For good dining at a reasonable price this is it .try it
(5)Kristen T.
I could eat here every night I love their food. Service is often hit or miss, I've been there a few times and service has been inconsistent.... But I can't turn the gnocchi down :)
(4)Jackie B.
First time trying Bon Caldos. We had the parmesan crusted fish and the mesclan raviolis in a cream sauce. The fish was mediocre but the mesclan raviolis were so bad I had to send it back. The cream sauce was watery and had a bitter taste and the raviolis were really chewy. We wont be visiting again.
(1)Pedro S.
Had dinner here tonight with my family. Not many people at 5:30. We were seated immediately and had fresh water and bread w/ sauce (delicious). The server buzzed by a few times apologizing that she'd be right with us. 3, maybe 4 times. Not even a drink order. By the time she finally came by, we had read, debated, and settled on what we were eating. The wine list is very good, although they were out of my first choice, a Spanish Tempranillo (misspelled as Tampranillo in the menu). The recommended replacement terzo, a Super Tuscan, (Bruni) was very good. ($11.50) The Calamari Fritti was spectacular, it comes with pickled julienne vegetables and an orange aioli that made it unique and delicious. I try to order calamari in every Italian restaurant I visit, and this presentation is the best I've had. ($9) The Mezzaluna (sage butter sauce, spinach, Pecorino Romano) looked good, but came out very salty. Although the Romano note was clearly present, it lacked any discernible sage or spinach flavor. The pasta was also a bit too al dente, a theme that was to repeat in the other two dishes. ($16) The Carbonara was a disappointment. While they are to be lauded for the homemade pasta, it, too, stopped way short of al dente - it was downright chewy. And again, while the pancetta made its presence known, the rest of the dish lacked any subtlety in its flavor. The parmigiano cream was closer in consistency to half and half than the rich egg-based sauce it should have been. ($18) Ravioli de Casa, jumbo ravioli with "marscarpone" (someone needs to proofread their menu), peas, and truffle butter sauce, was tasty. The pasta, again, a bit too tough, but the flavor was good enough to forgive it this minor sin. ($19) All in all, it was a 50/50 kind of night. We've had better Carbonara and Mezzaluna dishes at other restaurants, but the calamari and lobster ravioli were distinctive and good. The final bill came to $120.... but wait, there's only $73.50 listed above! The server accidently added two dishes from another table on to our tab. As I mentioned at the beginning, the restaurant was maybe 60% full. The lack of attention at the beginning of our visit, and the mix-up with the check at the end - both of which might have been understood and forgiven on a busy night - turns what might have been a solid 4 out of 5 stars into 3. Given so many other Italian restaurants in the area, I'm not sure we'll return. On the plus side, it's a very swanky place. Romantic, atmospheric, & upscale. Great for first dates, (any dates), special occasions, and small formal gatherings.
(3)Ann S.
I have been here several times and always had good food and good service. The owner is usually around and he is great. Chicken Parmesan is the best--huge, cheesy, crunchy and a delicious red sauce. Chicken Marsala and swordfish have also been great. Delicious sourdough bread with an amazing dipping sauce. Great cocktails and bar. Only weak link was the scallop appetizer which was super salty. Service is good. Look for specially priced dinners for 2 or for frequent Groupons!
(4)Paige D.
We were here on a crowded Saturday night, fortunately we had a reservation as there was over an hour wait for those without. We were early so we sat at the bar for a drink. There was a sign over the bar saying they had a Sauvignon Blanc for $6/glass. It didn't say anything other than that, so I ordered it. I guess I had to specify that I wanted the one on the board, as they charged me $8.50. My husband ordered a gin & tonic and he said "they know how to make a drink." When we were seated at our table we noticed that the wine prices on my husband's menu were lower than the prices on my menu (when the bill came they at least had charged us the lower prices). The food we ordered was very good: scallops wrapped in bacon with a balsamic reduction; short ribs with polenta; and the bolognese. The food didn't blow me away, but it was better than most of the tourist traps in the North End, so that's saying something. For dessert we had tiramisu which was very good. We had a free babysitter for the night, so I wasn't too concerned about staying out late, but there was an extremely long pause between the appetizer and the entree. All told we were at our table for almost two hours, which is a lengthy dinner for just my husband and I, but I would certainly come back here again.
(4)Tara D.
Service was horrible, food was nasty & cold. In spite of reservations got seated in lounge area. Worst meal Ive had
(1)Kitty F.
We have eaten at the bar at Bon Caldos in the past and always had a great experience and food. This past Saturday night we went back and we quite surprised at the rather surely bartender. The evening was quiet and yet we felt as though we were a bother to the bartender. She was running around like the place was packed. In reality there were 2 other couples at the bar and the tables empty. The food was great as usual. What bothered me is that the bartender had nothing to say to us, not even a greeting but the minute an acquaintance came she was as friendly as could be! I miss the old bartenders who we always happy to see a customer and treated them all the same. A smile and a friendly word goes a long way!
(3)Suzanne C.
Food and drinks and atmosphere great. However a couple of things I disliked: chipped dinner plates, the barbabietola is supposed to have red and gold beets-mine came with red bets , no explanation as to why the gold beets weren't included. Also, didn't appreciate the manager sitting in the customer waiting area texting on his phone as guest were leaving, even if you are getting ready to close I think thats inappropriate. Last thing is one of the hostesses every now and then hanging over a chair to chit chat with her friends who were having dinner at the restaurant. Are you out with your friends or at work?! Make up your mind and go with one. Would I go back, yes the food and atmosphere was great. just a few tweaks that are needed.
(4)Susan P.
Went to this restaurant for a friend's birthday and was quite disappointed with the food quality. We had lobster ravioli that was soggy. They should have described it as 'lobster flavored cheese ravioli'. Also tried their scallop entree - this item didn't taste anything like a sea scallop and it was sent back. The salmon was better but the overall quality of the pasta was poor (think soggy center and crispy edges). I have had better food from out of a can.
(2)Lisa M.
I actually would have given this review at the very least one more star, but I just can't. I have been here two other times with good results. The food is good depending on what you order and I thought the service was good all three times I have been. Unfortunately last night...and yes, I know it was July 3rd...I met a friend I hadn't seen for a long time who had just returned from Prague for dinner and drinks. The place was pretty empty, and I don't know if that was because it was a Wednesday or if it was the 3rd of July. I sat at the bar and waited for her for a few minutes. The bartender was wonderfully nice, accommodating and attentive. When my friend arrived we talked for a while and perused the menu and eventually decided to order a bottle of wine and dinner entrees. She liked her chicken/artichoke/capers dish, and I ordered the surf and turf medium rare, but it came medium to medium well and a little cold and the fish was just okay. However the risotto really was outstanding!!! The problem was that they advertise that they are open until 10:00 p.m. and at 9:15 or so I noticed a man staring at us with a white shirt/coat on. After that time it had hit me that the same man had come out on at least one other occasion, if not more. Originally I had thought he was a customer coming to the bar for a drink until the staring event when it finally hit me that he wanted to close. I hadn't noticed that the place had cleared out. We were nearly in the corner of the bar and I was enjoying my company. I felt horrible! I looked at my phone and it was only closing in on 9:30. I looked on Yelp to see their times and it said it was closing in 30-some-odd minutes. I told my friend and we promptly left after she used the bathroom. On the way out the door she said all the lights were off in the bathroom. We had only been in the parking lot 30 seconds and in the process of saying our good-byes and wishing each other a Happy Fourth when the man and the bartender left the building. Not cool! I realize he wanted to get home. It only would have been another half hour, and even that wasn't a big deal. We weren't doing anything intentionally. We were just talking to each other oblivious to what was around us. The staring and obvious annoyance from this man was what was really not cool. It was very clear he thought we were overstaying our welcome. A very polite "We're closing soon" or something to that effect would have been better. Will not be back!
(2)Jack B.
Disappointing food. We have been here before and the food was good. This visit the food was bland and lukewarm at best. Wait staff as very good but couldn't make up for the lack of quality. We will not be going back and can not recommend it.
(2)RoslindaMal E.
Based on all the good reviews on Yelp, I decided to give BonCaldo a try and I am glad I did. Atmosphere / Ambiance: -Excellent. A very warm and romantic setting. Drinks: -BonCaldo offers an extensive wine menu with Italian beers (Moretti & Peroni), which is a plus; I like Italian beers and I was ordering Moretti drafts. Not sure if it was just me, but the drafts tasted a little watery. Appetizer: -Polpetti (homemade meatballs) - Good Pasta Dish: -Pappardelle (slow braised short rib meat, wild mushrooms, cream, truffle oil, fresh pappardelle) - Really Good Service: -Good. (Just remember to offer grated cheese on the pasta dishes!) Conclusion: -I really cannot say anything negative about BonCaldo except that the water from the sinks in the men's room were cold. -With so many things sounding good on the menu I am already planning my next visit. -If I have another good experience at BonCaldo I may have to bump my rating up a star.
(3)Kati K.
Never again! I have an allergy to wheat and as such I ordered the gluten free pasta that they offer... I was served normal pasta instead and now my face is all swollen as a result. : (
(1)Jay G.
Have been going here for years and have been negligent in writing them the review that they deserve. Have had everything from private dinners in the private dining room business functions to sitting at the bar with a friend. Always an enjoyable experience. The only requirement is you start off with eggplant appetizer it is to die for!
(4)