Grano Emporio
3547 Chestnut Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21211
Grano Emporio Menu
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Insalate E Antipasti
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Grano Pasta
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Pesce Seafood
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Carne Meats
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Contorni - Sides
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Dolci Desserts
Healthy Meal suggestions for Grano Emporio
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Insalate E Antipasti
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Grano Pasta
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Pesce Seafood
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Carne Meats
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Contorni - Sides
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Dolci Desserts
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Address :
3547 Chestnut Ave
Baltimore, MD, 21211 - Phone (443) 438-7521
- Website https://www.granoemporio.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Intimate
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
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.
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Christy D.
This is not your typical review. But then, I didn't have a typical experience. I have always had a deep appreciation for the people and world around me. But all my senses are super heightened post brain hemorrhage...not in a physical sense.... Resonance...I am at Grano Emporio with an 18 oz. Porterhouse, salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic...grilled to perfection...a bottle of Italian beer...sitting on the porch shielded from the dropping sun by grapevines that cover the porch...listening to a street musician sing children's songs such as, "This Old Man", and catching a glimpse of a group of women through a small gap in the grape vines, which frames them with the backdrop of the brilliant blue of the static graffiti art painted on the brick wall canvas, as they lick their cones from the Charmery... before the wind takes its share of the ice cream...I realize what I am seeing this evening is.... a .... living....still life. ...I think I want an Old Bay and Caramel ice cream cone. They might have those in heaven, but I am getting one while I walk this Earth now. Grano provided me with more than fine dining, it gave me a super fine experience. L.I.F.E...living is fantastic everyday! -- feeling present at Grano Emporio on Chestnut.
(5)Eric N.
This is a solid Italian bistro with consistently very good food. We have been here many times, and have never been disappointed. The prices are a little high for the size of the dish, but the quality is always spot on. Kid friendly, and nice digs. Also, outside seating is available.
(4)D A.
We dined there last night. We had the mussels in garlic and white wine sauce for an appetizer and the excellent scallops and linguine in a cream sauce. Both were exceptional. The cream sauce was light and very flavorful. We also loved the option of a carafe of wine. The service was polite and the restaurant is nicely decorated and very clean. We dine out quite often and will add this to our short list of favorites. This will be our go to place for Italian, or just great food in a very comfortable, quiet place.
(5)Maria P.
I finally tried Grano Emporio for dinner this past Saturday. After a busy day my fiance and I were hungry early so we opted for dinner around the senior citizen hour right when the restaurant opened. We were the first table to be sat at least downstairs anyway (didn't venture upstairs but they have seating there too). We sat in the cozy dining room behind the sunny open windows adjacent to the hostess stand. Tyler K was our server-very knowledgeable and unobtrusive yet attentive. We enjoyed a moderately priced $ 38 bottle of Sicilian red '516 Perricone Castelluci Miano', the prosciutto di Parma, some Parmesan cheese, olives, the linguine Marechiaro, and the Lasagna Al Ragout. The olives were so so, a bit on the dry side, and the cheese was softer than I anticipated. I typically like a firmer Parmesan. My fiance enjoyed every last morsel of the Prosciutto. For the mains, the linguine was perfectly al dente and the mini clams were arranged in a circle flanking the pasta finished with a flavorful broth. I tried the lasagna and the sauce was amazing. As the future wife of an Italian I need to step my sugo/sauce/gravy game up. Both the owner, a genial looking Italian gentleman as well as the chef (a non Italian but certainly skilled in the kitchen) were present throughout the evening. As other parties started to arrive the dining room grew lively and we could no longer hear the sounds of just our silverware and chatter. Total was $ 111 ish with tip $ 136 for dinner for two. I would love to come back and bring my parents and two other patrons so as to occupy the 6 top right in front of the window in a sunroom style area of the dining room. We also purchased wine and beer from the bartender- wine is 30 % off for to go orders. They have a nice selection in front by the host stand.
(4)Liz J.
Grano Emporio is a fabulous little Italian place in Hampden. Barely off the Avenue, it's easy to find and is in a few former row homes on Chestnut. The former row home layout does give Grano Emporio a rather cramped feel, but once you get some good food and wine in you, you forget that there is another person sitting a foot away from you. We started with a bottle of white wine since they were running a 40% special (how can you beat that??), and the marinated olives. The were a variety of different olives that had a deep flavor, and they were a nice little preview before our meals. The bread we got was cold, and not all that great, but because they were pretty busy, we knew we would be waiting for awhile and we had better eat up. Our dinners were worth the wait! We had spaghetti and meatballs, and sausage risotto. I had never had meat in risotto before, and it was delicious! Both pastas were cooked pretty well, and had really nice flavor. Everything just had a homemade feeling as if my grandparents had made it. The portion sizes were also pretty reasonable, so we didn't feel at all guilty ordering the chocolate flan for dessert. But we definitely felt pretty full after that! The flan was very decadent, topped with a light caramel sauce that just made it all the more delicious. Since the bottle of wine was 40%, we were able to get all this without totally breaking the bank. It's a really nice spot for a date night or a night out with friends (but not too many because there's not a lot of room!) We'll definitely be back!
(5)Chad B.
We were seated outside for lunch. The restaurant's Italian-style decor is really nice - there are even grape vines growing on the porch outside. I even heard a table of people speaking Italian inside. I ordered the Panino Polpette meatball sandwich which also came with a salad. The table is served a small loaf of Italian bread with olive oil for dipping. The bread was obviously homemade and very delicious. The salad was very fresh and had cucumbers, olives with pits, and very light dressing (healthy). The meatball sandwich came on two slices of bread, open face. It was clearly homemade and had mozzarella cheese melted on it. The sauce and meatballs were excellent and high quality. To top it off, our server was very accommodating and friendly. It's not a good place to go if you're in a hurry, but the restaurant is perfect for a relaxing, sit-down meal.
(4)Kathy F.
Excellent home made pastas served with wonderful bread framed our meals. We tried the new salad on the menu and weren't disappointed. Request a seat on their porch if you really want to close your eyes and feel as though you are in Tuscany! This little restaurant is a true gem. I loved it here.
(5)Kathy D.
Our meal was fine, service was good. Nothing was spectacular. I though prices were a little high. Food was good not outstanding.
(3)Glenn S.
We've eaten here many times and it occurred to me last night I should really write a review. We always have a great time -- the ambience is homey yet elegant, the people friendly, the food excellent. Last night we had the striped bass special, which melted in our mouths, really wonderful. In general they really do seafood well, and I love their pastas. Desserts too. In warm weather, the little porch out front is a lovely place to dine.
(5)Ravon T.
A couple weeks ago, I brought my girlfriend here to celebrate her birthday and the overall experience was excellent. First, you may want to visit TravelZoo because they have a great voucher for this restaurant where you can get a three course meal with wine for two for $60. The wait staff was very friendly and allowed me to decorate the table with flowers and a balloon so I can make her birthday extra special. The restaurant itself is very cosy but definitely has some personality to it. Definitely not a cookie cutter establishment, like the Olive Garden. My girlfriend felt even more special as each waiter/waitress stopped by and wished her a Happy Birthday. I even got a thumbs up from the cook. I ordered the Shrimp Linguini, which was delicious. My only regret was that I forgot to take home my leftovers.
(5)Hong L.
I reside in Hampden. I have tried most, it not all of the restaurants in the neighborhood, including Grano Pasta Bar, the sister restaurant of emporio. I actually enjoy going to Grano Pasta Bar, so I thought it would be nice to try out emporio with my wife. Although it seemed inviting at first, any hopes of a nice experience were dashed when it took over 10 minutes for the waiter just to greet our table and take our drink orders. Not only that, it took another 15 minutes to get our wine. As you can imagine it took even longer to get our meals and appetizer. The food was unimpressive, and it seemed as though we could have gotten the same thing at grano pasta bar for half the price and less hassle. it wouldn't surprise me if they get their ingredients from the same distributor, then mark up the price because emporio is supposed to be nicer. It's not. To top it off, I found a hair in my entree. After waiting another 20 mins just for our check, we finally got it and were able to be free of emporio's clutches after a 2 hour experience which really should have taken half the time. Based on this experience, I would never visit emporio again, I would not recommend it other visitors. There are other restaurants on the the avenue that are much better with less of the foolishness. I just can't understand why establishments continue to offer a sub-par product at a high price and believe that they can continue to exist. Not only that, but I was severely disappointed considering my experience at grano pasta bar. I really liked that place too, but after this, I'm turned off by the both restaurants. If anyone who is employed at grano emporio is reading this review, get your stuff together because you could have a great restaurant if you took measures to improve your quality control.
(1)Jeff F.
Visited Grano Emporio last night with friends and we were all disappointed. Maybe the pompous waiter did not help but the food, its presentation and lack of ambiance added to the poor results. The menu choices were limited and, while the food came out hot, one of our appetizers was forgotten. No one checked on our food after being served. No one offered any cheese or pepper for our Italian dishes. Bread was delivered, only after asking several times. We all felt like we were being rushed out of the restaurant. No worries about that as we will not be returning any time soon.
(2)Jock M.
We have eaten here twice recently. Enjoyed it both times and the service was very good both times. For appetizers we had the Burrata which is a special mozzarella with mixed greens, tomatoes, and a delicious dressing with basil olive oil. The other appetizer was a farro and lentil salad with sea salt, lemon, olive oil and red onion. Very tasty, both of them. The second time we had those and others but I can't remember the others even though I remember they were good. I had the Pollo Marsala, chicken with Shitake and Crimini mushrooms, marsala, tomatoes and the option of mushroom ravioli. Delicious!! Another person had the Osso Buco and loved it. The cassoulet della troia, which is a winter stew of wild boar, lamb and duck as well as white beans was also very tasty as was the shrimp and linquine. The Belgian chocolate flan and the mini canolis for dessert were to die for. Some of the best canoli I have had.
(4)Emily K.
My boyfriend and I went here for our first date and decided to come back for our anniversary, more so for sentimental reasons rather than the food. The service here is really great and the atmosphere is charming. Our waiter comp'd us the corking fee on our wine and offered free dessert for the occasion. The staff here is personable, which is always nice. The food is really great italian food, but not life changing. There are definitely better Italian places in Hampden (try Daniela's farther down the avenue!), but the atmosphere and overall quality of the food makes it a winning combination.
(4)Tom H.
Excellent homemade Italian food. Menu can change but the pasta is home made and you can taste the difference. The ravioli I has was amazing and the meatballs are wonderful as well. I'm no wine-o but the selection is adequate and affordable (I've seen some bottles $10 more expensive in comparable restaurants). For those who say the portions are too small, this is not Carrabba's, Macaroni Grill, or similar chain restaurant. Everything is made by hand and I was pleasantly surprise by the portions, and I can eat a lot! It's more about the quality of food and not shoving some pre-made mush down your pie hole. Lastly, I want to give a shout out to Usman, our server the past two times we've gone there. Not only is he knowledgeable about the food AND wine they serve at Grano, he is a class act and role model for proper service.
(5)Jennifer C.
The decor and music contrasts with the food, however they are in Hampden and most likely going for the eclecticism. Food is good and the portions are nice. I went for Valentine's Day and they gave us a nice memento at the end, which was nice. The service is nice and non-invasive.
(4)Scott S.
We eat out about every other week, and we love to try new places in hopes of adding it as one of our "go to" places to dine. Grano Emporio is such a place. Met up with some friends for a truly great meal. Server was friendly and not overly present. The meal was spaced out properly, we were never rushed. Prices for food AND wine were reasonable. We are already thinking about when we will go back.
(5)Micah K.
My wife and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary there and came away very happy with the entire experience. The restaurant is a quaint Italian restaurant on one of the side streets in Hampden and the ambiance inside is perfect for a couple looking to celebrate a special occasion or just have a night out. While the prices are out of our price range for a night out ($30 and up for an entree), we used a TravelZoo deal that was $60 for an appetizer, two entrees, a dessert and a half carafe of wine. The deal was a steal and the food phenomenal.
(4)Alex G.
We've come here once, and it has changed our perspective of Italian food. It was uniquely and memorably delicious -- without even including any tomato sauce (which I thought was a given). I got a pesto-filled pasta, and my husband got a wild-mushroom ravioli. Both were fantastic, but the mushroom ravioli... was like being transported to another flavor world. Each of us would take a bite, then lean back, savor, and wonder how it is that so much flavor could be packed in. Excellent. We followed it up with a chocolate flan, which was rich and tasty. Because the price fairly high, at least compared to my lower-than-normal standards, we are saving this only for the next legitimate special occasion.
(5)Robin C.
What a fantastic restaurant! Food was amazing and the staff was wonderful. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Y Y.
Service was nice. The food tastes good, I particularly enjoyed the coconut flan. There were many things on the menu to choose from and what we chose tasted good but for me wasn't sensational. Overall I had a nice meal.
(3)Jenny R.
Pasta was delicious and servers extremely friendly. Shrimp linguine was very fresh. Will definitely go back.
(5)Dina B.
We had avoided Grano Emporio for so many years thinking it was just an ordinary restaurant that could not compete with the numerous options in the neighborhood. We were mistaken for keeping it out of the rotation for so long. Canceling a reservation at Bottega, we wanted to try an Italian place where we could walk after dinner. We tried Grano Emporio, had a great meal, with a lovely atmosphere and attentive service. The first time, we tried the very fresh Rucola salad, the lasagna (so light and delicious), and a shrimp dish. I like being able to get a variety of wines by the 1/2 liter in a carafe, though they do have a more extensive wine list. A week later, we took a couple who knows Italian food, and we had another excellent meal. They always have a specials menu, and from that I chose a very fresh sea bream with kale. If I could only eat like that every day (healthy and light). My husband had the pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe - a staple on most menus but this was better than most. I love that they have a more casual area where folks can enjoy charcuterie, olives, and drinks. Everyone seems to enjoy themselves here, and we were no exception. Note they only serve beer and wine, I believe.
(4)Barbara R.
Really delicious meal and gracious service. The exact atmosphere I wanted for an intimate dinner. The zucchini risotto was a wonderful treat.
(5)Mark S.
I just moved back to Baltimore after 23 years in Dallas. Back in the day, Sabatino's was our go to Italian place. Since we've returned, Grano Emporio is the spot I pick for great Italian food. I can't tell you how delicious a meal there is. After dinner there on Friday my brother remarked, "This place is so much better than you would expect it to be." The Fagioli All Uccelletto appetizer was amazing! It reminded me of a really good pasta fazool only without the broth. The Risotto with sausage was to die for. The Linguine with clams was light and tasty, full of tons of beautiful fresh clams. Even the lasagna was terrific. Our waiter was funny and knowledgeable. The service prompt and discreet. Highly recommended. You should also check out their tiny pasta bar around the corner on the Ave in Hampden for a more casual Italian dinning experience.
(5)Robert L.
We went here for the first time last night. A few years ago we went to their pasta bar down the street and loved it, so we had been looking forward to trying Emporio Grano. The food was high quality, and complex in flavor, while achieving the appearance of being simple Italian food. My one complaint is the minimal list of by the glass wines, but their bottle list was diverse. Wait staff was very pleasant. I will definitely go back!
(4)Erin O.
I tried to go to Grano last night with my family. We walked in the door and asked if they could accommodate party of 6 adults and 2 kids. The young host at the door was very nice and said they would get a table ready. After a few minutes, he came back and told me that they could seat us but they do not have high chairs or booster seats. You might as well post a sign on your door that reads NO CHILDREN ALLOWED. Who doesn't have high chairs and booster seats!? I was floored. I'm sure the food is good. I love Grano Pasta Bar. But I won't be back, with or without my kid.
(1)kos b.
Terrible service. Took 45 minutes to get our first drink. No air conditioning. The other Grano is very good but this one is terrible.
(1)Kevin J.
Our experience at Grano Emporio was alright. The atmosphere was as expected. It is a small intimate restaurant. The service was excellent, however there was clearly too many tables upstairs for one waiter to handle. We waited about 20 minutes before he came over. After that he was very attentive, knew the menu, and was great with suggestions. The food was exceptional. The mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes were great. The meat platter was just ok, but a little pricey. They had these great Italian mini pickles on the plate, which I have never seen before. The house wine is good and prices are very reasonable. For our main entrees my date and I ordered mushroom ravioli and veal piccata . Both dishes were tasty. They make the ravioli and pasta dishes in house. My only complaint is there was not enough food on the plate. Thinking Italian I would have expected more quantity. I was still hungry after my main entree, which is a problem. For desert defiantly get the tiramisu. It is a huge slice that is sharable and the best i have ever had. Prices were average, around $20-27 an entree. Overall the service, food, wine, desert were great. Only problem is they need to make their portions on the entrees bigger. We will be back.
(4)Amber A.
Five of my relatives who lived in Italy picked this place for dinner so it had to be good. The Caesar has delightful bits of anchovy that are salty and flavorful. They do make some of their own pastas but not the gnocchi, sadly. The artichoke lasagna was superb in a rich and balanced béchamel. I keep thinking about that lasagna. I took one star because it is very pricy for Italian food, And my husband's ravioli was not good to me. They brought five Raviolis and three mussels out for over twenty bucks. Also my uncle and I both kept having to spit out pieces of artichoke from our dish that wee unchewable. Great service and nice ambiance.
(4)Michael G.
Solid Italian food. Simple but good, with quality ingredients. Very nice staff as well.
(4)Emily L.
We actually came here by mistake: we had perused the menu at Grano Pasta Bar and were looking forward to an inexpensive meal with our own wine. Once seated at this finer cousin of the pasta bar, we realized it was a very different place, but it was so cold outside we decided to stick with it. (Plus, we were feeling a little smug about having scored a table instantly when larger parties were still waiting or had given up.) Our first course was a squash soup, which was creamless and delicately scented -- a good, warming starter. We ordered a carafe of light red (thinking longingly of the perfect wine we had brought!) and sipped. Then came the entree, which blew us away. We had chosen shrimp and pasta, which ordinarily wouldn't even catch my eye, because the menu called it their signature dish. It was incredible. Linguini, perfectly cooked, in a winey, minimal sauce of chopped tomatoes, surrounded by huge shrimp of a caliber I've never had in my life: they were almost creamy, so perfectly poached and seasoned. With them we ordered a side of pan-roasted cauliflower, which could have been a meal in itself: again, minimal preparation, but perfectly cooked and seasoned with just salt and pepper. Every bite was a revelation, and we couldn't stop saying, "This is so GOOD!" The salad I had ordered never came until after we reminded the waiter (more on that later) and it was forgettable: although fresh, the garnishes were skimpy (apple, olives, tomatoes) and there was almost no dressing, so it was like eating a pile of plain mesclun mix. We had a few bites each and then left it. Dessert was an astounding lemon poppy-seed cake: again, it wouldn't have stood out on a menu, but the quality ingredients showed through. It was dense, moist and perfect to finish off a beautiful meal. The real low point here was the service. Our waiter, quite simply, decided early on we were not worth the trouble. He did his job, taking our order and sending the food (and actually, he noticed we hadn't gotten the salad, though we were going to just let it go) but we watched him chat, laugh and do shots with other tables and wondered what we had done to offend him! Yes, we didn't order a lot of food; splitting four courses plus a side dish, we were both perfectly satisfied. But come on -- at least pretend to care! He obviously didn't: we had to ask for water, refill our own wine and request the dessert list. The runners who brought food didn't know whose was whose, and several times they tried to bring us food we hadn't ordered, so I have to assume the waiter wasn't communicating with them either. Bad service notwithstanding, I'm sure we would return just for the top-notch food and cozy, warm atmosphere.
(4)Jennifer H.
Ugh. Where to start....well my dinner date was extremely late, and the waiter took it as his personal vendetta to make her pay for being late. Seriously, I am not kidding here. But let me back up...I sat here for an hour as the only one in the restaurant on a Thursday night from 5-6. You would think that they would have offered me bread while I was waiting or something, but nope. When my date finally arrived, the waiter came over and told us that we had to leave at 7 because of people that had reservations. OK. He asked us if we had any questions about the menu and I'm not sure if he was misinformed or just annoyed that she was late, but he was incorrect on several accounts. For example, he told us there was a trout special in addition to the tuna special listed. When asked how it was prepared, he said the same as the tuna (with capers, tomatoes, etc.). She ordered the trout and asked if it was de-boned and he said yes. He then noted that everything is ala carte and did she want a vegetable. She asked what they had and he said we have what is listed on the menu. Ouch. It was broccoli rabe, so she ordered that. Well, the dinner came and they brought her the tuna special, instead of the trout that she ordered and on the plate was broccoli rabe and then the side of broccoli rabe in addition. So either he was misinformed or lying to try to upcharge her. When she let him know that this was tuna and not trout, he brought it back. I mean, it is pretty easy to tell the difference between the two. Meanwhile, I ate my mushroom ravs, which I have to say were delicious. This is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1. Her trout came out about 20 minutes later and at that point I was done with my entire plate. I tried the side of broccoli rabe, which was really bitter. I love broccoli rabe, but it is a hard dish to prepare to cut the bitterness, and they did not do it well. The trout came out prepared completely differently than the tuna was with lemon and leeks, but it looked good. Until she started eating it and it was full of tiny bones. She said nothing and continued to eat it while I watched her pull small bones out of her mouth. The waiter never came over to see how things were and no one made any offer to comp anything for all of these mistakes. It was a very uncomfortable meal and a terrible experience and I will definitely not be back.
(2)Chuck C.
Food was hot but average. Had to ask for bread w dinner and waiter was very sarcastic. Was not impressed by his service, insults or big "B" on his hand
(2)Stephen J.
I can't say enough about Grano. The food is well prepared, proportioned, and interesting. The service has been top notch both times we visited. Great wine list and excellent cheese board plus the flan is outstanding. If you want a better alternative to little Italy this is the place.
(5)Chris C.
dined on 3/9/12 I really liked this place. The food was fantastic - everything was cooked perfectly and delicious. We shared bread and Salumi to start. My wife had the Braciole, my father had the veal, and I had a homemade pasta dish that was a special (I can't recall what it was now, but I loved it). The food was all 5 star+, just awesome. The atmosphere was nice, nothing special, but nice. I would actually say it was too quiet at first, then a few more tables were sat and the noise level came up and it felt a little more comfortable. I think some music would have been nice. I feel horrible for mentioning this but this restaurant is just too nice for this to have happened: there was a young man running food for the servers and he came with the first of our meals and did not know who it went to AND he did not know what the dish was. He literally held the plate out and said who gets this. This would be fine in a diner, but this is not a diner. I later was told that this young man is grand son of the owner (that's why i feel bad). Anyway, other than the above the service was very good. It maybe took a little longer than it should have to for plates to be cleared, but drinks were brought promptly, the menu was well explained, and our server was very friendly and pleasant. There is no true bar area so I would not suggesting getting there early. Overall a great experience and worth trying - we will be back.
(4)Lizzie P.
My boyfriend and I thought this would be a great place to try, especially since we enjoyed a meal at the smaller Grano's on the Avenue a few weeks earlier. Sadly, this was not the case. We had no problem getting a table since the place was practically empty, but our first waiter was horribly rude when we asked him about the wine selection (apparently all of their wine selections are on the wall when you come in, and since that was our first time there we asked about it, and he responded to us like we were asking the dumbest question on earth), and then he left to talk with an obnoxiously loud table across from us (whose loud, lewd, and drunken conversation where they loudly professed all of their past and upcoming sexual encounters). It was like the parents of the cast of Jersey Shore was joining us for dinner. A second waiter came around about 15 minutes after we sat down (and we hadn't received any water at this point), and she was very gracious and did a great job of taking our order. The food choices were limited (choice of pasta sauces) and the food was so-so, but the atmosphere was so awful that we will probably not return. I know a lot of people have to wait a long time to get in here. Just go somewhere else.
(1)John M.
The great flavors of this evening's meal were marred by an inattentive, indifferent waiter who allowed us to sit amidst dirty plates and who grudgingly offered spoons so we could split a couple of plates. This is a restaurant to which I'll return if a visitor wants to eat there. I won't go back in my own.
(3)William Cooper G.
I have been going to the little Grano for almost a year with another friend who lives in the neighborhood but never went to the larger restaurant until tonight. The food was unbelievably good; simple, small portions and delicious sauces to go with them. Even the bread was good. It's on the pricy side if you get the specials, but it's worth it. If you have a date and you're in the Hampden area, bring them here.
(5)Brian N.
I was part of a party of six that visited Grano Emporio on a Saturday night. The restaurant disappointed on all levels. First, we ordered the fagioli as an appetizer (we had a vegan among us). Besides being incredibly salty, it didn't have much flavor. The waitress was kind enough to bring us another bean dish that was a little better after we complained about the lack of flavor. For my entree, I ordered the pork tenderloin served with gnocchi. The pork was so horribly dry that the staff could have easily used it to scrub dishes in the kitchen. I'm kicking myself for not sending it back, but I was so hungry I just ate it. The gnocchi was totally uninspired. The true highlight of the meal was the cannoli I had for dessert. They were crunchy, cheesy and delicious! The service was spotty at best. Five of the six entrees came out and we had to wait another 5 or 10 minutes for the sixth entree to come. It seems they screwed up the order and brought out the wrong dish causing the wait. For dessert, three of us ordered coffee. One was delivered followed by the other two 5 minutes later. I would recommend staying away until the service and food improve.
(1)Annie P.
This was one of the best meals I can remember. We sat by the kitchen which would normally be a " bad" spot. But all we heard was softly spoken Italian coming through the door. We started with the mozzarella and a bottle of red. The wine prices are incredibly reasonable. The mozzarella was garnished with tomatoes and olives. It was really good, but the homemade pasta that we ate next was heaven. I got the mushroom ravioli and my partner ate the squid ink pasta. Both were just divine. We also split the meatballs. The sauce was fresh- garlicky, fresh basil, chunky tomatoes. This dish was perfect. We ended with tiramisu and coconut flan. I was in a state of pure bliss after this. On top of putting out perfect food, wait staff was very friendly as was the kitchen staff. The chefs chatted with us about the food and ways to make limoncello. Other tables seemed like old friends of the restaurant. This place just has a great vibe. I didn't want to leave and I cannot wait to come back.
(5)Kate A.
I need to write a very bad review... because our waiter was an openly RACIST bigot and Grano appears fine with this. We decided to go to Grano for a family member's birthday dinner. I had been before and we enjoyed the food, atmosphere and the owner was chatty and nice. This time I assume because the 3 of us who arrived first were white, out of a party of 8, that the waiter thought it ok to showers us with ignorant stereotypes and racism while less than 10 minutes in the restaurant. He was talking about wine and somehow it turned into a racist, ridiculous, non-sequential, conversation using a racist slur to refer to black people. Then to proceed to tell us that, "all of black girls only want sweet wine. They won't drink anything else. They turn their nose up when I give them a Chianti. I know because I used to work at X restaurant and they were all in there. What would you expect since they all grew up drinking cool aid." Where the hell did this come from? Shocked. We sat there. We made some comments about stereotyping and tried to move the conversation along, as he insisted and continued on. The rest of our party then walked in as a welcome diversion. We just wanted to have a nice meal as a family. Later when 7 of 8 of us were there he asked us about our nationalities (odd but maybe ok to see who was Italian since it is an Italian restaurant... not sure). Then went into something unclear about Jewish people not understanding that what Grano serves is much better than what they (Jewish people) eat ... "What they eat is 3 tiers down from what we serve". So, we ignored this saw as we saw it coming when the racist guy started saying the word "Jewish". The 2 Jews at the table (cluless is the waiter) took it in stride to try and enjoy a birthday dinner. Then our 8th family member arrived later in the evening, coming from another event who is a black man. The waiter was clearly surprised and interacted with him oddly. I debated how to handle this while still there. It is a small restaurant and I did not want to make a scene there or any further negatively influence the celebration. Though we all discussed it on and off throughout dinner. I called the restaurant on my way home and asked to speak with the owner. My favorite waiter answered the phone and would NOT let me speak to the owner, saying that he was too busy. I had just left and the restaurant it was not busy. I insisted and ended up speaking to a manager and not the owner, who agreed that this was inappropriate. Truly though she left me with a feeling that I had said my soup was cold... not that a raging, ignorant bigot had threw his wrath on us while we tried to enjoy, and pay good money for, a family dinner. She did not ask for my contact information or confirm that she would share this with the owner or that the waiter would be repremanded. She told me to call her when we come back again and she'll "take care of us". That ship sailed. We'll never go back. There is no way that this man is that openly bigoted and the people he works with are this clueless to his behavior. He is allowed (encouraged?) to be this way in this restaurant. We are 8 people who love each other and wanted to enjoy a birthday dinner. We did not let him take that celebration from us. But the story needs to be told. Make a better choice for your dining experience elsewhere.
(1)Kimberly D.
We went back with a party of 6 a week later for a birthday dinner and sat upstairs. The light above the table was broken so we had a hard time reading the menu although the watiress was really nice about it. The food seemed skimpy, the green salad meager, the four orders of bread that we had to pay for unfair and the service just not as good. It is a small place, but for the prices, $20 and over entrees, one would expect busboys to refill waters and clean the table,. We sat with our empty dishes for a while. Plus, the veal entree comes with vegetables but no pasta or rice, why so skimpy with the starches Grano? The meatball serving is small. The sausage with the brocclinni outstanding, but the presentation unappetizing, who wants two giant sausages staring at you The tiramisu is odd, a fluffy thing rather than one with layers of lady fingers and expresso, but it is yummy - just not like regular tiramisu. I still like that it is family owned and that the owner is very friendly, but feel that the experience would be improved by more attention to plating, service and food combinations. They recently changed the menu so maybe they will read this and make some more changes and add some pasta, rice, potatoes or other stuff to sop up the great sauces.
(3)Paul D.
Grano Emporio is the newer big brother of Grano Pasta Bar. The menu is terrific with a great selection of authentic family made Italian specialties. Unfortunately, our experience there was rather poor primarily as a result of a bad server. She couldn't remember our orders; the delivery of appetizers and entrees was not uniform which is always uncomfortable - she blamed the kitchen; and she brought the wrong entrees. It spoiled what should have been a special night for me an my friends. However, the kicker was that when I returned home and checked my credit card bill later that week, we were charged twice for our meal. When we realized the error, we brought it to the attention of the owner and also explained the problems we had during the meal. They were very gracious and genuinely concerned that we had a less than ideal meal. They went out of the way to make it up to us and we greatly appreciated that.
(4)