Cafe Mezzanotte

Cafe Mezzanotte | Fine Italian Dining

1007 N Orange St  Wilmington, DE 19801

I had a meeting at Cafe Mezzanotte on Thursday 7, 2013. Since I am new to Delaware, I thought I would have a hard time locating this place, but surprisingly it was easy to find. The title said it was fine dining. Fine dining usually means white table cloths, fine and upscale foods, private rooms, extensive wine list, a large place setting and an very attentive staff.  

So when I arrived, I was confused. How is it a cafe yet it's fine dining? A cafe denotes relaxation, friendly, neighborhood eatery with good quality food. Yet it's fine dining with it's sometimes staunchly atmosphere. Either way I gave it a shot. 

I met my party in a private room. The room was a bit too dim to feel comfortable on the eyes. The server came, introduced himself and took our drink order. One option offered was water: tap, sparkling and bottled. Who offers tap water and call it tap water in a fine dining establishment? Why would you cheapen your fine dining business by calling it tap water. It immediately made me think of water coming out of a hose or a rusty faucet. I ordered the cranberry juice. 

My party ordered. I had the seafood risotto. It had big pieces of shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams in a red marinara sauce. The mussels were gritty and dry. The other shell fish had zero taste and seasonings. The rice was a bit too crispy. The only part of my meal that was good was the scallops. I felt like I wanted to go into the kitchen and revamp that dish. As I barely ate it i looked around the table at the other diners to see how they were enjoying their meal. Some were picking at their plate and some finished their food. Those that were less than satisfied, said their dish was under seasoned  and boring. Most of the dishes did not come with vegetables and I would think at $18.00+ a plate, there would be a carrot stick or a cob of corn. 

The service was slow and inattentive. I had to shout across the room, just to get the waiters attention. There were only 11 people with minimal demands. I'm sure the waiter had many other things to do but if you call yourself a fine dining establishment, the staff and food need to at least come up to par, if not exceed it. 

Would I go back? No, because I wasn't the only one with a problem at the table. 

Ratings: 1-5, 5 is the best

Food: 2.5, Could've been way better especially for the price

Cleanliness: 5

Service: 2

Location: 5

Knowledgeable staff: 5