Warning: This review is probably not of a typical dining experience at Ristorante due Isole, an Italian restaurant located in Fells Point. But maybe this isn't a typical Italian restaurant.
For starters, if you're planning to dine at Ristorante due Isole, you must be sure to have a reservation- something my party did not. When we arrived at about 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday night, our group of four was told the wait would be 25-35 minutes. No big deal, we thought, especially considering that the host promised us the "best Italian food on the east coast" if and when we returned. We were more than happy to take this half hour to explore the wonderfully fun and cute atmosphere that characterizes the area.
Located at 1911 Aliceanna Street, Ristorante due Isole is right at the heart of Fells Point, and surrounded by tons of restaurants and shops. Half an hour later, a very apologetic host said he had a table eating dessert, and it would probably be about another ten minutes before we'd be seated. As we gathered outside, our new friend the host kept coming out to apologize, to chat, and to just generally amuse us.
An hour and a half after first arriving at Ristorante due Isole, we were finally seated at a table, wondering how good this food was going to have to be to make up for such a long wait. We were surrounded by scenic Mediterranean murals, ivy, and fences, and even the ceiling fans were painted to match the overall d??cor. The atmosphere contributes to an authentic feeling, as though we were really in a little Italian villa, eating at a family-run establishment. The kitchen is visible from the entire restaurant, and from our table right next to it, we could see first hand how fresh all of the ingredients were.
Since we had spent the last hour examining the menu, we placed our order immediately. Fresh hot bread arrived, with not only butter, but also a house-specialty dipping sauce of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh parmesan cheese.
Each table seemed to be getting some sort of special attention. Customers waiting to be seated were directed to the bar, and the host made frequent trips to every table. Even the chef came out to mingle. The whole experience had the feel of a big family gathering, as if the staff had known its customers for a very long time.
Specializing in the cuisine of the Italian islands, Ristorante due Isole offers a huge variety of seafood dishes. Appetizers included crab cake, calamari, and a thinly-sliced beef carpaccio. Though I am not personally a huge seafood fan, according to my seafood-eating friends, the crab cake on a grilled portabella mushroom was quite amazing.
For a non-seafood alternative, you might want to try the caprese appetizer, a bed of sliced tomatoes served in vinaigrette with fresh mozzarella and fresh greens. The menu offers several soups and salads as well, like a house salad served with shrimp and cashews. Ristorante due Isole was well on its way to redeeming itself.
Our entrees quickly followed the appetizers. The gnocchi with sausage and portabella mushrooms comes overflowing with crumbled Italian sausage. Spaghetti frutti di mare, pasta with an incredible amount of mussels, scallops, shrimp and calamari, was amazing.
A delicious alternative to seafood was the Cappelini cielo, a pasta dish with fresh plum tomatoes and garlic. The house specialty, Zuppa di Pesce, was a fish stew overflowing with clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and vegetables in a flaky pie crust. Other entrees include the rack of lamb, chicken breast stuffed with sausage, sundried tomatoes and vegetables, and black linguine, with salmon, arugula and walnuts.
Then came dessert. Options included a cr?me puff in chocolate sauce, a chocolate cake, which our server described as so rich you'd have to share, sorbets, and tiramisu.
We opted for tiramisu. Our gigantic portion, which was a perfect flavor to finish our meal, came adorned with chocolate covered strawberries. Topping off dessert, the host came over to tell us all about the nineteen-year-old pastry chef.
Despite our rocky start, we concluded that the night was definitely an enjoyable experience. Prices at Ristorante due Isole however, were a bit higher than expected. If you're willing to splurge for a night on some wonderful fresh Italian food, go for it. But it's probably a good idea to have a reservation. Hour and a half waits can only be justified so often.
