Capriccio

Last night I went to a very special restaurant for a very special occasion. I'll start this off by saying that after last night, Capriccio now one of my favorite restaurants in Saratoga . We walked into the restaurant and immediately fell in love. The setting was beautiful - romantic lighting with flowers on every table, pieces from local artists on display and a gorgeous dark wood bar...I might have felt slightly underdressed in my black skinny jeans but oh well. We were warmly greeted and given our choice of table either by the window or tucked in the back. We chose the window seat where it was a little quieter and settled in as our waiter talked to us about the specials of the night.

For our appetizer, we decided to be a little adventurous and ordered the Octopus Carpaccio. I honestly had no idea what to expect and was very surprised when this was on our table almost immediately after ordering. (Sorry for the amateur photos, my pre-New Year's resolution is to take better food pictures)

I realized that I had never had octopus expect for calamari and I wouldn't even know how to recognize it otherwise...who knew this was what it looked like! This dish was thinly sliced octopus dressed with lemon olive oil and capers, with some arugula on the side to compliment it perfectly. The subtle taste of the octopus was brought out by the lemon olive oil and given an extra kick by the capers...what more could you want.

Well, I'll tell you what more you could want in an appetizer - some of Capriccio's wood-fired bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic. Oh man, that was some good bread. I didn't know about their wood-fired oven (imported from Napoli, how fancy!) so was curious when the bread tasted a little smoky. Absolutely delicious. Now I'm even more excited to try some of their pizzas, I can only imagine how the wood-fired oven adds to the already amazing flavor combinations they have put together.

But the pizza would have to wait for another visit, last night I got the Baked Eggplant while my date got the Beef Scallopine alla Rosina. Both dishes came with polenta and vegetables. I'm not gonna to lie, I love polenta and everything but I've always thought it was a fairly bland option. Well ladies and gentlemen, Capriccio did the impossible, they made polenta exciting! It was flavorful and hearty, the perfect side for both of the dishes we got. Take a look, don't these dishes look amazing?

The Baked Eggplant was the perfect comfort food, exactly what I needed on a cold December night. Underneath all that cheese is eggplant, roasted red pepper, and spinach. Yum. The tomato sauce was truly amazing, you could have given me a bowl of that sauce and I would have been happy. And I know I said it but I'll say it again, I loved the polenta.

My date definitely enjoyed the Beef Scallopine alla Rosina, though when he first got the dish it was missing the crispy prosciutto. Never fear, waiter to the rescue! As soon as we pointed it out, our waiter apologized and immediately brought a little dish of prosciutto for my date to add to his meal. It's that kind of service that makes a great restaurant experience...the prosciutto was what made the entree so enticing on the menu and adding it really made the meal.

And now dessert.

That my friends is a slice of Orange Ricotta Cheesecake. Sweet, light, delicious, and exactly what I wanted after such a decadent dinner. As with the polenta, I was skeptical due to my bias towards New York style cheesecake over Italian cheesecake. But once again, Capriccio proved me wrong. This cheesecake made me wonder if I had preferred New York style cheesecake only because I had never had good Italian cheesecake before...because this was definitely the best I have ever had. Maybe I'll have to go on a cheesecake spree to test out this theory.

So besides amazing atmosphere, service, and food, Capriccio also has some other exciting things going for it. For example, you can save $8 with your Spa City Pack coupon...think about it, that's a glass of wine or appetizer right there! Another thing, Capriccio hosts sunday family dinners where adults are $25, kids are $15, and kids under 10 are free! What an amazing tradition to start with your family, every Sunday going to a local restaurant for good company and good food. Speaking of good company and food, Capriccio also organizes trips to Italy! WHOA! I'm not too sure on all of the details, but it seems like they go as a group to experience everything that Italy has to offer. Check it out, and if anyone has been on one of these trips feel free to leave a comment, I'm so curious!

And while you are checking out those trips online, make sure to make a reservation for Capriccio for your next special occasion, you'll have a great experience.

I promise.