Trattoria Salve - Durham

I'll start with the positives! The Lasagna was delicious! I also tried 4 different cocktails, all of which were fantastic. Now for the not-so-great aspects...I ordered a half Caesar salad for $4, and my friend ordered a whole Caesar salad for $8, but they were almost the same size. The whole salad should have been much larger for $8. The cannoli was not to my liking, as I wasn't a fan of the cheese flavoring. Our server seemed new and was a bit awkward. I wanted to give her some tips, but refrained. It was uncomfortable when she kept asking us if we needed anything every 5 minutes and lingered after we declined. Our conversation was constantly interrupted, which was frustrating. Despite this, she did give us good drink and food recommendations. The lasagna and cocktails were the highlights, earning the restaurant a 3-star rating.

We were very disappointed with our meal at this restaurant. Despite reading positive reviews, we found that there was not a single part of the meal that could be considered good, let alone very good. We started with bread that was decent but nothing special. The pasta fazioli soup was bland but okay, while the calamari appetizer was also lacking in flavor and arrived late. Our main dishes - tagliatelle with mushrooms and cavatelli with sausage - were both bland and unremarkable, with the latter being overly salty and essentially inedible. The restaurant has been open for nine months, so it's not likely just a case of growing pains. For a better Italian dining experience in Durham, we recommend trying Cucciolo Osteria or Gocciolina instead.

The salad was small, and the portion of dinner was very small. The soup servings were not very large. The staff was friendly and gave us a discount on our meal. The menu was limited for Valentine's Day. The bread was tasty. Our bill was brought to us while we were still eating dinner, and it took 10 minutes before they asked if we wanted anything else. We were advised to come back on a regular day. I might consider returning.

It was Valentines Day, and they were slammed. I get it it. But shouldn't you prepare for that? It seemed like they were totally shocked that it was busy on one of the busiest restaurant days of the year. They took down the menu to just four items to make it easier for the kitchen. That's fine good idea! But then they printed the new menu on flimsy pieces of paper without putting any prices on it. Kind of weird. Bread was good. Entrees were very very mediocre. Penne alla Vodka was pretty much what I would serve myself if I cooked up some pasta and dumped some red sauce on there. The only good thing was that the bartender came over to our table to serve us after he realized that no servers had come to help us out (we definitely weren't in the bar tender's section). So that was super nice and cool of him, and he was a legit dude. Overall, don't think I would be giving them another shot.

We dine here at least once a week. Evan and Dustin are terrific! They bust their tails to make sure their customers are well served, are always ready to make suggestions for wine pairings- introducing us to wines that have become new faves. The food, while nothing flashy, is consistently good (knowing the Cinelli family, not surprising). The atmosphere is casual and unpretentious. Good choice for date night, friends’ night out, or dinner any evening!