C’era Una Volta

Another great surprise from chef Rudy! Last night my hubby and I had a great dinner. We were served with a «Piatto Freddo» as an appetizer which is comprised of Italian charcuterie and a mixed of Italian goat and cow milk cheeses. I was totally impressed by the sauce for the cheese which is a «licorice» sauce. The perfect pairing. This is the first time I try this sauce. Then we had Tagliolini with gorgonzola cheese sauce. The tagliolini (which is a small fettuccine) are fresh homemade pasta crafted by chef Rudy. Simply amazing. And we met their new addition to the team Elisabetta Faggioli sommelier who served us with different wines for every plates. And of course I want to mention co-​owner Cheryl for her attention to the detail at the table during the whole dinner. We have been always happy with C’era Una Volta however I have to say that they get better and better every time. Next post will be after my birthday party which of course (no surprise!) will be hosted at this restaurant!

I have to say, Food was great, Dessert was great, Atmosphere was wonderful. Love the live music from Alameda String Academy Teachers/​Staff. (Appetizers definitely needed some improvement, but it could be because of fixed menu that night) will definitely come back again. Owner was nice, staff was great.

I can only review the service as although I ordered both wine and food from what I assume to be the owner, I received neither. She was busy scolding the staff for not getting the job done, which is also why I sat for a long time with the menu that I got from an exceptionally nervous employee who ran off after, not to be seen again. After it became obvious I was forgotten and realizing that nothing was on the way I got up and left. Nobody said a word to me on my way out. I took my time about it, but no, not even a glimmer of interest. Again, I cannot comment on the food, but I suppose it really doesn’t matter if nobody will bring you any.

I grew up in an Italian-​American family, and ate traditional Italian food several times per week. Most of what passes for «Italian» food does not compare to what I ate growing up. I went to C’era Una Volta and knew the chef grew up in Italy within a minute of seeing the food presented at the table. Each course was presented one at a time in traditional Italian family style.
Each bite brought back memories of my grandmother’s kitchen. The food is rich with subtle flavors. The chef knows how to bring out several flavors from each ingredient. He pays attention to the details of taste, and texture, and smell and sight. If you look through the photos here, you will see that food is art, food is service, food is hospitality. The food here is the joy of life!
I hope he never «Americanizes» a single menu option.

The food is authentically Italian and good. I liked the warm bread and mustard in the olive oil. I liked the family atmosphere of the restaurant. It’s very cute and cozy and has great space for private parties.

If you want an authentic Italian dinner come visit this place. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. Both owners came out and introduced themselves and made me feel very welcomed. I visited with two other friends and we all were very pleased with our entrees and appetizers.

We ate here for our 2^nd time last week.
The food is consistently good. Though occasionally you may get something that doesn’t quite match up I’m usually impressed by their dishes.
The wait staff is attentive and «jolly». Not a lot of complaints about this place. Also their wine prices are below restaurant averages.

We had to wait a little while to be served, but we did arrive at 8pm on a Saturday. We had the Piatto Freddo with meat, cheese, and vegetables, the ravioli with meat sauce, and the sea bass branzini special… I cannot say enough, this is THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD IN THE EAST BAY (definitely Alameda :)). Signed, an Italian Jersey Girl :)

We went there for a brunch/​lunch on Sunday.
The waiter couldn’t understand our orders — clearly not only had trouble with English, but didn’t know the menu at all (I blame the lack of training and the lack of self-​starter energy for that — another person would have taken the menu home to study it before trying to serve customers). The service included several trips back and forth between the kitchen and our table to ensure that the order was correct — but the potatoes were wrong, the panini was cold, and the cocktail turned into a mimosa.
The dessert, a lava cake, was so over-​baked that it was dry all the way through and actually tasted mostly of flour. Won’t go back.

Authentic Italian food that reminds me of Italy. This place is amazing.
Love the bread and olive oil to start. First basket free. You will want more.
If you go with the «Chef’s Choice» like we did tonight, you will be very happy. The burrata is nothing like I’ve had here in California. I think he’s got some special balsamic & the heirloom tomatoes were perfect. I think they were almost a purple color?
The butternut squash pasta is nutty. You have to try it.
Pork chop — very tasty with a sweet sauce I can’t figure out.
And, super cute location. Outdoor seating under a trellis of lights.

After not wanting to wait 1.5 hrs at the German restaurant, 1 hour tomantinas, we decide on this spot. The service was fast, and the food was good.

We go here for brunch and are never disappointed! EVERYTHING is delicious! Portions are regular person sized, not «I haven’t eaten in a week» sized. Pancakes are light and fluffy, not chewy. Eggs are cooked to perfection! Mimosas are delightful!
Now, the coffee. You know how when you go to brunch you either get very acidic coffee that jacks up your taste buds so you can’t taste your food or you get coffee that’s actually water? This coffee is well balanced and highly enjoyable! Now, I’m not saying that it is the best coffee I have ever had, it’s not. I’m just saying that for those of you where it matters, this ain’t half bad.
The waitstaff is also very attentive, but doesn’t hover. And the prices are VERY reasonable!

They had a fondue appetizer with truffle that was insanely delicious.
Pasta dishes are fresh and flavorful.
Service was great! We’ll be back!

Fabulous!
As I recently learned, C’era Una Volta means Once Upon a Time… and of course, any story worth reading begins with that and in this case, any meal worth eating should be done here. My guy and I live in SF and don’t dine out of the city very often, but we heard about this place and wanted to check it out. Oh my gosh, the burrata and heirloom tomatoes were to die for. They were incredibly flavorful and delicate. Then, we had the pork miale – good grief – I have never tasted pork this juicy and delicious… ever!
A wonderful dessert came and so did an engagement ring! The moral to this story is that if you want to live happily ever after, you’ll continue to eat here, as we will!
Thank you for the best meal and night of my life!

Wait staff was pleasant.
Food was average to poor.
Some food was lukewarm.
Is this place really Italian?

C’era Una Volta is tucked away in a charming little alley off of Park Street, and is easily distinguishable at night by the pretty hanging lights extending out over the entrance and the outdoor patio.
My boyfriend and I came for an impromptu dinner on a Friday night, and were happy to see that there was plenty of seating, no wait for a table. The space has really high ceilings and a warm, intimate interior that’s perfect for a date night, special occasion, or like us, a spur-​of-​the-​moment decision to treat ourselves to something nice.
Our waitress was very knowledgable and rattled off the specials like a pro, one of which — the artichoke ravioli — my boyfriend ended up getting. I ordered the porcini ravioli and we got the bruschetta as an appetizer. The bruschetta was a really generous portion, with three large pieces cut into halves and topped with a LOT of delicious, juicy, well-​flavored tomatoes.
Our entrees came and I was in ravioli heaven, with quite a few large ravioli in a delicious cream sauce with lots of fresh mushrooms. I generally don’t have a problem finishing pasta but ended up sharing a couple with my boyfriend because I getting full. I don’t usually like artichoke, but my boyfriend’s ravioli was very delicious and fresh.
My only complaint was that everything was a bit pricey. My ravioli alone was $ 20, my boyfriend’s was about the same price, and if you want more bread it’s $ 1 for 2 slices — while I can understand that perhaps it’s in an effort to combat waste by people who ask for more and then don’t eat it, I’ve never been to a place that charged for more bread. I will say that everything was delicious and made very well, so I at least didn’t feel I was getting reamed.
Very lovely restaurant and a pleasant, quiet place for a meal. I would like to come back.

Yikes, the experience here was like a scene of out of the Twilight Zone.
Me: What’s your soup of the day?
Waiter: Cream of Mushroom, it’s very good.
Me: I’ll try it, thank you.
My dining companion orders and receives his salad. After about 7 – 10 minutes later waiter arrives with my soup.
Waiter: Here’s your Cream of Broccoli Soup
Me: Broccoli? You said Cream of Mushroom
Waiter: Uh, sorry… still want it?
Waiter: Would you like more bread? (4 slices come per basket)
Me: Yes, please.
Waiter: First basket free, after that $ 1.00 per two additional slices. Wtf?!
Following our entrees (which were tasty however the risotto consistency was more like a rice pilaf rather than a creamy risotto. Not sure if its a regional thing),
our waiter arrives to offer dessert.
Waiter: Would you like dessert? We have a couple really good ones leftover from last Easter Sunday.
Me: CHECK PLEASE!!!

After more than a dozen visits, I continue to return to one of the best kept secrets in the East Bay. We ordered so many of our favorite dishes on our last visit ~ fondue, beet salad, pasta dishes, desserts ~ that it was absolute chaos. Sharing makes the whole experience extra special. Attentive service. I always appreciate recommended Italian wine pairings. And on this visit, for a special birthday, the chef came out to sing. Note: Parking can sometimes be a challenge, depending on the day of the visit. A reservation is appreciated. And walking around after dinner is nice. Great bookstore nearby that’s open late …

Very yummy and upscale place, dinner will cost ya about $ 75-​$ 100 so file this place under special occasion.
I came here with my father, I’ve always heard good things about the place, I asked the people walking out what they thought of it «very good food, try the Gnocchi»
We each had a nice glass of red wine; I had the chicken breast with melted mozzarella on top of it, my father had the Italian sausage paste dish but first we had the melted fondue cheese appetizers.
All in all, the food was great. The prices a little too high.

This place is hidden in an alley, next door to a Japanese restaurant. Although if you Unilocal «Italian», it will pop up and it’s not hard to find. However, this is not a place where you walk by thinking, «Hey, let’s check this place out.»
3.5 stars for the food. It was salty. The staff seemed a little out of sorts. I went there for lunch with my family. The pasta with bolognese was pretty good for my daughter. She kept shoveling it in. My pasta with salmon was salty. Like 2 glasses of water afterwards and still felt like I came back from the desert salty. The inside of the restaurant was cute but sticky. The chairs had crumbs and the table was sticking to my elbows. There weren’t many people in there. 5 tables total maybe?
I just wish they took care of things a bit better. There’s definitely room for improvement and I hope to see it. I will try it again to see if it was a hit-​or-​miss situation. There’s potential.