Rostini Italian Kitchen

Why did you CLOSE?! I miss your delicious margherita pizzas and rostini salad! :*(
Was looking forward to trying all the other stuff on the menu, too.

Best Italian food in town.
The Caesar salad is one of the best you’re going to find in Davis as well. I recommend trying the spaghetti, because they add garlic and it’s unlike any spaghetti I’ve ever had before. The avocado turkey sandwich is also delicious. Try the flavored lemonade of the day. You won’t be disappointed.
I don’t personally recommend the lasagna and the pesto pasta is a bit plain. However, soups, salads, and spaghetti are incredible. The margarita pizza is pretty good as well.

Rostini Italian Kitchen
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Overview: Rostini Italian Kitchen isn’t your typical Italian restaurant, but you can see why they named it «Kitchen» and not «Restaurant.» Rostini provides a variety of menu items from soups/​salads, to sandwiches, and to pizzas. Their open floor plan, with the exposed tiled pizza oven, reveals a more relaxing eating atmosphere coupled with nice/​moderate customer service. So why 2 stars? The food, the décor, and the price.
Ambiance: The interior décor is a complex combination of styles that don’t necessarily work well. The front counter/​bar, is actually nice, which opens up to the pizza oven. However, the seating arrangement was not practical, as it consisted of three sets of chairs that were mismatched and benches that were too low and dipped at an awkward angle. Hip-​hop music replayed over and over again… isn’t this an Italian restaurant? Where’s the Italian music? However, I give props to the wall art.
Customer Service: Service was moderate and quick. The employees routinely kept the place clean, as I watched while waiting.
Food Quality: I ordered a Mozzarella Sandwich, which comes with a Focaccia Bread and Salad. The Mozzarella Sandwich was decent. The menu said the sandwich had a Spicy Artichoke Tapenade Spread, but it was difficult for me to taste, let alone see the artichokes in there-​all I tasted was olives. The side salad looked like it came from a bag of salad mix they bought at Safeway next door. And the raspberry vinaigrette dressing, about 80% oil and 20% raspberry vinegar, could have been prepared better. My hands and mouth were soaked in the excess oil that covered my the bottom of my box. This $ 9.72 meal was more worth $ 7 – 8.

Please give this place a try… I think people are closed off to actually enjoying/​recommending this eatery because it’s not exactly a restaurant. You order your food at the counter and then if you are dining in, you just choose your seat and they serve you… OR you can take it to go! Either way, it’s not any less convenient than a «real» restaurant. I have had a quality dish every time I have been here. From the Caesar salad to the Pesto Chicken Sandwich to the house-​made foccacia and their soups of the day, your tongue will thank you!
And make sure to ask about their Rostini Card… it is a fabulous reward system that keeps track of all your $ 10+ purchases. Once you fill the card, you get $ 10 off your next order – no minimum! I’m a fan of Rostini :)

Finally a pizza place in Davis that can make decent pizza. After failing to find a decent slice downtown, I was really relieved to find Rostini. Good Italian food, but also unpretentious about it. I wouldn’t say that they’re particularly authentic, but they have a good selection of tasty dishes.
I’d recommend any of their small pies, or even their individual slices (but don’t order any toppings on these — they’re not made with the pie). Their pasta and salad is pretty good as well, but I’m more impressed by their breads. Their coffee is also a nice treat — you get it in a small french press, and it easily serves two, maybe three.
I haven’t tried their wines yet — it just doesn’t really feel like that type of place — but I’m sure they would complement the food nicely.

Came here with my GF, The place reminded me of In n Out. You order and you wait for food zzz
I ordered the chicken alfredo and i thought it was a kids meal. there was VERY little sauce, probably ½ a chicken breast in there. The pasta felt like they just boiled it and dump on the plate. Very little flavor to it not worth the price.

I was not aware that this place wasn’t really a restaurant! You order your food at the front counter, sit down, and wait for them to bring it out to you. Still, it’s a nice place for a date and it’s not completely too casual. It’s pretty cute, esp on those summer nights where you can sit outside to enjoy your food.
Got the drunken noodles that was so widely reviewed on here and I couldn’t figure out what was so special about it. Portioning was ok. Sad there was no soft complimentary bread with balsamic and olive oil, instead you get 3 small pieces of hard and unchewy cardboard pieces. Noodles smelled good and had a nice deep maroon, yet taste was not fully there nor was it worth the value I paid (~$ 10).
Also– I thought it was funny that our silverware and dinner plates were nice Italian restaurant quality, but they gave us paper coca cola cups… classy.
I would choose Paesanos over Rostini for a better dining experience.

I have only tried the Chicken Alfredo, which keeps me coming back. This dish comes topped with shaved parmesan and roasted tomatoes that are amaaaazing. Large portions so I get two meals instead of one. The alfredo sauce is very light and simple and I think quite flavorful, however; on this last visit, my friends thought otherwise. Even though I was outnumbered this time, this place is usually pretty busy so I would still recommend it.

I just ordered my first pizza from Rostini’s, and I have to say, it is excellent. In my opinion, the pizza is much more fresh tasting than Woodstock’s.
I ordered the roasted veggie pizza, and the guy who I spoke on the phone with was very polite and took his time taking my order. The delivery from phone to my house took about 20 minutes, and the pizza itself is very large (I, of course, ordered the extra large), and there were plenty of good roasted vegetables on the pizza. They have roasted squash on this pizza, which gives the pizza a very mildly sweet flavor, and it works really well with the other flavors happening here. The crust is very good too — it’s thin crust, and you can certainly tell that it was freshly tossed.
For only 20 bucks (that is with tax and delivery charge), this pizza is awesome. I’ll be ordering from here whenever I’m in Davis from now on.

Everything I had here was SO SOUR… But maybe it’s my fault.
I ordered the Mozzarella sandwich, which came with a small side salad that was positively drowning in this fruity vinaigrette. The sandwich itself was unattractively oily and was dressed in another spicy vinaigrette that masked the taste of the mozzarella and foccacia in the sandwich.
Oh, and a pomegranate lemonade, which made my throat ache.
But the foccacia is good, and the portions large. Inexplicably, I find myself wanting to come back. I should be smarter about my menu choices.

Rostini is a good lunch place. I don’t expect as much for lunch and their food is decently priced for the quality and portion that you get. I’ve been here twice. A buddy of mine works here now and bought me lunch yesterday. We split a caesar salad and italian sausage sandwich. Their croutons are amazing! Some of the best I’ve ever had. I also really like the way their parmesean was sliced nice and thin. However, both the salad and sandwich felt a bit generic. Its not bad food, but nothing very special either.
Its nice to come in for lunch, especially when its within walking distance from my place.

I can’t believe that I lived near this place and drove by it at least once a week without going to it. Its basically an italian version of panera bread. The food is pretty good and their pizzas and light vs that very heavy feeling. They have great midweek dinner specials that make dinner reasonable for two.
Its not my favorite Italian place but its a good place to go for a midweek bite to eat and a glass of wine.

The only time when you should really try this place is when they have certain lunch specials or deals. Otherwise, the food really isn’t worth the usual price.
The pasta is really, really mediocre and actually quite bland. I hate ordering and eating pasta that I realize that I could probably make at home. Usually, I don’t mind paying up to 15 bucks for a good, hearty plate of flavorful pasta, but Rostini pasta is just so dull. They literally half-​ass their pasta.
Out of all the salads, the only yummy one is the Chicken Gorgonzola.
The pizzas are small, but are pretty tasty and fresh, but aren’t anything special.
The small pieces of bread that come with the dishes is really good though. Other than that, I don’t really go there unless I’m desperate or don’t wanna go too far from my apartment.

After being curious about this place since construction began, I finally ate here last night with my boyfriend.
The cashier was very friendly and chatted it up with us. The other employees were also very nice and came up to our table to ask us how the food was.
I got the drunken pasta (since sooo many reviewers suggested it) as well as the lemonade. They were both delicious, and just thinking about the lemonade makes my mouth water right now. There were a lot of mushroom pieces in the pasta! SUUPPERRR +++++++.
My boyfriend got the alfredo something. Hahah can’t remember the name. But he liked it! The lemonade was a bit too sour for his taste though.
Friendly staff + good food at a reasonable price = 5 stars!

I must be a fan because I come back every couple of weeks BUT for one item and one item only. The Prosciutto Pizza! When you hear, fig and balsamic reduction you don’t think pizza but my taste buds do. I know this pizza isn’t for everyone but it is my favorite.
All the ingredients create a taste bud symphony and I cannot stop myself from consuming the entire pizza by myself. Previously, I would slap my girlfriend’s hand for even thinking about taking a slice but she knows better now and get her own. Their Margherita Pizza and pastas are average and I would not return to eat them willingly. Give the Prosciutto Pizza a try if you are in a daring mood.
What I recommend: Prosciutto Pizza

It’s so nice to find a casual restaurant with creative menu items. I had the roasted veggie salad and my husband had the drunken pasta. Both arrived quickly and were plated quite attractively.
The roasted vegetables on the salad had been cooked in the pizza oven. The skewer contained zucchini, red onion, Roma tomato quarters, red bell pepper and cooked lasagna pasta. It was served beside a mixed green salad with roasted tomatoes and mushrooms. The dressing was a very simple but flavorful vinaigrette. The vegetable skewer could have used a bit more time in the oven as the vegetables were still very crunchy, but better under than over-​cooked.
The drunken pasta looks very pretty on the plate and hubby said he enjoyed it.
We both enjoyed the food but wished the music was played at a lower volume. The chairs were a little uncomfortable.
Glad to have found another good dining option in town.

I miss the restaurant that used to be in this location. Strings was also an Italian restaurant but very different from Rostini. When I heard a new restaurant opened up, I was curious to try it… hoping it’d be like the String’s I was fond of. Sadly, it wasn’t. Rostini is a very casual restaurant, you order in the front & seat yourself. I guess its great for a quick meal & it also saves money from a hefty tip in the end of the meal.
My boyfriend ordered the drunken pasta while I ordered the chicken alfredo. I felt the pasta choices were very limited & I went with the alfredo as a safe choice. We shared a fountain drink that was self-​serve. The dishes came out pretty quickly & the meal was actually pretty good. The portions were smaller for the price & lack of service, though. I felt that neither of us were really satisfied with our meal.
I recommend this place for a quick meal, the place is bright & I saw students had their laptops with them. Its a very casual place to dine. Outside seating was also available. I don’t think I’ll crave this place but I guess its a nice quick option for Italian dining.

I was definitely curious when I heard a new Italian place opened up in Davis. Being a pizza and pasta lover, I had to check it out.
The interior design is clean and cute, and the service is great.
Food on the other hand, is a hit-​or-​miss. I definitely LOVED their pesto chicken sandwich but I pretty felt the exact opposite for their pepperoni pizza (the microwave pizza is better!) It was dry/​lacked sauce/cheese…The salad that comes with the pesto chicken sandwich is pretty interesting… (sweet tasting). Heard their drunken pasta is good, but doesn’t look quite as appealing to me (it’s bright purple…)
Would definitely come back for the pesto chicken sandwich, but because it’s so far away from where I love (I love in south davis), I probably won’t be coming again soon.

I love trying new restaurants, so when I saw there was a new place in Davis, I came here with a graduating friend.
First off, I love how you order first, then find a seat. The first time I was here, I had the sausage and mushroom pizza. The lemonade was absolutely delicious! I definitely recommend it. The pizza was fresh out of the oven and was a great size for the price.
The second time I came here, I ordered the sausage and mushroom pizza again and a Salumi pizza to go. The service is pretty quick, considering the fact that they cook the pizzas in the oven right in front of you.
The third time, I made sure to have the lemonade again, and the very nice cashier told me that they laboriously make it every day. It’s definitely worth it! I love the pizza, so I’m definitely sticking with it. I’m a big fan of thin crust.
It’s a very nice, causal place that you can go with friends that won’t entirely kill your wallet. Good food, good service.

Perfect weather today with nice outdoor seating. Atmosphere is very sophisticated inside, definitely not what you expect from the outside. The menu is off to the side of the wall, and they don’t rush you to order at all. I ordered the pomegranate lemonade (the one of the day) and drunken pasta, which came out in like less than ten minutes! They definitely weren’t stingy with the sausage, and the pasta was a very interesting brown/​purple. It was exactly want I needed, and had light dressing, but towards the end was slightly oily. I’d say 4 stars for the quality of food.
My boyfriend ordered a three cheese pizza which took a bit longer, and after two minutes of bringing it out they came out and said we have another pizza for you just because we felt like that one was a bit overcooked, even though my boyfriend thought it was perfectly fine, but they insisted and boxed it up for us. The chef came out and talked to us for a bit as he brought out the second pizza, which was a pleasant surprise. Their service was superb, and I really felt like they went out of their way to give us a quality service, but that may be because we were the only people there. But nonetheless, good service is way important to me, so five stars. (: