Aldo’s Restaurant and Bar

So I try to review places that I have gone on vacation when they are worth it and I find that my friends can go to when they head to the same place. Saratoga I think was just changed to Aldo’s or the other way around. Either way, being from DC, we walked through Hollywood trying to find something that sparked our interest. And sure enough, George Breindel, the owner was standing outside and said you have got to come in here. Working with small business owners, I love seeing people being passionate about their work, and he was definitely about the food, so we walked in. We weren’t dressed fancy, but they welcomed us in. The staff were very professionally dressed, the ambiance said upper class and boy did they deliver.
It started off a bit rocky, we had ordered some wine that they didn’t have, tried to get a Barbaresco, they didn’t have it. So they said that we could order something a little nicer for the same price, so immediately I thought of a Brunelo, which they had. Great Italian wine with hopefully good food was on my mind. I ordered the Veal Scallopine and my wife ordered the Baked Ziti. By far the best Veal Scallopine I have ever had. So I was impressed. My wife devoured her plate. Then we both had dessert, some kind of chocolate bomb, which was very tasty. At the end of the meal, the owner George came up and thanked us for coming in, just adding that personal touch. This is how you run a restaurant. I will be back the next time we are in the area and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area

Surely you can avoid this place. There are only about a half dozen (or more) Italian restaurants in the Hollywood downtown strip that we walked by when we decided to try Aldo last week.
To begin, we went inside Aldo to request to sit at an outside table. The waiter led us out the front door and proceeded to drop the door on me and my husband. Thanks a lot! I guess I would have held the door for my guests if I knew it were going to land on them. Oh well, there I go again with my outrageous expectations.
We were very hungry so we put in an order for some calamari and a glass of house wine and a Corona right away. We had to ask for some bread and later ask the same unhappy-​looking helper for some butter or olive oil — or anything — to dip our cold dry bread into. The wine was terrible, by the way.
Now keep this in mind as you read the next part — we were pretty hungry. Sooo, the fried calamari and zucchini arrives, along with your standard-​issue marinara, straight from the «Great Marinara Pipeline,» as I like to call it. The entire dish is utterly and completely over-​salted. Even the generous squeeze of lemon can’t save it. And even if it could, the calamari was rubbery and tough, we literally had to spit out several pieces. Although, sadly, we did clean the rather smallish-​sized plate. So I get that we are not exactly credible, but we were very hungry! At any rate, we decided to cut our losses and tried to just clear out of there.
When we told the waiter, he seemed so completely unaffected by what I had said that I got the impression that maybe he didn’t understand. When we got the bill and saw the standard 18% gratuity added on, I decided to ask for the manager, who I literally had to look for myself in the restaurant.
Waiter came running over as soon as I began speaking, and I just told the manager that I wanted to let him know about the poor service and food quality and he didn’t say anything, he just looked at me. So I repeated and said, «I just thought you should know,» to which he, arms crossed, raised his eyebrows and frowned at the same time, giving me what I can only interpret as a «I don’t give a damn» look. I would have been thrilled with them comping the calamari, but really only expected an apology and a somewhat genuine interest in making it right or learning what to improve for next time. Not the case. Oh, and the whole experience, 18% gratuity included, came to around $ 40.
So if you want bad service and lousy food and drinks from a team that could care less and a guy who learned his machismo from watching The Sopranos, Aldo is the place for you. If you think you deserve better, then keep looking.

Ok… so they got a SO/​SO review in the Miami Herald but since we loved their predicessor, Saratoga, we decided to give them a try anyway.
W R R R O O O N G!!!
First clue, the hostess in the sloppy jeans and messy hair greets you with a «Hullo, Ya hungry?»
«Uhhh… ok miss, sure, lead on.»
Shown into a nearly empty dining room with a temprature cold enough to hang raw meat we opted for street side dining where we didnt need parkas.
Our waiter showed up 5 minutes later with a, «Can I get ya a drink?»
«Do you have a wine list?».
«Sure…» Hostess brings it with «Oh Yeah… I forgot… hee…hee…»
Waiter comes back 15 minutes later…“What can I Getcha“
By now… I’m not to sure about this but… what the heck…
«How about this Pinot Grigo?»
«Let Me see if we have it!» {Say What???}
10 minutes later… the wine and TWO waiters show up. wine opened, sloppy pouring… OK Tasting… lets order… oooppss… where did the waitiers go?
Another 10 minutes later… yeah if youre paying attention we’ve been there 40 minutes and they might even take our order. Not that they’re that busy [3 tables occupied inside, 2 outside– 4 waiters 1 hostess, 1 bartender]
The wife cant decide… so waiter #1 suggests the Snapper… Ok.
I decide on the Vitelo Ala Siciliana… [out of habit… its a Sicilian thing]
«But can I get a little Pasta instead of the Potato?»
«Sure?» says Houdini, who comes back in 5 minutes to advise that the Pasta will cost $ 5 extra… SAY WHAT??? just to subsittute for a potato?
Nawwww… just bring the plate as is.
Then we spot the chef/​owner and call him over…
«So Aldo… not for Nuthin’ how come we cant get pasta instead of a potao?»
«Cant do it, costs too much… now if you dont want the vegetable or the potato then I’ll do the pasta.»
So… no potato but vegetable…$ 5 for pasta… or… No vegetable or Potato… you can get pasta…“
Bring on the Pasta and no veggie!“
10 minutes later we flag down Houdini the waiter and ask,
«By any chance… is there any bread coming?‘
Oh sure… I’ll get yo some bread.»
10 minutes later he’s back with bread for us and the other table outside.
We finally get his attention 3 minutes later…
«Uh… any butter or olive oil?»
«Oh sure… I’ll get some», and comes back with a slab of butter, Oil/​Vinegar and doles out some grated cheese on our bread plates.
25 minutes later… yeah, we’re ther over an hour and a half now… dinner arrives on Gigantic Platters — piping hot. So Far So good…
until the wife passes me a taste of the «RECOMMENDED» Snapper…
Living in South Florida, you would expect at least fresh Fish… WRONG… you could taste the freezer in the texture alone… not to mention the totaly flavorliss taste of defrosted fish.
Now the Veal dish wasnt too bad… we’ve had better at a couple of strip mall garlic palaces. And then there was the «Side of Pasta»…
A word of Caution… DO NOT ask the owner to substitute anything… I’ve had better from a can!
Surprisingly… Houdini and his co-​hort make several passes to check how its going… which is the last we see of them for 30 more minutes.
Finally tired of waiing to ASK for a check, [They stiill arent that busy if the chef is roaming the sidewalk.].we call the restaurant on our cell phone, and get… ALDO, who answers «Who;s Dis»… we tell him «the customer over his left shoulder… Oh… never mind… heres Houdini» just as the disappering waiter comes out the door.
CHECK PLEASE!
Suffice it to say. Aldo’s needs a bit more training, not only in the dining room service personnel but in the customer retention area as well.
Location: 4 out of 5
Food: 2 out of 5
Service: 1 out of 5
Owner Attitude: OH YEAH!!!
Need for a total RETHINK of concept: Priceless
11÷10÷11 Since writing this review back in September — Sadly ALDO’s has closed… I wonder why…

Went in on a Saturday nite — solo. Treated like a total princess! I had the salmon — perfectly cooked and seasoned. Veggies, I added a little salt too — but wonderfully cooked.
Staff was super nice and attentive. All in all it was a really nice dinner. Five Stars ! If I wasnt moving away, I would totally go back!

I live in Miami and am currently working in Ft. Lauderdale for a few months.
Friend calls up, is in Hollywood for some work thing. We meet up and, since neither of us have ever been to Hollywood and couldn’t find anything interesting in walking distance on Unilocal,we decided we’d just walk around and find a place.
We stumbled onto Aldo’s. And there you have it.
First, we got offered a free glass of wine if we ate there. Needless to say, this glass of wine was pretty bad. But hey, it was free, whatever.
So, we order a real bottle of wine. Now, I am not a connoseur, somolier, or other french word I can’t spell, but I know I usually don’t go wrong with Chianti, cheap or otherwise. Guess what, that wine was also pretty bad.
Ok, well, bad wine so far, whatever, let’s keep this party going.
We ordered mussels and gnocci caprese.
Dude took our order. Cute girl comes out with a caprese salad. Oooooh, so close. I know, I know, there was caprese in there, but, hey, whatever, I’ve been a waiter, no worries. I have to say, they were very quick to correct it, and that’s why it gets two instead of one star.
So, the mussels come. They’re not hot or cold, either of which would be acceptable, but just room temperature. Hmm. I have a few. Eh, they’re suspect. We don’t finish them.
The gnocci was good. It was ok. I’m not writing home or anything.
So, altogether, just kinda disappointing. Wine wasn’t good. Appetizer wasn’t good. Entrée was ok. Service was alright I guess. So there you go.
Final analysis: Meh.