Cattivella

On a snowy evening, 4 of us went to Cattivella for happy hour. Cattivella means “bad girl”. It’s owner/chef, Elise Wiggins, was controlling the open kitchen . She has an ongoing food show on PBS, Roots to Ranches. I really enjoy an open styled kitchen. It inspires you to sit at the food bar and watch!

The restaurant is open with lots of large windows. We were seated right next to the action. Pepsi and glasses of Montepulciano wine were the starters. Grilled oysters, calamari, mussels and Uva Arrostto ( bread and cheese) were ordered from the separate Happy Hour Menu. One had to search through the regular menu without success but found it at the back of the wine list.

We enjoyed the calamari and mussels but the grilled oysters lacked flavor. Extra cheese, garlic, or other herbs need to be added to flavor the oysters. The bread and cheese (Uva Arrostto) was very good, Lots of cheese and bread. During our small meal, staff other than the server, kept interrupting asking to pick up the dishes. It happened 6 times!

Two desserts were selected, Tiramisu and Budino. The Budino was the highlight of the evening. A beautiful presentation of the whipped cream on a bed of chocolate. Perfect ending as it just started to snow when we left.

Overall my ratings are: It’s OK, Good, Very Good, and Excellent.

My Verdict ⚖️ for Cattivella is Good.