That's a Spicy Meatball!: Fine Dining at Spagna's

Photo Credit: Melissa Dickerson

Spagna's Italian Restaurant

301 Gilman Avenue

Marietta OH, 45750

Ambiance:

Spagna's had a romantic, homey feel. There were no lights on in the whole restaurant, except for dim green lights by the bar area. Instead, Spagna's counted on the sunlight pouring through the windows at the front of the restaurant for lighting. The amount of light was just right, instead of being too dim. All around the restaurant there were sterotypical Italian decorations. Wine bottles were stacked in the shelves of the bar, and there was a white barrier in the back with grape vines painted all along the top of it. Soft, almost jazz like music was playing, giving the room a peaceful vibe. At each booth, little candles were lit just to reinforce that romantic feel.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cleanliness:

The cleanliness of Spagna's was very impressive. The booth that my date and I sat at had darker red seats and the table top was black. It would have been easy for us to see any dirt leftover, but there was not any to be found. All of our silverware was wrapped up in a cloth napkin instead of directly touching the table top. Instead of smelling aromas of food cooking, there was the smell of cleaning supplies that made me feel safe about the preparation of my food knowing that the place was clean. Also, our waitress had no dirt or grime on her uniform, telling me that the kitchen was very orderly and clean.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Quality of Service:

As soon as we walked into Spagna's, Melissa and I were immediately directed to a booth. We went to dinner early at 4:30, and I know not a lot of people go to dinner that early, but getting a table that quickly was still impressive. When we were seated, our waitress was there ready to take our drink orders. After she brought us our Pepsi's, she was very patient with us as we fumbled over the menu, searching for something that would satisfy our appetites. Once we placed our order, I was shocked at the little time it took for our food to be ready. It only took about 20 minutes for our food to appear from the kitchen. The only thing I could complain about with the service was that our waitress checked on us too much. In the time that we were there, our waitress checked on us at least ten times.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Presentation:

The presentation of food at Spagna's was what seperated it from other Italian restaurants I've been to. Everything was displayed in an incredible way. Even small things like bread were brought out in a small basket and wrapped up in a cloth napkin that gave it the appearance of a blossoming flower. I ordered the fettuccini alfredo with chicken. It was in a plate with a deeper bottom to contain all of it. The noodles were going in and out of each other like a loose knot. Alfredo sauce was drizzled all over the noodles, and on top of that was a chicken breast. The chicken breast had grill marks, and it was cut diagonally five times, releasing steam that joined the steam from the noodles. To top off my dish, there was green seasoning sprinkled all over it to complete the decoration.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

The combination of all the categories made me thoroughly enjoy my experience at Spagna's. I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderful meal, at a decent price considering all the other aspects to the restaurant to take pleasure in.