Restaurant Review: Tivoli Gardens in Reno, NV

Tivoli Gardens

Eldorado Hotel Casino
345 N Virginia St.
Reno, NV 89501
800-879-8879
EldoradoReno Tivoli Garden’s Page
Yelphttp://www.yelp.com/biz/tivoli-gardens-reno

 

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This is a solid 24 hour cafe in a casino. I’ve been to a number and this one gets my vote. The french toast I was served for breakfast was thick and they did not skimp on letting the egg batter soak in before cooking, like you’re supposed to! The sausage was thick and good, though the casing was a bit tough (had to use a knife, the fork alone was not doing it).

Our server was very pleasant and we were served quicker than I’d anticipated. It’s very conveniently located near the hotel elevators for late night munchies as well. I didn’t sample the desserts since we had breakfast there, but I have to say I missed out by the looks of things in the case as we paid the check. I’d happily go there again when staying at the Eldorado (or even the connected Silver Legacy) for some any time grub.

Restaurant Review: Pascucci in Santa Barbara, CA

Pascucci

729 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805-963-8123
PascucciRestaurant.com
Yelphttp://www.yelp.com/biz/pascucci-santa-barbara

 

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A co-worker and I are in town for a conference and decided to try this place for dinner. I had high hopes when walking in. The restaurant was packed to the gills on a Sunday night. We were seated directly in a corner, which was actually good for me because it means my poor hearing will focus better on my conversation. The waiter showed up fairly quickly to take our drink orders, and excitedly suggested his favorites when we asked for recommendations. He then gave us a few minutes to decide, but not too long.

That’s nearly where my satisfaction ended. Service getting just water was really slow, and I had to ask about where my wine was before it was brought to me. I had the Chicken Picatta, hold the capers, and it was good, but the twang of the lime in the white wine-lime-caper sauce was a bit stronger than I’d anticipated. It was definitely a good sized portion for it’s $14 bounty, and that I was pretty satisfied with.

One of the reasons we picked this restaurant was a description of their creme brûlée with raspberries, and being a creme brûlée buff, I was looking forward to it the whole meal. It was hands down the worst creme brûlée I’ve ever had. It was runny and dripped, which it shouldn’t do. It wasn’t as set as a custard should be – it wasn’t even as set as a pudding or yogurt. The raspberries were good, but you can’t screw that up.

My co-worker had their butternut squash ravioli. The cinnamon in the dish was very fragrant, but she liked it. She ordered the cheesecake with home made butterscotch sauce, which also sounded delectable. The cheesecake itself was good but the sauce was cold and congealed to a weird, gross consistency.

So, all that said, I’d go there again, expect to tip modestly for mediocre service, and save my dessert appetite for the Ben & Jerry’s shop around the corner inside the Paseo Nuevo shopping center.