Oak & Reel

We had a great experience at Oak & Reel and will be back! That being said here is my breakdown below: Service - everyone was very kind, our waitress Lauren was super attentive and experienced. Overall I would say the service was above average. Ambiance - romantic and warm, would recommend for a date night or family dinner (tables were not on top of each other so easy to talk) Food - this was hit or miss for me. - To start we had oysters and the fritto misto. Fritto misto was disappointing, it was mostly fennel and maybe 30% calamari. Also instead of being able to squeeze a lemon over top, the lemon was fried as well which was kind of strange. Maybe we just got a bad batch. The sauce it came with was tasty. - for mains we shared the lamb and the gnocchi w truffle. Lamb was amazing, unique flavors and memorable - would definitely recommend/order again. Gnocchi was not good. For $38 I expected more depth of flavor and just more elements overall. It wasn’t hot and the pasta tasted overcooked. - for dessert we tried the zaba d’agrumi - WOW. Definitely one of the best / most interesting desserts we have ever had. Variety of textures and balance of flavors was on point. Please keep this on the menu!!! (Our waitress told us this was a new addition) - order this - you won’t be disappointed 100/10.

A beautiful and vibrant restaurant, and they genuinely care about the food! I dined in here twice. The first time I went there solo after a conference, I ordered oysters, octopus, squid ink pasta, followed by a pear salad and apple sorbet. I truly loved the food and experience. The octopus was cooked perfectly, tender yet juicy. The sauce was delicious, and the grapes on the side were a great finishing touch. I hoped to have a pasta with squid ink sauce, rather than squid ink pasta, but I imagine that is standard in the US. The service was a little slow, but the server was friendly and accommodating to my unusual request of having salad after an entree, and so on. I enjoyed the pace. (I spent 2+ hours solo, so I don’t recommend people to come in quick bites, though.) The second time, I brought my wife, as I was delighted with the experience the first time. We ordered the octopus and pear salad again, followed by stuffed calamari, bucatini, gnocchi, orata, and cheesecake. Unfortunately, the octopus was a bit more chewy this time, although it was still good, especially with the excellent sauce and sides. Bucatini was absolutely delicious; the texture of the handmade pasta was outstanding, and the sauce was creamy yet spicy. We hope they serve potato gnocchi instead of ricotta gnocchi, as the ricotta gnocchi was not flavorful enough and somewhat tedious and unappetizing to our taste buds, while the pesto was perfect. The fish was absolutely delicious and cooked perfectly. It tasted rich, and it was fresh. The size of the cheesecake was perfect for us, as we prefer smaller desserts. Again, the service was a bit slow, but overall, we had a great time there (3 + hours). It can get pricey, however, the food is worth the price, considering how much care and love they pour into the ingredients, in my opinion. We will definitely come back to experience the different menu they serve!