Rinata - Italian for really good!

Katie and I decided that we need to have more nights out with her brother Chris and his wife Laura. So we planned a date night at Rinata in Uptown. This quaint Italian restaurant offers a 4 course meal on Sundays for just $20! We thought this would be a great place to go for the food and the price.

We arrived just in time for our reservation and we were quickly seated at a nice high top table. The rich dark wood and the strangely familiar low lighting provided a pleasant atmosphere. I noted that the small scarf-like fabric hanging around each light was very similar to a place we had been to called Al Vento. They too had a date night meal, 3 courses for $20. When I asked our waiter about the lights and Al Vento he confirmed that they share ownership and that the owner’s mother had made all the light covers.

The date night menu offered plenty of tasty options and with 4 courses to pick it took some time to figure out what we all wanted. In the mean time Chris ordered a bottle of wine for the table. Every day from 4:30-6:00 PM they offer half price bottles of wine. Chris ordered Citra Trebbiano D’Abruzzo, a white wine that everyone seemed to enjoy.

When it was finally time to order Katie and I both ordered the bruschetta. It had duck on it and was very good! Next I got a Caesar salad which was pretty basic but still very good, which is saying something because I’m not huge into salads. Katie got an arugula salad with blood red oranges. It looked weird to me but Katie liked it.

Moving on, Katie and I picked the mushroom stuffed ravioli. We loved it! Very full of flavor, just amazing!

For dessert I got Vanilla ice cream and Katie got pistachio ice cream while Chris and Laura got tiramisu. The ice cream was so sweet and soft. It was a very good end to an absolutely delicious dinner.

I have to admit I can’t wait to go back to Rinata. It was amazingly great food at a good price. Definitely worth checking out!

Things to know before you go.

Parking –While you can certainly don’t have to pay to park…finding parking is a different story. Very busy area.

Prices – We did the date night deal which I recommend. Going to run you about $50 for a nice night out.

Reservations – Recommend them especially on date night.

Beautiful Night at Biaggi's

To celebrate my new employment Katie and I decided to finally go to Biaggi’s. It is an Italian restaurant located at the Arbor Lakes shopping center in Maple Grove.

We had once spontaneously attempted to go before only to be shot down by a multiple hour wait.

This time we came prepared with a reservation and were seated almost immediately.

The design and layout was bold and wide open but the low lights gave it a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

The service was very good. From drink refills and menu knowledge to the speed of the cooks the whole night felt very “us” oriented.

For starters they brought some bread and served it with olive oil which is pretty standard. The twist was that on the oil they sprinkled some parmesan cheese and added a pinch of black pepper. All of this was available on the table for our own refillable liking.

The basket of bread itself was good with a few types of bread. Our favorite was the big soft pieces that were seasoned on top. The seasoning was almost too strong but tasted delicious when dipped in the oil. The rest of the bread was ok but not nearly as soft or seasoned.

For an appetizer we ordered the bruschetta which is a standard of ours and we like to see who has the best. Usually we are disappointed or find it to be only so-so compared to our favorite bruschetta at the Chianti Grill. We are pleased to say we now have a very close 2nd. The bruschetta at Biaggi’s was fantastic! It came on a plate of 6 “mini” pieces and each was loaded with the tomatoey topping goodness and a piece of fresh mozzarella cheese. Very good!

For the main course Katie ordered the Ziti Al Forno and I chose the Farfalle Alfredo. Both were excellent and the portions were generous. Mine was a more standard pasta with a rich and creamy alfredo sauce mixed with chicken and ham. It also had peas and sun dried tomatoes. The tomatoes we OK but I was hoping for better.

Katie’s Ziti was also very good but has a lobster cream sauce base and was baked. The sauce had lots of flavor and the baked cheeses tasted really good.

Despite all the food we had eaten we decided since it was a celebration to get dessert. The decision was not easy as many of the dessert sounded fantastic. We decided to go with the Warm Apple Crostata, essentially apple pie ala mode.

Its flakey crust and warm center did not disappoint. The warm caramel was delicious and the cool vanilla ice cream was sweet. The whole thing was so scrumptious we had no trouble finishing it.

All in all it was an exceptionally enjoyable night out. The prices are on par with an Olive Garden type restaurant but with more charm, better food and atmosphere. We are happy we finally tried it and are excited for when we can celebrate there next.

Things to know Before You Go

Parking – There is ample parking space due to its mall location. However, it is located next to many other places and another busy restaurant so finding a space on a busy Friday night may still be a challenge.

Prices – The price is not cheap but I also did not find it shockingly high. For a full dinner with some drinks expect the $60 range for 2 people.

Reservations – It is recommended on those busy weekend nights. I would do it regardless just to be safe.