Girls Who Grub: Review: Enoteca Emilia

I would like to start off by apologizing for my lack of posting lately! I have lots of good excuses though - my computer is broken, I lost my camera cords, I haven't tried any new restaurants lately (until this one I'm reviewing now), etc. But no more excuses!

Recently, I've been hearing buzz about the new Italian restaurant in O'Bryonville - Enoteca Emilia. I'm a sucker for Italian food and new restaurants, so my friend Lauren and I decided to try it out a couple weeks ago. I'd heard mixed reviews from a few people who liked it and some who didn't, so I was curious to see what side I'd be on. Luckily, I was on the positive end of the spectrum! I thought it was great!

When we arrived, we were seated in a high-top bar table near the front window. I liked that we had a window seat, but I wasn't crazy about the high-top table. The chairs were incredibly uncomfortable; Lauren and I both fidgeted in our seats for several minutes trying to find a comfortable position. Also, we saw two people slip and fall off their bar stools. The bottoms are realllly slippery! So if you go....be careful!

We started off with the Pane e Formaggio (cheesy bread). This was a loaf of delicious bread, sliced and stuffed with lots and lots of garlic, fontina cheese (one of my favorites), and a great mix of Italian spices. This was absolutely delicious! The outside was crunchy and crispy with all the toppings, and the inside was soft and warm. I would highly recommend this....but only if you're not on a diet. ;)

Next, we got our entrees. I ordered the Bucatini, which is a thick, spaghetti-like pasta that has a teeny tiny hole through the center. The bucatini came with guanciale (Italian bacon), frisee, in a white wine, garlicky sauce. This dish was amazing but very, very rich. I couldn't finish it all because it was so rich. I'm not complaining because it was excellent, but it would have been better to split.

My friend Lauren ordered the mushroom ravioli, which was also very delicious.It was stuffed with mushrooms and then topped with a mushroom sauce. Lauren was nice enough to share with me, and I loved this dish too.