Our friends Amy and Kevin are in town this week celebrating their anniversary and they invited us out to dinner with them and their son Kyle last night. Amy is an avid reader of my reviews and so she asked, “where would Island Genn go to have a nice dinner?” She decided on La Trattoria Oceanside because of my last review but also because it has a nice view, it is not downtown, it is a classy place, and has good food and service.
We had reservations for 7pm but we arrived a few minutes early. We decided to sit at the bar and have a drink before being seated at our table. La Trat, as the locals call it, is known for their martinis. But I had to be difficult and asked the bartender for a mojito which is not something he normally makes. He ran to the kitchen, got some mint, and made me a refreshing mojito even though he did not have to.
When we were seated, we asked for water and bread and opened up our menus to make some decisions. It was really funny when Kevin opened his menu and it was blank. The waitress was visibly embarrassed even though it was not a big deal. She immediately brought over an actual menu and we ordered a bruschetta for the table which was DELICIOUS!
I have to say that even though service here is always good, the staff was amazing last night, more so than usual. The servers were awesome and kept on top of everything all night long. Our bread dishes and our water glasses were never empty. And the waitress went wit the flow when we joked around and had some fun.
Kyle and I did not get a salad, but Amy, Kevin, and my hubby Steven did. Amy got the Insalata Paesana (which I normally get), Kevin got the Insalata Caprese, and I nervously ordered my husband the Insalata di Frutti di Mare which is a salad with shrimp, calamari, mussels, herbs, and veggies. I say nervously because seafood salads can go either way and it was something that we have never ordered. I have to say that he enjoyed it thoroughly, so much so that I did not get a taste.
I was torn on what to get for dinner but I finally decided on Spaghetti Norma; but once again I had a special request which was filled to my delight! I wanted penne instead of spaghetti. Steven ordered the Spaghetti all a Bolognese which he delighted in. Kyle got the Tortellini Virgilio which he said was delicious after he devoured it. Amy got the seafood special and Kevin got the Dentice all a Mediterraneo. Everyone loved their meals.
Amy and Kevin both got a glass of La Crema pino noir to go with their dinners. Then for dessert we all got coffees, a mix of espressos, cappuccinos, and American with Key Lime Pie (which was a bit tart for our tastes), chocolate mousse, cannolis, and creme brûlée, all of which were delicious.
As I have said before, I am picky when it comes to restaurants, especially Italian restaurants. But all in all La Trattoria is one of the better Italian fine dining eateries that I have been to, and definitely the best one in Key West. I also want to point out that two times last evening I was granted special requests by the staff at La Trattoria. This really goes a long way in making an experience good, or making a good experience great as in this case.
For more information about things to do and see in our island city, go to our Key West Web Site. You can also visit our Key West Events Calendar to see more details on upcoming special events.
And for more restaurant reviews check out our restaurant review section of this blog as well as our restaurant reviews at www.gotothekeys.com.
