Fresco

Nice modern style Italian food.

This place is atrocious. I have been going to Fresco since it opened even bringing in very large parties. Since this past summer when Franco took over the place it has been progressively going down hill.
Just this past weekend a group of 6 of us went for dinner excited to have their specialties like the Burrata, the brick oven pizza with fresh mozz, or their nutella pie for dessert. When we arrived at 7:40 we were charged the normal $10 for valet parking. We sit and were not waited until after 8:15pm where by policy we had to oder the entire kitchen order at once. This is an apparent new policy since June as back then we were able to order apps then our meal in a relaxed fashion... Believe me there was no one beating down the door to have our table. We ordered the burrata, fried calamari, and eggplant stack. We then asked for one of their specialties (margarita pizza) for an app. The waiter disappeared to only come back to us shortly saying that a brand new policy is that they do not make pizza unless its a sunday brunch. Meanwhile it was on the menu.
Since the disappointing information of this suddenly new policy even though their menu advertised pizza (which our friend was expecting to order as her main course) they brought the other apps that we ordered. In 1 small bite the burrata was immediately know to be VERY VERY sour. It was bad cheese, very bad cheese. As we politely complained to the waiter he then returned and said he miraculously can fire up the pizza oven and make us a "free" pizza as an apology. With the free pizza he then brought a board of cheese and "Italian Meats". When we looked at the board it looked as though they ran to shop rite and bought speckled Bologna rather then true Italian meats. It was actually disgusting to look at as it was a ball of thick lunch meat on a plate.
Next our main course comes... Most of us ordered a dish with fish. I never experienced more less then fresh fish before then here at Fresco that night. The calamari was very touch, chewy, and smelled very fishy. Our friend at the table ordered the tuna special and requested that instead of the side it came with if they can put the tuna over mashed potatoes. Without hesitation the waiter said o yes no problem we can do mashed potatoes (meanwhile other dishes on the menu are served with mashed potatoes). When our dishes were served her tuna was over scalloped potatoes instead of mashed, liked promised. The waiters only regret was "I am sorry the kitchen couldn't make mashed potatoes" What restaurant does not know how to or does not make mashed potatoes, especially since dishes on the menu require mashed potatoes?
By this time it is about 10pm when they finally refilled our water glasses and cleaned the table of our apps and dinner. Yes, our apps were still on the table along with our app eating dishes. He brought us dessert menus. He then said they probably can make us nutella pie. So that is what we ordered. The pie came out at 10:25 and was still uncooked all the way. by 10:30 the valet comes to our table and asks us if we have our valet tickets. We reply yes and he proceeds to tell us he is done for the night so here are our keys. So for the $10 that i paid for a valet my car was left on the curb where i had to walk half a block to retrieve my car. But before I knew the distance to my car we tried to pay the bill. The restaurant knew we were unhappy and automatically charged 20% tip not even 18% but 20% tip on top of the bill and expected us to pay. So now 3 people from our group put in cash and the other 3 credit cards. There were 2 american express blue cards and a visa. Just so happens that I have apple pay and saw they double charged me. When I bought it to their attention the waiter said I don't know dispute it with amex. So now after sour food, bad policies and $10 for my own retrieval of my car I have to dispute my own bill

Love this place! Great trendy restaurant with great food selection. Fun music!
I would recommend it to everyone

Fresco was one of the worst experiences of my life. Where do I start?...
- The staff pushed our 8 person party, with a reservation, in back corner of the restaurant, never checked on us but seemed to be monitoring us closely.(Hmm)
-The music was so loud, we had to yell to have a conversation.
-The appetizers took a full hour to come out after the bread and were still bland and tasteless.
- The crowd was stiff and when we started dancing everyone else sat down and the music changed to rap (?). When we sat down everyone else the music and crowd resumed as it was before.
- The wait staff cleared our table when we got up to dance even though our plates were nearly untouched.
-When we complained to the waiter about the food and asked for the manager, they claimed the kitchen was closed and the he was gone for the night. This was suspect because they had just asked us to move off the dance floor because George Lopez was coming.

Oh, did I mention, that we were a mixed table of Black people in our mid-twenties. Our experience might have had to do with that. If you don't fit that profile you might not have the same problems at Fresco.

I could eat here every night....AWESOME...AUTHENTIC..ARTISTIC..It is a feel good experience. GO