Sole Mio

11/01/09

Really disappointed

by JT2 at Citysearch

I am compelled to write a review because I am confused and surprised by all of the stellar reviews Sole Mio receives. I dined at Sole Mio once when they were at their old location and had a truly horrible meal. (So bad that I never went back). I was recently given a gift card for Sole Mio, so my boyfriend and I reluctantly decided to try it again. Everyone deserves a second chance, right? Honestly, it was really, really not worth it. Fine dining is one of my favorite things to do, and to put it simply, this is overpriced mediocre food with an underwhelming atmosphere. I am completely at a loss for how in the world this restaurant can get "best of" anything.

Our waiter was very friendly, but he was clearly distracted (or just not very smart, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt). He forgot to bring our bottle of wine until after we had nearly finished our first course. Then he approached us on three separate occasions asking if we wanted to see the dessert menu (we had ordered the special tastings menu that comes with its own dessert options, and we politely reminded him each of the three times he asked us that we were doing the tastings menu... at which point he would wander off and forget about us for another 15 minutes, only to come back and ask us if we wanted to see a dessert menu. one time is acceptable... waiters get busy. but this was just bizarre, especially because the restaurant wasn't that busy). As for my entree, i had the Mahi, which I ordered because it was served with risotto, which I usually love in all of its flavors and iterations. The Mahi was overcooked and dry and somewhat fishy, and the risotto tasted like rice boiled in really salty chicken broth. Awful! My boyfriend had pumpkin tortelloni, which was actually pretty good. The desserts tasted fine.

Then, to top off our experience, the restaurant lost our umbrella and it was absolutely pouring outside. Great way to end this highly disappointing meal.

In short, we will not be going back, and we will not be recommending this restaurant to anyone. There are too many FAR superior dining experiences in Nashville from which to choose.

• Pros: Friendly Staff
• Cons: Mediocre food, less than competent waiter

10/23/09

Spectacular food!

by flk3 at Citysearch

We were recommended to try Sole Mio by the hotel we were staying at, and I can honestly say I don't recall ever having a better recommendation from a hotel clerk anywhere in the US (Marquis at the Hampton Inn in Nashville).

Coming from NY City, we've become very used to great Italian food. It's definitely hard to find here in Tennessee; the chains are standardized, but certainly not spectacular. The food at Sole Mio was as good as ANY food I've ever had anywhere! The bisque in a bread bowl was super; the flavor and spices were perfect. The gnocchi was actually almost as good as my girlfriend's aunt's home made gnocchi, and she's a wonderful 80 year old cook who was born in Italy. The Tiramisu was the best I've ever had, bar none; delicately flavored with just the right amount of rum.

Given the fact that the restaurant was quite busy, it was a real tribute to the friendly staff that they were able to attend to us as well as they did; they were efficient, and not overbearing.

Overall, just a truly wonderful meal. We'd recommend it to anyone who wants real Italian food. Would also recommend reservations. (The food is SOOOO good it should be packed every night, frankly!)

• Pros: Exceptional authentic Italian cuisine

07/18/09

The BEST Italian

by PCC at Citysearch

Sole Mio is the BEST Italian Restaurant in Nashville. Tremendous. Sensational. A superb dining experience.

Incredible food.

Outstanding service.

Sole Mio is the ONE place to go for the BEST Italian dinner in Nashville.

There are some others that are very good. But there is only one that is the very best.

My wife and I recently decided to go to an Italian restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. Normally if we want Italian food we go to Carrabba's, which is very good , or to Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden, both of which are fine and which the kids enjoy, but we wanted to have something original, something that was not a franchise. After looking at reviews online we found several restaurants that were highly rated and had long lists of excellent customer reviews.

Let me tell you, we tried each of those other restaurants and they ranged from okay to good, to even very good, but none were in the same league with Sole Mio.

Unfortunately, ratings inflation does exist and if you read all of the reviews and go to each of the restaurants, you'll find there is only one true 5 - Sole Mio. There are some other good ones - 4's, and even 4.5's, but Sole Mio is exquisite. On a scale of 1-5, it may be a 6.

I don't have the literary skill to describe how Mio's food is better that the others; it's one of those things that, when you try it, you'll know it. Mio's is wonderful. We had a party of five, each with a different entre'. Each was delicious.

If the food wasn't enough to set Mio's apart, then there was service. If you go, you need to ask whether Kelly is working and ask to be seated in her area. All of the staff may be outstanding: I don't know. What I do know is that Kelly made us feel like the most important thing she had to do that evening was to make sure our anniversary was a special occasion - like she was personally thrilled to be a part of our anniversary.

She brought us some special something she'd asked the kitchen to make up to celebrate our anniversary. I don't know what it was, but it was wonderful.

She brought us 2 glasses of champagne - at just the right time - to toast our anniversary.

I don't mean to demean any of the staff at any of the other restaurants; we had some very good service at other places, but the difference between them and Mio's is the difference between going to Beach Bend and going to Disney - one's a pleasant outing, the other is a magical experience that provides memories for a lifetime.

So that's my thought. If you want a good Italian dinner, or even a very good Italian dinner, choose from any one of several others on the list of the top 10. But if you want the best Italian dinner, the best Italian dining experience, go to Sole Mio's.

And, if you want to really showcase the difference between excellent customer service and the alternative, leave Mio's and go to Café Margot's for after-dinner drinks and dessert as we did. It's like leaving Disney and deciding to stop at the carnival in the Dollar General parking lot.

• Pros: great service, great food
• Cons: a/c was out the day we were there