Formoli's Bistro

I came here with my parents for my birthday dinner after reading about it on downtowngrid. The menu is smallish but has enough choices, as all three of us ordered different entrees. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms and squash soup for appetizers; and for entrees we had the whiskey burger, the pasta special, and the lamb stew. The food was served beautifully and garnished with detail. Most importantly,  everything we had was TASTY. Our server rocked as well. My family was so impressed. I recommend this restaurant to anyone.

I recently scheduled a business lunch for some out of town guests who pass through the area frequently. One of the ladies suggested we head down to Old Sac, but I preferred to stay in East Sac near where the first part of the meetings of the day occurred. Also, parking is much better. Formoli's took our reservation in advance with no issue. When one of my party arrived early, she struck up a conversation with the waitress about Portland. Before our meal arrived, goat's cheese stuffed dates arrived at our table compliments of the kitchen — a reference to a Portland related story they had shared. The lunch that followed was fresh, wonderfully presented and delicious! I was so impressed. It was easy to talk business after we had finished our meal and the staff was very receptive to all of our needs. Right down to the cucumber infused water, this place is a gem. My only reservation would be the interior and the "character" of the space. From the outside, I would never know such a place was in there. Formoli's should definitely show off a bit more!

The three of us filed into the restaurant and were warmly greeted by Suzanne- wifey of the man that started the joint.  We chose a seat and plopped into chairs relieving our feet of all day work stuff.  The surroundings are dark and cozy and warm with eclectic art for sale on the walls.  She comes up with some bread and olive oil, and let me tell you, this was no ordinary olive oil.  It was olive oil that had been loved and caressed and given head.  We couldn't really decide and the small plates were looking like where it was at, so the 3 of us decided to split 5 small plates for dinner.  Fast forward to the food arriving.  After that the primary conversation consisted of, "MMMMMMM" for about 20 mins.  Their calamari was flawless with flavor and cooked perfectly, yam frites were thin and crisp with a delightful habanero aioli, Ahi was a special treat seared to magnificence and layed over baby greens and avocado mashed.  Scallops were amazing withe a thin crust of flavor and tender and succulent.  Bruschetta was the best I've ever had with crispy/tender bread- cheese and a tomato mix with melon! AWESOME.  To complete the meal we had dessert.  Saffron ice cream and a Spanish creme brulee.  The ice cream was flavorsome and refreshing and the creme brulee was a fun new take on the tradition.

I took my family to this restaurant and we were delighted with the place. They were extremely friendly and the food was delicious. We had the burger which was the best burger I've had in a long time - it was seasoned with delicious spices and served with sweet potato French fries. Also, the olive oil they served with bread as an appetizer was amazing - they said that it came from a local grower and it was so good. All the food was artfully presented and you can tell that the chef/owner takes great pride in his work. This is a new neighborhood gem and I encourage everyone to check them out.