Giardini Trattoria

Excellent! The service was friendly and welcoming. We had a pretty big group so it was a lot to tend to, but the Meatball Pasta (not its real title) was really cheesy and flavorful. I really enjoyed everything. It is a quaint atmosphere with the right mood and the fireplace set the mood just right. Lovely spot!

We have eaten there many times. It was a terrible meal last night. The so-​called chef heated the lobster ravioli twice and it was still cold. It WAS NOT made from scratch; obviously frozen, then cooked. We have always brought our guests and friends there before. NEVER AGAIN.

We had reservations for 4 at 5:30. Two of us had the lobster ravioli and the both came out cold. When the men’s dinners came out 15 minutes later we sent back the ravioli and they were redone. The new ones came out warm but not hot and the men’s dinners were not hot either. We have eaten there before and it was always great. The only good thing about last night was the cheesecake and our waitress. We were celebrating my husband birthday and they don’t even offer a scoop of gelato to him. It will be awhile before we go back.

Very mixed reviews. I really had to think about the amount of stars on this one. The place is definitely quaint and cozy. The room we were seated at had 4 tables for two and basically could whisper and still have everybody hear you. If there would have been some background music softly playing especially being Valentines Dinner, and maybe a rose given to the women would have been a nice touch instead of the fake flowers on the table. We started with a bottle of wine and the bruschetta. It comes with goat cheese, sliced pickled beets, small pieces carrot, squash and pistachio nuts on a melba toast. Two come together and you build the rest yourself. Of course you run out of toppings long before melba toast, but it was pretty tasty, especially the goat cheese. Cost is $ 8. My wife had the orange glazed duck breast, sliced. Cooked well at medium. It came on a bed of risotto that was very thick and sweet. It hada brown sugar taste. $ 24. I had the Lobster ravioli. Was expecting a little more lobster, there was very small shreds of it, couldn’t really taste it and the ravioli itself was I think undercooked or overcooked. It was sticky and hard to even cut with fork. We also noticed after we ate that the other tables received a basket of bread and olive oil, which we did not receive. Don’t know if it was purchases appitizer or not but I didn’t notice it. Now the mini cannolis and the gelato for desert were primo excellante’! All of the ingredients werefarm fresh and they do make some very nice dishes, so I will give them another shot, just not on a special romantic date night. Maybe its better on the patio when it gets warmer. Noticed many people coming into dining room and picking up to go pizzas. Should be a separate area for that as it made a big distraction of door opening and closing. (The cold air would come blasting in).

We have been dying to try this restaurant and we were not disappointed! It was so worth waiting on them to reopen for 2016. This place is charming and cozy with delicious, fine cuisine. All entrees in our party were fabulous and enjoyed by all. We had duck breast, filet mignon and a pasta dish. Since it was our first visit, we had to try the antipasti misto (Italian cured meats, veggies and cheeses) for an app and some dessert! I highly recommend this to all looking for an all around wonderful dining experience. I cannot wait to go back.

Sad that they are closed until the beginning of 2016. Drove from Forest City to check it out.

Wonderful! The pasta Bella Sera was medallions of beef over rigatoni width a fresh tomato and basil sauce. The assorted veggies were equally delicious. My wife loved the Chicken Volitini (sp?). After dinner, we went to the little house out back, the Fresca place. Fabulous cinnamon gelato made fresh! Incredible, and the best we’ve had outside Italy… and we took home cannoli’s for a midnight snack.

Wonderful fresh food! Sooooo gooood and great service! So attentive and everyone is so kind. Calling ahead is recommended. Definitely stop and enjoy their delicious and unique dishes.

Had another adventure here today. Wild Boar, pasta fagioli, paninis, everything just delicious. Wish it was closer to my home. Jenn was great, even gave great version of chipmunk’s impression during lunch. Not enough stars to give.

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner there last week. a sultry loved the food and the service was great. Highly recommend.

I only did their take out in the little building behind the restaurant so this review is only about that. I got eggplant parmigiano and mushroom ravioli that were in their fridge plus a loaf of bread to go. The bread was excellent but the meals were not edible. I heated the eggplant in my convection toaster oven until it was hot. It took a steak knife to cut it it was so hard. Not good tasting either but lots of melted cheese. Next night we did the mushroom ravioli and it simply fell apart into mush. Not edible either. Both were expensive and both got tossed. I remembered that I had purchased the eggplant from their cooler a few years ago and had had the same problem. No cooking or heating information but it shouldn’t have been different that normal. Maybe the restaurant is better but don’t bother with their take home (except for the bread).

Big change. They used to be a real pleasant surprise. The chef left about 3 months ago and the place has fallen off a cliff. Terrible. It is right by our house in a rural area and we want to like it so much but we just can’t. They can’t even cook the pasta or pizza right anymore, much less creative cuisine. My wife ordered the Summer Vegetable pizza. It came with chicken and Blueberries on it and NO vegetables. SICK. Too bad, so sad, now we have to keep driving all the way to Asheville for a decent meal.

They do serve beer and wine now. It took a while to get the license … but they have a nice selection. The food is delicious. Don’t miss the new addition of Fresca — the mini store out back where you can get their homemade gelato. Get the port and fig! They make all the gelato and it is out of this world. They also have take home and heat up items with their home made pasta. Fabulous.

We had dinner here last week. As we pulled in to park, I instantly recognized the adorable place as somewhere I had always wanted to try. After a warm greeting from the owner as we entered, we weighed the options for seating… It was a little too chilly to sit outside, so we chose inside. The restaurant is in a little house with tables set up in several rooms, with a cozy fireplace and a big screened in porch for outdoor dining. We shared a beautiful beet salad, a few glasses of wonderful wine then ordered spinach gnocchi and Chris had the special pork dish. We ended with a homemade tiramisu. It’s was fresh, homemade and amazingly tasty! This is a spot we will visit again.

We were quickly seated by the hostess who kinda looked like a frazzled Amy Adams from Julie and Julia. We decided to sit outside even tho it was going to be a bit cold which ended up being a good decision. Everything was clean and there was some nice artwork and all that crap other people seem to care about in restaurants.
Everyone in our group got drinks, appetizer, salad, entrée, and desert and it ended up being about 60 dollars per person. Realistically if you wanted to split an app or two or just get a salad and meal it would probably be about 25 pre tax and tip.
The menu is seasonal so I don’t know how much reviewing the particular items will help but I really enjoyed the meat and cheese app for 2 and everyone loved their salads. I had the rabbit pasta dish and all the veggies and pasta tasted really clean and fresh and delicious. The rabbit had similar taste and texture to roast turkey to me, maybe a bit gamey (that is not a bad thing) but not much at all.
Deserts were all good but I’m not a big dessert person.
From what I can tell everything is locally grown and raised. Also there are very minimal substitutions allowed/​possible for most of their dishes.
They also have a shop next door which sells meals to go.

Great local place with a seasonal menu. Everything is fresh. They have a small store out back where you can buy a few meals to go or gelato. Joe the owner was very friendly. Would definitely go back!!!

Disappointed in our experience this past Saturday. The waitress failed to tell us of the changes and additions to the menu before we placed our orders. We heard the news by overhearing it at an adjoining table when the hostess told the guests as she seated them.
We felt rushed during our meal. I even mentioned to our waitress that we were there for a leisurely meal. The main course came out before we were done with the salads.
It seems since the new chef was hired the quality of the food has declined. The dessert was just a disappointment. No special presentation. It seemed like it was the last lonely slice in the kitchen and it was plopped in the plate. This used to be one of favorite restaurants, but we will not return

My girlfriend and I had dinner here for Valentine’s Day on the recommendation of Katherine at Cross Creek B&B (she and her B&B are both great!). The food was delicious, and it was clear that the pasta was homemade. We started with the pork belly appetizer. We followed that with the rabbit pappardelle pasta and (heart-​shaped) duck ravioli. And finally, we had the homemade cinnamon gelato for dessert. It was all fantastic. The atmosphere is pretty intimate and the owners are very nice people. We stuck around after dinner and chatted with them for a while. Highly recommend this place!

What a wonderful little find off the beaten path. On a trip from Charlotte to Knoxville we stopped here and a warm fire and friendly staff greeted us. Homemade pasta– what more needs to be said? It was mouth watering. And the delicious cookies we took away with us to eat in the car were out of this world! We will definitely make a point of returning the next time we are in the area!

I first stopped by this place for takeout when they only did takeout. It was really good. But, i just never got back there because it’s a bit out of the way and it was just weird to me… it’s kind of a strange place to see from the road. I remember when it used to be a small farm. Then, they converted the basement to a takeout food area. Then, they added a horse shoe court or something like that. Then, a wood-​fired pizza oven on wheels showed up in the yard. Then, they added a big tent-​like structure. Then, they opened a restaurant upstairs in the house.
Now, (warning: deep personal flaws about to be hung out like dirty laundry)…I have to admit that I am kinda black and white in my thinking. I don’t like non-​traditional restaurants. I don’t like places where you walk in and it’s unclear what you’re supposed to do next. I don’t like restaurants that serve food with plastic cutlery. I don’t like places where you don’t know where the entrance is at, etc, etc. Giardini’s is really none of that but it’s also just not typical and I had a hard time dealing with that.
So, when they opened the restaurant I was reluctant to go. Even though I was getting much pressure from the wife. Even though I had heard lots of good things about it. And, even though I heard Chevy Chase comes here and likes it (can’t confirm celebrity siting or even if he likes Italian food).
So, I gave in to my wife and we got an early reservation one Friday night. I must say that the interior is nice… kind of more upscale than I expected. We were seated on the back porch with a view over their gardens (they grow much of their own produce) and distant mountains.
I got a salad app (gorgonzola and sugared pecans with sundried tomatoes). My wife got the caprese salad. Both were fresh, well prepared and excellent. For mains, wife got tuna special, I got seafood pasta special and Thing 1 and Thing 2 got pasta. All had excellent flavor and were nicely prepared and presented. In fact it was really outstanding. We’ve tried to get in here again on short notice and found that they were booked solid and I understand why. We plan ahead now.
Don’t pass this place by… in fact, go out of your way to find it. It’s up there with Stone Soup in Landrum as one of the best restaurants in the area. Bring your own wine or beer though. They are still working on getting an alcohol license as of this writing.