mercato italiano trattoria

close, but not there yet. ok, i am very picky; but i love good food and a good experience, and this fell short. good; but a long way from great. very limited beer selection, my beverage of choice this night. oo for dipping herbed, but in a deep dish; herbs all at bottom! no cracked pepper offered, i got up and got it myself. bread very good, but already very soggy pre-dipping, odd. risotto al funghi; good flavor, but not finished. al dente is good, crunchy is not. almost no prosciutto (generous with varied mushrooms!), and while piping hot when served, was in a cold dish and cooled quickly; cold by the time i finished. waiter did not check on my drink until near the end of the meal, cost the restaurant an extra beer. shaved parmesan on risotto, but no extra offered. in basement, no phone service or internet; my friend was late and couldn't get text. ambience very nice, but very loud; music was up loud, making it worse; and acoustics very poor. smoking right outside door. might go back; lady next to me raved about the carbonara (and believe me, i heard every word!), nothing like a second chance.

best in louisville. thursday night we tried cena for the first time. great meal and service. goat cheese frito and short ribs were perfect amount of food and didn't cost a arm and a leg. our server was great and gave us great suggestions. will be back again and can't be soon enough.

this was the best restaurant experience my wife and i had on our trip to louisville. not only was the food delicious but, the way the staff accommodated us was above and beyond anything we could've hoped for. from the hostess to the owner everyone stopped by and ensured we were having the best possible dinning experience. i look forward to going back to louisville in part of my desire to go here again.
a special mention go to the owner/chef peter pagano and the hostess hannah. chef pagano took the time to talk with us in depth eventhough it was the end of the evening and he was heading home. hannah did everything a person in her position could do to make sure my wife enjoyed her birthday experience.

first time visit on jan. 5, attracted by the fact that they have a squid ink pasta dish (a favorite). what a hidden gem! nick our server was personable and attentive but not overly so. i sat near the bar so was able to watch the careful creation of my manhattan, which was spot on. even the complementary bread with two dipping oils (one chili infused) was remarkable. goat cheese fritto and caesar salad were both very good, but not as extraordinary as everything else i had. the orecchiette (made with shell-shaped, homemade pasta) was outstanding and a perfect choice of entree' on such a cold night.

i have read other reviews which commented on the decor. i'm no expert, but this place is tucked away in a diverse but carefully planned community, and off the beaten path for most louisville-area diners. my guess is that in order to survive (sorry, corbett's fans), it must primarily appeal to the people who live in norton commons (including many families, of which there were several during my visit) while also providing a level of dining experience that will be worth the drive for people living elsewhere. it must also be versatile in a way that allows it to take advantage of our contrasting seasons. it seems to have been designed with that in mind, featuring large glass-paned retractable garage-style panels which presumably will be open during warmer temperatures, and al fresco seating available on the sidewalks. seems to me that they have struck a nice balance between high quality food and service and broad appeal. this place is now on my short list of louisville favorites and i will definitely return soon. well done!!

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this is my second time here. got the shareable pork chops. simply amazing. perfectly done, very tender, and great flavor.

had the shareable steak last time, and it was equally amazing. the bread is mouthwatering, and i'll surely be back.

slow service. uncooperative kitchen.. i had the misfortune of eating at cena last night. it took 3 hours to get a plate of pasta. the waiter was so slow that i left my table with my check, went upstairs to mussels and burgers, got change so i could pay and leave. i was that tired of waiting. also, if you do not like what is on the menu, do not go. nothing will be changed for you. the food was adequate. i may have appreciated it more if it had not taken 2 hours to get it. also, as the hours passed, it got hotter and hotter. the restaurant is in the basement and i guess there is poor ventilation.

girls night was great, we pick a different restaurant every week and once a month we go out of town. eaten at a few good places but this was a find. the food was wicked good, octopus and oxtail ravioli yum. might i add not over powering on the truffles in the sauce with the house made ravioli, bravo. our server ruben was adorably attentive and had great recommendations. chef and gm single? just playing but not really, every course was perfect and i don't think my water was not but a few sips from getting filled throughout our meal. several of the staff greeted our table and made for an exceptional evening. this will be a place we visit again.

very disappointing. guaca mole, mojito, and taco luchador are great. skip this place. stay upstairs and have a burger. service was attentive, but the food was very disappointing, and certainly not worth the price.

great hidden treasure, restaurant is difficult to find but worth the search. service was attentive and we couldn't ask for more from our server michael. food was a home run! will return now that we know where it is.

incredible dining experience!. we travel to louisville occasionally and love trying new restaurants. i had been to the m&b bar upstairs and loved it, but this was our first time to cena. it will definitely not be our last! it was one of the best dining experiences we've ever had. the atmosphere was nice and intimate, but still very comfortable. rick and the entire staff at cena were warm and attentive, but not too smothering. the salumi & formaggio appetizer was awesome! and the oxtail ravioli was one of the best things either my wife or i have ever eaten! like i said, we will definitely be back!!!

started out strong finished weak! the goat cheese pesto honey bites were to die for and melt in your mouth! the carbonora second course was about a 6/7 out of 10. then the main course porchetta- not sure if it was left in the window too long but to compare it to clark griswalds christmas turkey is about right! it was a little over priced/ portions small. quite disappointed from all the rave we had been hearing!

cena. the goat cheese was excellent and you have to try the smoked poached egg. oxtail ravioli was fabulous.

i like what they're aiming for, but ultimately it missed the mark.. food- starter course great (octopus), pasta course disappointing (diavolo overwhelmingly olive flavored), main course (whole bass) alright.
atmosphere - modern , fine-dining vibe.
service - not so fine-dining. our server was friendly, but overly so. his shtick wore thin. he had way too many tables to properly give each one the attention it needed, and the wait time between courses got longer and longer. dishes sat on the table too long because there seems to be no intentional bus staff. he ended our meal by bringing us a dessert when we hadn't even ordered yet, and pretending he read our mind and knew what we wanted. no. he gave it to us in a to-go container even though we didn't ask for it, and while pretty in its glass, tiramisu in a to-go box looks like something you try to avoid stepping in.
plenty of nice dining options closer to home and not really worth another drive across town for me.

above average food, average service. great setting, comfortable space and nice decor. excellent food. a bit pricey. service was rumored to be outstanding, but i was honestly disappointed. table of 4 ran over 200.00 without tip... and the service was pleasant but not 5-star. biggest issue with our group - the menu. hard to follow, not a good flow, needs descriptive work (especially when your server has trouble with it too!!) i would return, but the owner's other restaurant's would be higher up on my visit list.

amazing night out, food wow. jimmy our waiter was there right when we needed him and made great suggestions. got to meet the manager and chef great hidden place. porchetta is the way to go.