orso

great food. very nice atmosphere,greatking crab legs, soup, salads are fresh and well done

i'm not going to say i didn't like it. the food was better than good. nice wine and beer list too. service was the issue. we wanted to order small plates. starting with the caprese salad and moving on to other dishes. unfortunately the other dishes came first. our food was delivered by the manager so we explained that our salad had not been served yet. he went to check and let us know it was all rung in at the same time. he was nice about it, comped the salad with an apology. all of that was fine. the problem is after that our server completely ignored our table. no refills for water. she simply brought the bill and said thank you. it was odd because we weren't upset and we had planned to order more food. she simply shut down our experience.


-----15 mar, 2011-----

the appetizers are great. a large, unique select that is more like tapas than apps. the win list is impressive if short. a nice select of flights available and generous pours. we tried the fried ravioli, filet w polenta and the risotto crab cakes. the service was friendly and attentive. all together agreatexperience.

love this place. have gone here over the years for "special occasion" dinners.greatbeer and wine selection. we also love to just sit in the "bar" and have a few drinks.greatplace.
here's a hint - if the restaurant is crazy busy, go to the "bar" area - you can often get a seat pretty quick.greatplace.

stuck in the last century. orso hasgreatreputation and the food and service is reliably good. my complaint is that i don't think they have changed the menu since they opened. even their specials aren't very special any more. and if you have special dietary needs, forget it. one friend received a gluten full sauce on top of her steak ordered off the gluten free menu, and don't even try to order vegan.

but if you only go once in a while, and like what you see on the menu, you can be sure of getting a delicious meal.

boring. the first issue i had was that orso felt a little unfriendly to the single diner. i stopped by early in the evening (5:15) and was given a terrible table even though the place was empty. they have thisgreatwine app that looked like it would be a lot of fun to place with, but the waitress hovered over me waiting for me to make a decision on wine. at first i thought it was because i was only ordering wine by the glass, but then i noticed she did it to the other tables as well. she seemed to have a very "olive garden" approach to serving. she was trying to turn the early tables quickly.
i ordered the wild mushroom ravioli as my entree and it came covered in white button mushrooms and a very bland broth. the food was not bad, it just didn't taste like anything. the dish was really boring. i ended up eating only half, not because i wasn't hungry anymore, but because i was just so board with the dish. i had fully planned at having dessert, but after that meal i just asked for my check, at the delight of my server. i would not go back to orso.

peso is agreatplace at happy hour for fine wines and tempting appetizers. i go there often. atmosphere is upscale and european in mood.greatcontrast to anchorage urban scene.

overhyped. orso has good food. i went in expecting a nice dinner, i was told it's one of the few places that takes reservations & people dress up for. there was no reason to dress up. next to me, people were wearing jeans and carhart jackets.

but the food was good and the service was great. i'd like it if they would update the decor and lighting. the server knew his wines and the food was spectacularly presented.

overall it's a good experience, but if you want a quiet romantic dinner, i'd look elsewhere. which is sad, because orso is in agreatlocation.

orso. both food and service keep going downhill, what used to be agreatplace it is now mediocre. at lunch today only one person was running the entire bar area which made service slow, ordered salmon and french fries and i got a small plate with the salmon and a large plate with the fries, horrible presentation, will not go back

delicious!. orso has a beautiful warm romantic atmosphere, delicious food, and a friendly staff.

i love the atmosphere of this restaurant, it just feels so inviting. the food is always delicious. one of my favorites is the chicken fettuccine, the price is on the lower end and the portion is huge. their steak tip appetizer is also a favorite. as for dessert, try the lava cake yumm!

if they mess up an order or if you are vegan and would like to make a special request they have always been more than nice and helpful in my experience.

agreatplace.

top shelf and casual. first time visit,greatexperience! anniversary dinner with my wife. i booked online easily, their site recommended nearby parking which was easy, reservation was on time and we were seated in the upper level. service was fantastic and they made special effort to celebrate our special event. steaks were amazing, crispy ravioli appetizer wasgreatand the desserts were excellent. the place is not a pretentious suit and tie white table cloth type place. a little upscale but comfortable and casual. best dining experience i've had in the city. five stars from us!

cute place... the food isgreatbut i wasn't a big fan of our waitress.. she seemed kind of snotty and wasn't very personable.

consistent food but slow service. this place has been hit and miss for my husband and i. the service has never been stellar. sometimes acceptable and other times a bit on the slow side. also, hard water stains and spots on my wine glass. really? i just paid $9 for a glass of wine that your waiter suggested to me and you give it to me in a glass that has spots on it and smells like wet dog? at least the server was apologetic about it.

the food, however, has really improved lately. i would think that his has something to do with the addition of local superstar chef rob kineen (of noble's diner fame). good hire there.

also, though he won't admit it and tries to hide it, my husband is always gawking at all of the beautiful young ladies that this place manages to round up for employment.

another plus about this restaurant:greatfresh alaskan seafood in the summer. fresh salmon plucked from water and on your plate within 24 hours usually (according to our waiter). good to see local restaurants capitalizing on regional ingredients. especially a larger restaurant such as orso.

best creme brûlée ever. very different from the usual dull custard.greatseafood and the fried ravioli is divine. definitely our "go to" date place.

relaxing atmoshere. orso is a nice quite and pleasant place for dinner; good for dates. menu is selective but a little pricy. the semolina crusted calamari is quite tasty and the smoke salmon chowder is delicious; good for sharing. i highly recommend the alaska wild salmon and the lamb osso buco; both withgreatflavor.

our favorite couple spot. our first time we didn't know what type of place it was. the family walked in after a day of exploring d/t and they treated us with excellent service andgreatfood. we've been back several times (just the two of us) and always enjoy the meal and service.