Arezzo

5057 France Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55410
612-285-7444

http://www.arezzo-ristorante.com/

Category: Italian

Rating (Scale 1-10, with 10 being the highest):
Food: 8
Service: 7
Ambience: 8

Recommendation: Very good. Arezzo is one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the cities…it serves authentic Italian cuisine in a romantic setting.

Arezzo is located in the 50th and France Edina neighborhood and in our opinion, is a hidden gem. It is small and cozy, and a perfect neighborhood bistro, yet, intimate enough for a romantic night out. Some of their tables, however, are a little too close together so it’s hard to have a private conversation. Interesting murals, warm colors, the faux finish paint on the walls take you all the way to Tuscany. They have outdoor seating in the summer and are also open for lunch. Arezzo serves authentic Italian pastas, meat entrees, and Neopolitan style pizza.
If you like cheese, the Piatto di Formaggio, which is a cheese platter of Italian cheeses such as Taleggio, Boschetto Al Tartufo, Gorgonzola and Grana Padana goes great with a nice glass of wine. Their pizza dough is hand pressed and has a traditional thin crust, San Marzano tomaoes, and fresh mozzarella. They also have fresh imported buffalo mozzarella if you truly want an authentic experience. We love their Margherita pizza.

Our hands down favorite at Arezzo is the Gnocchi Quattro Formaggi, hand-rolled mini potato dumplings in a creamy four-cheese sauce (parmesan, gorgonzola, fontina and pecorino). It is also available in a tomato and a Bolognese sauce but we’ve only tried the four-cheese version. We have tried gnocchi at various Italian restaurants and haven’t found anything close to Arezzo’s. It is so soft that it literally melts in your mouth. We also like their Fettuccine Verdi alla Salsiccia (Spinach fettuccine in a spicy San Marzano tomato sauce and sausage). Their complimentary bread is excellent – its flavored like a Focaccia, but the bread itself is like an airy pizza crust (you just cant have enough of this excellent bread).

$$$.

Update (Sep 11, 2007) - Another nice (lunch) dining experience at Arezzo. They have great calamari where the chef strikes a tremendous balance between the squid and the breading. Their Fettuccine Verdi alla Salsiccia had great flavor, but was a little too greasy. The Tuscan Pesto Chicken Panini was small in size but big in flavor - great combination of ingredients piled on fresh bread, served with a creamy cold pasta side.