"After reading many reviews, I really expected to enjoy myself at Tino’s. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The first thing to greet us as we ascend the interior stairs to the restaurant, is the filthy carpet; hardly a welcoming sight. Our appetizers of whipped feta, and fried calamari were acceptable, nothing special, but certainly not bad. The Caesar salads arrived underdressed, and with mostly brown leaves. When the waiter finally arrived (he was also tending the bar, so he wasn’t around a lot), I asked for more dressing, which was promptly delivered. As I applied it I noted that it looked like mayonnaise, not Caesar dressing. When I tasted it, it was flavorless, and the waiter confirmed that it was their house made aioli, not Caesar dressing. I didn’t bother to eat more than a few leaves. As for my entree, I ordered the short rib ragu with tagliatelle. I asked the waiter if it was a red sauce, to which he answered “yes”. Feeling that blue cheese and arugula were not good additions to a red short rib ragu, I declined those. What I received was a small portion shredded beef with some noodles in a brown, watery broth, lacking any tomato to make it red, and lacking flavor, as well. My companion’s lobster carbonara was equally disappointing. In a well made carbonara, the noodles are generously coated in an unctuous sauce created from guancale, fat, eggs and cheese. These noodles were virtually dry, and the lobster served with them was cold. I had witnessed the dishes for our table sitting under lights for an extended period of time, so I’m sure that’s the reason they finally arrived barely warm. We declined any dessert. Food: 2 Service: 3 Atmosphere: 3"
