"I often feel anxious when trying out a new restaurant for the first time. Before making a reservation at La Palina, an Italian restaurant in a part of Brooklyn I don't usually visit, I read some negative reviews. Parking was a bit of a challenge unless you wanted to use the valet service. We were seated near the kitchen, but I had a nice view of the cozy, older restaurant. The service started off a bit slow, but picked up quickly after the bus boy brought us water, bread, garlic bread, and lit a candle on our table. Our server took our drink order promptly and everything else went smoothly. The baked clams and mussels marinara were delicious, the ravioli and chicken rollatini were excellent, and we even received complimentary zucchini. I usually don't order cappuccino, but I decided to try it this time and it was delicious. The servers appeared to have been working there for a long time, but instead of being aloof, they were very professional. The prices were very reasonable. The only issue I had was that it seemed like everyone else in the restaurant were regulars; they received preferential treatment and were greeted warmly by the staff."
