Rotella's Trattoria

Does "Horrible and Overpriced" have an axe to grind? I challenge someone to find better, more authentic Italian in the Treasure Valley. It just does not exist. My family recently ate at Rotella's for my birthday, and we were all very pleased with everything we all ordered. I personally had the Lobster Ravioli (get it if you can). The dishes were unique, flavorful, and authentic. Bottom line, if you love Italian food, you will love Rotella's. The only way to hope to find better is to go to Seattle, San Francisco, or Brooklyn with "Horrible and Overpriced!" I definitely will eat here again...many times!

After living in Brooklyn for years with an Italian roommate who cooked his grandmother’s recipes and some of the finest Italian trattoria’s just a quick train ride away, I looked forward to fresh Italian fare.

However, I didn’t find that at Rotellas.

When I phoned in my order, the server heaped praises upon all the menu items we selected.
“Fresh,”
“excellent,”
“you’ll love that,”
“oh, great choice,”
“that’s a specialty,”
“it’s homemade.”
These were just some of the accolades. But instead we got the following:

Overcooked (verging on burned) calamari. Clearly frozen and not fresh as billed.
Hard Gnocchi that was unrecognizable as anything resembling fresh, homemade pasta,
Vodka sauce that was bland and more like excess cream mixed with tomato paste.

Speaking of cream…why was the Chicken Marsala a crème sauce? I say crème because it was more cream than anything else. Canned mushrooms dotted the white of the sauce and the pasta was cheap spiral pasta reminiscent of college dorm days and hamburger helper.

It didn’t help make a great meal.

The chicken was the worst. Untrimmed and perched upon the pasta, it was a thick, dry, inedible lump of grey matter. Overcooked as well.

We gave up on our entrees and hoped the salads would offer salvation, but instead were greeted by “strawberry” vinaigrette that tasted identical to the “basil” vinaigrette.

I can’t believe that this restaurant calls itself “Authentic Cuisine Featuring the Best of Italy.”

An Italian would be ashamed to serve the horrible cafeteria style fare offered here. Perhaps they will improve with time, but it isn’t likely.

My husband have been into Rotella's twice now, and we can't get over the amazing flavor of Italy. They make their pasta fresh along with all the sauces - delish!! Finally since we've been home from Italy, we've found comparable cuisine back in the states!
Thanks Rotella's and welcome to the neighborhood.