Perhaps it was a telling sign when my parents, who live
around the corner from Sardina’s Restaurant, turned down a free
dinner with my husband and me.
“We went once before, and weren’t too impressed,”
they explained. Instead, they stayed home and made spaghetti.
For five years now, Sardina’s has been serving southeast Reno,
delighting some and disappointing others. When people a quarter mile
away turn down an Italian restaurant for homemade spaghetti, it might
not be the best first sign, but we went to Sardina’s with an open
mind. Based on this one-time experience, here is my assessment:
Décor/Ambiance: Terrific. The place is cute, tucked
surreptitiously next to a laundromat and Chinese takeout in the
shopping center on the corner of Mira Loma and McCarran.
Black-and-white tiles create a funky contrast with the pale blue walls
adorned with paintings of delighted diners and abstract scenes, the
color schemes of which matched the curtains. It is refined and not
garish, cozy but not constricting. We chose a table by the window and
nibbled our fairly good appetizer bread while plotting our order. The
eclectic but still somehow perfectly appropriate music was set at a
comfortable volume. Everything from Billie Holiday and Roger Miller to
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Merle Haggard accompanied our pre-dining
conversation.
Service: Outstanding. We were greeted immediately by the friendly
server/owner and a ubiquitous sidekick who, we eventually learned, was
in training and whose job it was to hover as we were served. Our guide
cheerfully recommended a new wine—a cabernet ($10 a glass). When
our entrees came, parmesan and pepper were provided with heartbreaking
politeness and finesse.
Appetizer: Delectable. We chose to begin with the polenta with
balsamic mushrooms and fresh basil ($8). And were we happy that we did.
In truth, it was the best thing we ate that night, with its scrumptious
blend of the constituent ingredients along with spices and cream
cheese. Things were looking really good as some of Thelonious
Monk’s better riffs punctuated our enjoyable chat. Locals began
to drift in, happily greeted by the staff and clearly anticipating a
great night of dining and service.
Presentation: Perfect. We were given ample time to enjoy our wine
and appetizer, nibble at our bread and people-watch the devoted locals
who appear to love the place. However, our sole—but
key—disappointment loomed.
Entrées: OK. Just OK. Yes, that, I fear, was our truthful
assessment. I had the pasta Napoli, spicy vodka sauce with shrimp on
fettuccini ($17), mostly because spicy sounded perfect on a cold night.
It was edible, but the red sauce just lacked something. It was spicy,
yes, but the flavor wasn’t there. The ample salt and pepper I
added made it serviceable.
My husband tried one of the chef specials—the market trout
stuffed with bacon and sundry other innards, but at $16 we were not
impressed with it. Put simply, despite the great atmosphere and service
we just didn’t think the food was worth it—at least for the
money we spent.
But there were quite a few people present who clearly do not share
our take on the food. As we dined, couples wandered in, most of whom
were obviously regulars and were known by name. They sat and enjoyed
their wine, chatted with the owner, and talked of the meal to come.
They were experiencing something a little too rare: a local favorite.
While for us the price seemed steep for the rather bland product,
perhaps the overall dining and social experience justifies the
occasional sojourn to Sardina’s.