Best Casual Restaurants in Norwood

Three of us shared a special reunion dinner. The initial hosts were quite polished, yet I felt my guest's attire and my signature (SF Asian Art museum) baseball cap was a possible issue, so I was not surprised when we were sized up and sat in the back/vault. The back was GREAT. More privacy and tons more quiet than the front. The final server we had was THE BEST. He helped us with the menu quickly and seamlessly (he really knew his stuff.) His friendliness was NATURAL, not forced. We were not rushed. Plus he was the perfect balance between professional and friendly. Formal dining etiquette (re clearing and food delivery) were all present and perfect. Yes, this was rather pricy, but I will definitely return, esp for a special occasion. And our server deserved his 30% tip, even if provided by a guy in a baseball cap with casually-dressed guests. ; )

Overall we had a great time. They were able to accommodate our party of 7 pretty easily. The gnocchi, roasted chicken, filet, mushroom flatbread, and stuffed mushrooms were all good. Cocktails were good. The lobster tail was just ok. Very chewy. But hey, we didn’t expect it to be phenomenal. Only real issue was it took forever to get drinks and food. The server tried her hardest but kitchen and bar seemed to be backed up and it was just very slow. She did apologize. Not her fault. We still had a nice time!

Our dining ex̌perience was fantastic. I heard so much about Sotto and it did not disappoint. Our table of 4 had the following appetizers: ahi tuna, the octopus, and the goat cheese bread. All were delicious!! Our entire consisted of the short rib ravioli the mushroom pasta, the pork, and the white Truffle pasta. Again...all delicious. For dessert, we had the gellato and the doughnuts...Again these were fabulous.

Alfios was suggested to us by a family member and we’re so glad we finally went. The restaurant is nicely decorated and the food was spectacular. Our waiter made us feel special and explained everything thoroughly.

Don’t sit in a booth. The springs were shot in the cushions. I’m 5 ft 6in and I felt like a child who needed a phone book to sit on. The seats were so low, it made eating uncomfortable. Time to redecorate. Everything else was great!