Downtown Pleasanton adds yet another Italian restaurant that will be the poppin place on Main Street. Locanda Amalfi has an exceptional ambiance and amazing service. The food, especially the pizzas, is great. Overall, Locanda Amalfi will be full of customers every Friday and Saturday night, and will be a hard restaurant to get into. 

Atmosfera e servizio

The look and feel of this restaurant is really good. The lights and tile inside the place are beautiful, and there is also a bar to grab some drinks. The kitchen is viewable from the tables, so you can watch as your food is made. The music involves modern club music that is at a great volume. This makes it incredibly easy to talk to the person across from you. Locanda Amalfi feels like the quintessential Italian family restaurant. 

The service was equally great. Waiters were attentive and friendly. The hostess was incredibly nice. Each table looked like it was having a good evening. This again goes back to the Italian family restaurant. It feels personal, like you are getting a home cooked meal. With that, let’s move onto the food. 

Il Cibo

The Fritto Misto was the perfect appetizer to start the meal. Deep fried calamari and tiger prawns were prepared very well and tasted great. The chef’s capri sauce accompanied both very well. 

The Tris Di Montanare is a selection of three mini pizzas. It is labeled as a chef special, and it should be. One features prosciutto and creme fraiche. Another features a tasty red sauce. The final has pistachios and a ham-like meat that ultimately come together incredibly. 

The Gnocchi Con Tartufata is okay. The flavors of the black truffle cream and parmesan were all present. However, the dish was not anything special. It did not hold a candle to the previous dishes

The Brasato Alla Piemontese, or braised short rib, was disappointing. The meat itself was cooked very well. It was the supporting elements that missed the mark. First, I am not a huge fan of the polenta. Second, the demi glaze and red wine reduction was underused. Overall, it just was not the show stopping dish you expected from a braised beef course. 

Mamma Mia

Pizzas deserve their own category. 

The Margherita 1889 was so good. Flavors of san marzano tomato and fior di latte cheese are rich. Also, the crust deserves a chef’s kiss. Pizza can sometimes feel heavy, but this does not. 

The San Daniele featured arugula, aged prosciutto, and shaved parmesan. It was devoured and again felt light which was welcomed. 

The Porcini was also great. Italian sausage brings a mild spice to the dish. Porcini and truffle oil go together exquisitely. Another great pie. 

Verdetto

All though some dishes fall short in comparison to the others, Locanda Amalfi is one of the best Pleasanton has to offer. If you are going to go there for one thing, order a pizza. Order any pizza because it will be very good.