Tiamo pleases, dissatisfies in split decision
By Rachel Birdsell
TFW Contributing Writer
Tiamo Italian Restaurant
facebook.com/pages/Tiamo-Italian-Restaurant/185074553547
1466 N. College Ave.
Fayetteville
251-1901
Preamble Ramble
Tiamo is in Eveyln Hills Shopping Center in the old Oseguera’s site. I kept hearing about it from various sources — not from the voices in my head this time — and figured it was high time to give it a try.
Food For Thought
I was there for an early dinner. Very early. Blue hair early. Early enough that the guys were still mopping the floors and I wasn’t even sure if they were open, yet.
I scanned the menu, and decided to try the Pasta Combo. I thought that trying a little bit of several different dishes would give me a better idea of how the fare fared.
The Pasta Combo was a plate of lasagna, manicotti, cannelloni, a crepe and a meatball. It came with bruschetta, a salad and another piece of bread. I’d love to tell you what kind of bread it was, but I have no idea. It is the bread that shall not be named.
The good: The manicotti was really good. It was stuffed with ricotta cheese, and after I scraped off some of the marina, it was quite tasty. The cheese and spinach crepe was also darn, tootin’ tasty. The bruschetta was perfect. It had chunks of tomatoes, oregano, basil, onion and garlic in olive oil, and I think I could have had it as a meal.
The bad: The cannelloni was filled with beef and it tasted like barbecue sauce. I don’t know what seasoning was used for it to arrive at the barbecue stage, but barbecue + Italian = not so good.
The lasagna tasted very perfume-like. I take that back, it tasted more like cologne that a gentleman over the age of 80 would wear. It was the oddest tasting lasagna I’ve ever tried. The bread who shall not be named was stale enough that when I broke off a piece, dust flew off of it.
The ugly: The meatball was unfortunate. It tasted old. I mean old, as though it had been unearthed from my Great Aunt Tilda’s basement. No one wants to eat anything that came from Great Aunt Tilda’s basement, or her kitchen for that matter.
The dessert: I had the chocolate mousse. It was vanilla mousse with shredded chocolate bar in it. It was good, but very, very, very sweet. Maybe they should rename it, Instant Diabetes. I think if I’d had some unsweetened whipped cream to mix in with it, it would have been very good.
The Sporkcast
(1-5 sporks)
Atmosphere: 3.75 black sporks with dimly lit handles
After the guys finished mopping the floors, the lights were dimmed and it was quite cozy. Had “Love in an Elevator” not been blaring overhead, it may have even been romantic. Call me crazy, but for some reason Steven Tyler doesn’t conjure up romantic images.
Food: 3.3 sporks that are half happy and half sad
It’s a shame that all of the food couldn’t have been as good as the bruschetta.
Staff: 4.75 My waiter was great. He was very attentive, but then again, I was the only person in there. He made me feel welcome and made sure I had everything I needed.
Dollars spent: My dinner was $23, which was way more than it was worth. I realize that I received a variety of food, but only half of it was edible.
Chance of returning: I can see going back for the bruschetta and for anything that doesn’t have meat in it.
If you know of a great eating place, drop me a line at rabirdsell@gmail.com. I’ll check it out and let you know what I think.
