Restaurant Review: Cafe Piccolo

If being named "Long Beach's Most Romantic Restaurant" doesn't turn you off and make you want to jump off a bridge because you were just made a little more aware than yesterday of your singleness, then you must try Cafe Piccolo. Search Romantic Dinner + Long Beach in Yelp and in your top searches will be Cafe Piccolo. My stumble onto Cafe Piccolo wasn't plans for a romantic dinner for one - 'Espy table of one, Espy table of one' - it was a plan that I made several months ago. I said I would get to know the city I have lived in for almost 2 years one must eat/drink/play spot at a time. I began with the easiest and most favorite, a must eat. This little find happens to be 0.65 miles, or a 1 minute drive based on current traffic, so it was an easy decision. 

I made reservations for 7:45 (highly recommend making reservations) and went to get city night ready.

Cafe Piccolo looks romantic on the outside and gets even more romantic inside with a dimly lit space filled of small soft white lights. The place is ideal for a love infused dinner and drinking too much vine followed by locking eyes, quickly leaving and immediate baby making. It beckons! I live 0.65 so this scenario is plausible.

My dinner started with the Bruschetta. OMG! I have had plenty of Bruschetta in my life but this one was special. It didn't look any different than any other I have had before but it was so much yummier than any other. The tomato was fresh and overflowed over the almost pita like thin grilled italian bread. You could taste the fresh basil, olive oil and strong garlic. Magnifico! For the main dish went with the Grilled Beef Terderloin served over Cauliflower Mashed Potato in Balsamic Portobello Sauce. The beef tenderloin was cooked perfectly and I could have eaten all the mashed potato in one swallow but I held back - quality versus quantity. Remember that and you will can stop guilty tripping. The real treat however, was the Balsamic Portobello Sauce. Salty, sweet and tangy. It was almost like a gravy but not thick or overwhelming. It was simply divine. My review wouldn't be complete if I didn't point out some the not so great. I'll be simple. Service could be better. From the owner/ host who is much too casual about reservations. The waiter should have come to the table sooner after being seated. I like my vino asap to allow enough sobering time. I don't drive drunk anymore. There is a girl going around the restaurant replenishing the bead, she came by once. I pretty much despised her because of course, I have too much pride to ask for bread for fear that I might get that look. You know, the "are you sure your waistline can afford another pound, bread is really bad when you are trying to loose weight." 

There will be more dinners at Cafe Piccolo however, next on my list is Sky Bar. The name already says cool.