Rialto

Where: Charles Hotel, Harvard Sq., Cambridge MA
Meal: Dinner
Food Type: Italian
For Who: Willing to drop the $$?

I have heard about Rialto for years and never managed to attend. Finally, my sister, her friend and myself went for restaurant week 2009.

Mediocre.

We ordered off the restaurant week menu. Two of us had the spring green risotto with asparagus, escarole, parsley. Honestly, the portion was less than petite - we are talking about a tablespoon at most. Portions can be small if they are exquisite. Unfortunately, the risotto was lacking texture, substance and flavor. My thinking is that Rialto decided to put this dish on the menu for vegans because I do not believe there was an ounce of fat, butter, oil or any other dairy product in this appetizer. I tend to love risotto and this was a disappointment. When I order risotto, I usually expect a bit of substance, something with some oomph, hearty almost. Risotto is the kind of pasta that is not worth serving if it s not made properly. The risotto itself was almost crunchy and certainly not simmered long enough in chicken stock as is required. I do not think there was any cheese cooked in the dish either.

My sister ordered



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