Classic Italian fare & full bar in a simple, traditional setting with red-checkered tablecloths.
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Trattoria Tiramisu: Authentic Italian Dining in Bettendorf, IA
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Reviews
UPDATE: We ate here yesterday again and it’s still the best Italian restaurant here in the Quad Cities that I’ve been to. Still 5-stars. They’re watching social distancing as well due to the pandemic. I didn’t even notice that there were a lot of people eating already when I saw all the cars parked outside. The place was clean and still cozy as before, and the service was amazing.
The bread was hard and tasted stale, the meat and ravioli tasted undercooked, the scampi smelled fishy, and while the fried ravioli were decent, they didn’t make up for the rest of the meal.
I honestly feel bad even saying anything because I don’t usually leave reviews, but after spending almost $40 with delivery fees and my house smelling unpleasant afterward, this experience was disappointing. I had heard great things and wanted to like it, but I won’t be ordering again
First impressions of the space – I don’t think much has changed from the 80s or 90s. Certain aspects of the space are inviting, including the rustic brick walls in certain areas, the large wine rack in the main dining room, and the soft lighting throughout. The soft burgundy and yellow walls add an extra warmth through the dining room, and the simple wooden booths with plate glass dividers adorned with etchings of grapes and vines bring some clean accents.
Other parts of the interior just make the space appear unnecessarily old and dated, however. This is most prominently seen in the 2×4 drop ceiling, whose black tiles are sagging noticeably throughout the main dining room. The floors, composed of 4 inch square tiles of varying reddish beige, similarly seem of a style not prominent for decades. Neither of these features pale compared to the sound system employed in the dining area, which consists of what I can only best characterize as a single speaker that appears to have blown out sometime between 10-20 years ago. The volume on my visit wasn’t terrible, but the speaker would periodically blare static or simply cut out for a few seconds. Definitely threw off the overall mood of the visit a bit…
While the ambiance wasn’t perfect, neither was the food. I enjoyed the bread and oil, which was of the style and quality expected at an Italian restaurant – crispy exterior with a warm soft inside. No complaints there. My choice of entree, however, left me a bit disappointed. I’m a huge fan of pesto and as such opted for the Fettuccine al Pesto with shrimp. This was, unfortunately, pretty disappointing. If not for the sparse pieces of what looked like basil leaf in the pasta, it would not have even visually looked like pesto. The pasta itself was fairly gummy and tasteless – not sure if it just wasn’t seasoned well in boiling or if there was another issue present. The only real high note to the dish was the shrimp – the six small shrimp included amongst the huge bowl of fettuccine.
Fortunately, the desert saved the meal for me which, given the eponymous nature of the establishment, had to be a piece of tiramisu. The restaurant’s namesake did not disappoint – the cookies were soaked with espresso, the marscapone cream was light, and there was a delightful dusting of chocolate powder and copious chocolate syrup adorning the plate. The slice was a nice light, not overly sweet, way to end the meal, something I’d return for all alone.
I do get the distinct feeling I may have just chosen not the best dish. A cursory second look at the menu left me hungry to try other dishes, several of which feature prominently a red sauce of some type. I’ll have to come back and try again at some point. I would clarify I do kind of enjoy the vintage atmosphere of the dining room, though I think they really should replace the speaker – that was a bit obnoxious.