I’ve never been to Café Sistina when it wasn’t crowded. It was a shock to walk in and find the place completely empty. This northern Italian eatery is popular and with good cause. I’ve always enjoyed the food here. There were no surprises last night. We eschewed the appetizers and salads and went right to the main course. I had the Opakapaka, which came in a tomato sauce with linguine. I wouldn’t call it extraordinary, but it was quite good. Bill had the dish I’ve had twice, the Gnocchi with Lamb Sausage. He quite enjoyed it. Pilar had Veal with Mushrooms which was delicious. Howard had the Pasta Puttanseca which had too much sauce for his tastes, but was flavorful. All the dishes were glistening with olive oil but didn’t taste greasy. The sauces were rich as is the Northern Italian way.

 

The restaurant is probably as well known for it’s walls as it’s food. Owner Sergio Mitrotti has painted the walls with scenes from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. This certainly adds charm to the place and is a reason we take visitors there. Café Sistina is great place to go when you need that fix of rich Northern Italian food.

Opakapaka with Linguine Gnocchi Lamb Sausage