5 /5 Dr. Sheridan Mish: My wife Irene and I decided to go to Cafe CaNole for her milestone birthday, with a reservation for 8 PM and although there was no host or hostess at the door, we were quickly acknowledged by a passing server once we entered that someone will be over to seat us, and we were at our table within a couple minutes.
They brought us waters and some fresh bread baked in house with a dipping oil. My wife got a limoncello spritz which also had some prosecco in it and is a seasonal drink special.
The menu has a nice variety of choices and also offers items noted as vegetarian or gluten free options.
We split a Caprese salad that had a light but lively vinaigrette. Super enjoyable and great for summer.
We got the fried meatballs and the greens CaNole for appetizers. The meatballs were phenomenal, made with fresh garlic and as good as anything you’ll find from the old East Utica Italian neighborhood. They come with a red pasta sauce to dip in, which was one of the best pasta sauces we’ve had. The greens were really good, but on the spicy side. Next time I would ask for lite spice. We ate a few bites, then boxed them up and made them with eggs scrambled in for breakfast the next morning which tempered the spice level.
For entrees we got the filet mignon and the haddock oreganato. The haddock came on a bed of rich risotto and topped with sautéed spinach. The filet mignon came with a thick au jus that was exceptional. It came with a side of the Gorgonzola potatoes. Oh my goodness, these potatoes (which also can be ordered as an appetizer) were out of this world and quite possibly the best potato dish we’ve had in our lives.
The wine selection was small, but mighty. It had enough variety curated to perfectly pair wine by the glass with any dish one chooses. The quality of the wines were very high.
We were quite stuffed at this point, but wanted to try a little dessert so we got a vanilla pasticiotto. The pasti had a sweetness of the vanilla pudding filling that was a nice finish to an amazing meal.
After we had gotten our check and had paid, we were sitting at table finishing our wine. It was the end of the night, we were one of the last tables there, the kitchen was closed, and Chef Dean came by and thanked us for coming.
I told him we loved everything and that I was ashamed to say it was our first time eating here, but we chose to come here for my wife’s momentous occasion. He then said he was going to bring us a slice of each of their famous limoncello blueberry cake and Godiva chocolate cake. I told him we appreciate the gesture and we were stuffed so he didn’t need to do that, but he insisted and walked away to get them. Let me tell you that these cakes were absolutely heavenly and divine. The cakes were both light and fluffy, the frosting mildly sweet and a consistency almost like a whipped cream mousse. The fillings were as perfectly balanced as one could get. We each took a few bites of each and then packed up the rest. They made the perfect compliment as a breakfast dessert the next morning.
The service all around for the night was fantastic and a noticeable team effort as there were six different servers who had a hand in our experience to make us feel totally welcomed. They were attentive to every need, checking in at the right times, clearing dishes when finished, bringing the next course immediately out, and packaging up leftovers promptly.
My wife and I are extremely grateful that Chefs Jason Nole and Dean Nole who are the owners and are brothers, came out to take a picture with us before we left.
Everything we got contained generous portions made with culinary excellence that was packed with balanced flavorful perfection. The three most outstandingly best things we had were the meatballs, Gorgonzola potatoes, and the slices of cakes. One must try them.
Cafe CaNole is definitely one our top 5 restaurants in all of Central New York, and arguably in the top 3. If you’re looking for quality culinary dining with an unforgettable gustatory experience, then look no further.
