hot date?

might i suggest serafina??? eastlake's own modern italian osteria and enoteca [literally translated...a place where someone can host you and serve you wine...my living room, anyone?] is cozy, intimate, and super-inviting. my partner in crime for the evening, manfriend b, and i really enjoyed the decor, ambiance, and [most importantly!] food at serafina.
now, i believe on a weekend it might be a pretty good idea to make a reservation, because on a sunday night at about 8:30 we were lucky enough to happen upon the last available table. a LARGE group of individuals were celebrating a birthday, and they were definitely out of place. serafina seems like more of a one on one or two on two type of location...which is why i would suggest it for a hot date, hot double date, or a great catching up time with one or a couple friends.
now, i always and will always judge an italian restaurant immediately by their bread. honestly, major points are lost with lack of bread. thankfully, serafina hooked us up with some delicious rustic crusty bread and herb/garlic infused olive oil. along with blog-approved bread, serafina also boasts a freaking intimidating wine list. the waitstaff is unbelievably knowledgeable [or convincingly appear so] but i still opted for a cocktail. usually a beer girl, i couldn't turn down the elisir della fiore, which combined gin, elderflower liquor,and fresh lemon juice with a splash of proseco. it was just as "seductive" as the menu had promised.
ok, onto entrees! i had the pollo arrosoto, which paired a near-perfectly roasted chicken breast with roasted butternut squash, pancetta, and brussels sprouts with a pistacio jus. now, this chicken which once boasted the breast i received must have been quite buxom, because my portion could only be described as hearty. hello, doggy bag! i was disappointed to find that the promised brussels sprouts, a personal favorite, were just a few scattered leaves within the squash and pancetta mixture. however, all brussels sprouts aside, i enjoyed my dish. b had the restaurant's signature dish, which featured eggplant crusted with parmesan and wrapped around ricotta in a manicotti-like fashion. the dish was also served with capellini pasta and went by the name melanzane alla serafina. it was really good as well, but did appear very wimpy next to my buxom chicken breast.
the dessert menu was quite impressive, but we forewent in favor of cocktails (!). however, i eagerly await another occasion where i can sample what serafina has to offer my sweet tooth.