The Pasta Tree

Rollin' the dice on a date night dinner

I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about The Pasta Tree. Not only have I heard these reviews from friends and family, but you can see them for yourself on Yelp. So while Adam and I have always wanted to try The Pasta Tree, giving the good reviews the benefit of the doubt, we still had plenty of doubt. Lucky for us (and you), there's currently a Groupon for The Pasta Tree (get it here!), so we figured this is as good a time as any to give the East Side staple a whirl.

Walking into The Pasta Tree, I was immediately charmed: tables for two, tin ceilings, a sense of warmth. I was concerned for a moment when the hostess led us past (practically through) the kitchen to get to our table, but my concerns soon disappeared. There's a second alley-style dining room next to the front room, and while the seating is a little awkward, you can't beat the vibe: cozy European bistro. Where else can you find that sort of ambiance in Milwaukee?

For drinks, Adam got a beer and I chose a house white wine. We ordered a garden salad with balsamic dressing. The greens were crisp, fresh, and the salad was large enough to easily share between us. We actually found ourselves saying "This is a really good salad" — a rarity, as garden salads are usually nothing to write home about. Our server also brought out a small loaf of Italian bread with herbed butter to tide us over — really yummy.

In choosing our main entrees, Adam and I were careful about it. We read the Yelp reviews and deduced that clams or clam sauce of any kind were not advised (not that I would have gone for clams anyway). There were a few reviews saying that the scallops were jumbo and delicious, if scallops are your thing (we didn't try them, but I saw them on a neighbor's plate and can attest: they are jumbo!). 

Adam decided on tortellini with francese sauce (The Pasta Tree's tomato basil sauce with added mushrooms and a touch of cream). I'd been craving carbonara, so I ordered that with the house-made egg noodles. Cue the mixed reviews. I'm very sorry to say that I can't find a good thing to say about the carbonara. The pasta was soggy, the sauce was runny (sliding right off the noodles), and it was very bland. Adam and I decided that taking it home and dousing it in garlic salt and heaps of parmesan cheese would be best. Adam's pasta, on the other hand, we loved. I know, you'd think "It's just red sauce," but there is certainly something special about it. 

We didn't save room for dessert, and we were nervous anyway about ordering something disappointing. My coworker said to skip the creme brulee and Yelp had totally mixed reviews about the flourless chocolate cake. Plus, I had sugar cookies waiting at home. 

Our overall take-away: We'd go back for the meat sauce, fresh salad, herbed butter, and atmosphere. We might even try the tiramisu next time. I wouldn't take a chance on another cream sauce. The Pasta Tree proved itself to be the kind of place where you find a dish you love and stick with it — so I can see how, if you didn't find such an entree (i.e. carbonara), you wouldn't want to return to The Pasta Tree. Luckily for Adam and I, we found just enough to love.