text: Lasagna entree nBottle of meritage nTiramasu nSmelling cigar smoke hearing a car alarm and listening to somebody with whooping cough PricelessnnWheres the halfstar when you really need it Veneto is stuck in the middle between and So do I round up or round down Such a tough decision I cannot rate this like other people for I did not think the food was star worthy However based on other factors the rating of this place deserves more than stars yet does not quite reach Allow me to explain nnAtmosphere is star worthy Sure sitting on their patio tucked in the corner makes for an intimate time with your date Unless of course a car alarm goes off or you have to deal with a person coughing one of those ribrattling coughs You know the kind Not to mention people standing outside the Veneto patio perimeter to talk loudly on their cell phones However inside the patio patrons were respectable The occasional loud inebriated table does not a bad experience make nnPrice deserves stars With two entrees and a fantastic dessert price came to That is pretty great for two people Throw in a bottle of wine though and you are looking at an tab before tip which means you are really looking at a tab atleast for service definitely deserves a generous gratutitynnService definitely deserves stars Our waiter was topnotch Very conversational friendly professional and attentive He recommended a bottle of wine that would suit both a meatfocused entree lasagna as well as a fish dish The wine lyreth meritage from Sonoma was smooth silky and a perfect dance partner to both our dishes nnDessert deserves stars Never before had my date seen Tiramasu served with two sauces on top It is almost like the piece itself was divided into two tiny countries One sauce was chocolate The other was espressobased I could have just had spoonfuls of the latter and been quite content However the tiramasu was heavenly nnDecor deserves a I think Especially since the music they played did not match the intimate and unique dining experience they offer here It was too popish and loud even from sitting outside When my date and I excused ourselves to the lavatories we noticed semiguady decor highback booths rich creams and rubies throwing themselves against the walls It was not a stomachturning touch Just a bit over done A simple clean layout would have done wonders for this place Not to mention maybe a more subtle bar without a blaringly bright TV set nnFood deserves stars It does not deserve any more than that At least not the entrees we had My date had the special which came with mussels crab meat salmon etc in a pasta bowl with a damn fine light and flavorful sauce I ordered the lasagna which was a generous portion Upon first bite I could not place the taste I had had it before Given some time I realized why I felt like this lasagna could be a new comfort food It reminded me of when I was and my mom would make me Chef Boyardee ravioli The meat sauce of this lasagna tasted just like the ravioli sauce I used to love as a child But let us face it I did not go to Veneto to satisfy my yearold self I came to impress my adult self and enjoy a lovely night out with a wonderful man My date even said later that it did in fact taste like the canned ravioli He just did not want to say anything at dinner for concern of insulting me or the lasagna Poor lasagnannHaving eaten at Veneto this past weekend I sit here and reflect upon the place While there I definitely thought this was a star place Now however I cannot convince myself that I would ever go back And I reserve and stars for places that hook me that become places I crave places I want to experience again and again as well as places that leave a lasting impression To me Venetos lasting impression expired Saturday at the stroke of midnightnnOver all I think Veneto is a great place to dine Do not get me wrong This place is a hidden gem for the service the price and the overall experience make this place worthwhile Just do not expect an Oh My God moment from your food or expect to dine in peace from the noise of street traffic car alarms and awful music