Vello - Brookline

I wanted to enjoy a final dinner before the restaurant closed its doors. I had a lovely table outside, and the server surprised me with a dessert to celebrate my recent birthday.

I visited this restaurant for a Mother's Day brunch and had a few concerns. The day before our reservation, we were warned that service might be slow due to two other parties of six dining at the same time, and we received another reminder upon arrival. Our waitress took our orders and confirmed them, but when the meals arrived, we noticed several issues. Our appetizers never arrived, the waffles came out loaded with toppings when we had specifically ordered them plain (and it took 20 minutes to get a correct order), and the blueberry pancakes were undercooked in the center. We sent them back, and it took over 20 minutes to receive a new order, which unfortunately was burned. The server did offer to comp the pancakes, which was a nice gesture. As for the other meals, they were okay but nothing noteworthy. The server seemed overwhelmed and it was difficult to get her attention throughout our visit.

We had a wonderful experience! We were in town to visit Boston University, and our server was incredibly friendly. Every dish we ordered was delicious! The empanadas, soups, and clams casino were outstanding, the NY strip steak was perfectly tender, and the cheesy garlic bread was fantastic. All the pasta dishes were also delectable. We will definitely be back!

Vello is just great, a nice upgrade from Brothers. We went especially to hear the Winikers' band which was lively and wonderful but not overly loud. We had a brand new waitress so our service wasn't top notch but I bet she'll get right up to speed. I highly recommend this and we didn't even have desserts because a member of our party gave them up for Lent. Desserts are reportedly a highlight.

Food was excellent and nicely plated. Our waiter was nice, but seemingly not quite fully trained in the menu and serving as yet, although no mistakes in orders were made and delivery was prompt