Trattoria Locale - Margaretville

Between my parents, myself, and even our contact at the wedding venue, we tried reaching out dozens of times from May to August to plan essential details, such as whether the dinner would be held in the restaurant or on the patio, special dietary restrictions for guests, the menu options, and the actual dinner time. Unfortunately, their phone always went straight to voicemail, and while they occasionally responded via email, they would just say they’d call us back later—and they never did. We didn’t receive a call from them until a week before the rehearsal dinner, at which point we were advised to look for a backup option, as Trattoria was unresponsive. While their food is excellent and the staff is friendly, the stress that comes with their lack of communication overshadowed the experience, making it not worth it for us given the already demanding nature of wedding planning.

A sunny Saturday morning on the veranda was the perfect place for an excellent breakfast. The food and service was excellent! Portions were generous, but not so much that we needed dog bags. The tuna (puttanesca) was perfectly cooked.

Nice outdoor dinner. Immediately and cordially served (my group were the only guests we were there). The menu was probably under a dozen dishes, but that made the choice a little easier. Two wines and a dessert that was fabulous. I loved my chicken parmesan, although there were more big tomato chokes on it when I wanted to eat.

AVOID at all costs! This restaurant used to be great and authentic. But it was sold as well as its name to people who now run a dirty, unsatisfied greasy spoon. They only had a menu for 2 people. The restaurant was empty, except another loud table, and they sat us 2 feet from them. The floor was dirty, spider webs on the chairs, terrible music playing, the flowers on the table were dead, the staff was dirty and dirty looking (as they just finished working at a construction site). Not friendly. After waiting for our dinner for half an hour, 3 small pieces of bread were brought. They also had difficulty changing a money transaction. And the food wasn't even close to being authentic. Very sad... the original place could not survive the pandemic. And we loved it. But this place... never goes back. Neither do you.

I give this restaurant 5 stars for food, 5 stars for service, and 5 stars for ambiance! We had a fantastic dinner here the other night after a day of hiking. The chopped salad we ordered was delicious (why can’t my homemade salads ever taste this good?), and the pasta was cooked to perfection—just the right amount of al dente. The sauces were wonderfully flavorful without being overly salty, which can happen in some places. I would absolutely come back the next time I'm in the area; I loved this spot! I only wish I lived closer because it felt like the perfect cozy date night destination.