Al Fresco's - Ocean Springs

I am always reluctant to order spaghetti and meatballs in a restaurant because, I have always been disappointed. Al Fresco is the exception...hands down the best I have ever eaten. With fresh baked bread and the best house dressing it is a great value (dinner around $13 and lunch around $7). The canolli is to die for and to convince you, my friend from Sicily said it was the best she ever had in the States.

Once we seated ourselves, a waitress approached us immediately; she was friendly and seemed very capable. Along with our drinks, we were pleasantly surprised with a complimentary 'amuse bouche': freshly grated Parmigiano cheese drizzled with olive oil and served with warm bread. It was a lovely touch. We started with appetizers, ordering Bruschetta and fried green tomatoes, but they didn't impress us. The bruschetta was overwhelmed with Mozzarella cheese, making it hard to taste anything else; it was a bit too much for our liking. The fried green tomatoes ended up soggy from an excessively generous amount of 'house dip,' which was okay in flavor but would have been better served on the side. The salads were fresh, though the Balsamic dressing was overly sweet. After adding some salt and a bit more Balsamic, it became more palatable. For our entrees, we all chose pasta, but it came drenched in oil, making it quite greasy. I prefer my pasta topped with freshly grated Parmigiano rather than whatever the chef decided to toss on. Additionally, the pasta was neither 'al dente' nor properly cooked—it was overdone and oily. Overall, the experience was marred by sticky tables that could have been cleaned better. While the service was acceptable, it didn’t meet my expectations. This would have been fine for a $7 lunch, but not for a $30 per person dinner.

As we sipped our drinks, we were pleasantly surprised with a complimentary 'Amuse-Gueule' of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese with olive oil and warm bread—a lovely touch. For our appetizers, we ordered Bruschetta and fried green tomatoes but found ourselves a bit disappointed. The Bruschetta was overwhelmed by the taste of Mozzarella, failing to let the cheese shine, and the fried green tomatoes were soggy from the generous amount of house dressing poured over them. While the flavor was decent, it would have been better if they hadn’t been drenched. The salads were fresh, but the balsamic dressing was too sweet; after adding some salt and extra balsamic, they became more enjoyable. For the main courses, we all opted for pasta. Unfortunately, it was overly oily, and I prefer my pasta with fresh grated Parmigiano instead of the pre-determined amount the cook decided to use. Additionally, the pasta was lacking that perfect 'al dente' texture, being both oily and overcooked. Overall, the tables were sticky and needed better cleaning. While the service was acceptable, it didn’t meet my expectations. Considering the quality of the meal, I felt it would have been appropriate for a seven-dollar lunch rather than the thirty dollars per person we paid.

I’m usually reluctant to order spaghetti and meatballs at restaurants because I’ve often been disappointed. However, Al Fresco is the exception—it’s hands down the best I’ve ever had. They serve it with fresh-baked bread and an exceptional house dressing, making it a great value (dinner is $13 and lunch is $7). The cannoli are to die for; my friend from Sicily said they were the best she’s ever had in the U.S.