"Tucked in a run-of-the-mill shopping strip, the restaurant doesn't exactly broadcast its presence. But this classic, airy trattoria makes us feel the way our parents must have felt when they stepped out of a suburban cul-de-sac for an elegant night out. On a recent visit, we were utterly spoiled by an Italian waiter who treated us as if nothing was more important than finding just the right wine to complement our fettuccine alla matriciana - redolent of tomatoes and nostalgia. But there's more than red sauce on the mostly northern Italian menu: a veal chop with mushrooms and roasted garlic, chicken with pepperincino, and plenty of beef options. And absolutely choose the berries in zabaglione, potent with Madeira, for desert "

Ranked at #27- "50 Best Restaurants," Baltimore Magazine, March 2009

"One of the World's Top Restaurants"

- Zagat Survey, World's Top Restaurants, 2009/2010

"Indulge in this bastion of authentic Italian cuisine and you'll be well-rewarded with expert renditions of all the great regional dishes. (Plus, with these portions, you'll probably have leftovers for days.) Start with whatever fresh seafood Alberto's got on the grill that day - toothsome calamari, creamy scallops, fat shrimp - bathed in a touch of lemon and olive oil. If homemade gnocchi or ravioli are on the menu, order one or the other or both) of these pillowy gems as a primo piatto. And, if veal is your thing, do not pass up the mammoth veal chop. 'Ours is the best in town,' boasted our waiter. No argument here: Big as a Cadillac and rosy and succulent as can be, this beauty is a winner."

- "55 Best Restaurants," Baltimore Magazine, Feb. 2004

"Very few restaurants will transport you so thoroughly back to the motherland as Alberto's will...And luck will be with you if you're a tripe fan and the trippa alla Romana is available. It's heaven on a plate, meltingly tender in a gorgeous white wine sauce...[Alberto himself] will take care of you as if his elegant digs were your own."

- "50 Best Restaurants," Baltimore Magazine, Feb. 2003

"Food rating: 'Extraordinary to perfection.' Those who've discovered it rhapsodize about 'extraordinary' cooking; definitely 'not your typical suburban restaurant.'"

- Zagat Survey, Washington, DC/Baltimore Restaurants, 2003

"One of the best restaurants in Anne Arundel County"

- "Restaurant Reader Poll Results," Baltimore Magazine, 1990