Giovanni's A Taste Of Italy

Great food and perfect service.

I planned a corporate event (over the phone) for 50 people and was very impressed. I had people coming into town from all over S. Africa & S. America and wanted to make sure that everyone had a fantastic time. We were not disappointed. The food and service was 2nd to none. Loved the Veal! Loved the wine! The options were endless.
Not only did I plan everything directly with Chef/Owner Robert Holden but he came out to check on our group several times during the night and adjusted the menu that night just for us. He made sure that we had everything that we needed and wanted. The service was fantastic, every last person was great and very gracious to our needs and wants. It's tough when you plan an event at a location that you've never visited but I am grateful for this referral. I would highly recommend Giovanni's!! Thanks to Robert and his staff!

pmelious
Feb 23, 2010 Best Italian Ever!!!
Your Rating: 0/5 StarsOverall Rating: 5.0/5 Stars5.0

Food was magnificent!! Service Impecable! Atmosphere, white linen tablecloths and napkins............ Tiramiso was soooooooooo light you would think it could float away.......... Tomato sauce to die for. Well worth the short trip from anywhere.. Our thanks to Robert and Tom for a wonderful meal!!!

We will most certainly be back regularly...

My husband and I eat out at least twice a week and often drive to Raleigh or Charlotte to eat at certain restaurants. We had heard some good things about Giovanni’s so we decided to give it a try as I was in the mood for some Italian. First the place is a bit run down and out dated I did not give it too much thought though. I ordered the veal and my husband ordered the risotto. First came the salads the dressing tasted a lot like wish bone Italian and the salad was arranged in the 80's fashion sliced cucumber on one side tomato on the other and cubed cheese in the middle. I felt that this was quite odd for a place that charged 20-25 per entree, but I figured that this was the way that they had always done it. Then came the entrees my veal was tough and the pasta that came as a side was boxed pasta cooked very "al dente" with cheap canned tomato sauce on top. My husbands seafood risotto was cooked properly but had a strange flavor and the seafood was over cooked. For dessert we ordered the tiramisu which was awesome however it was served on a chipped plate with Hershey’s syrup drizzled over it. Giovanni’s may have once been an excellent restaurant however I found that they have let the place go as well as their standards when it comes to the food they serve.

The food is excellent, if you like real Italian food. This is not the McFood at the Olive Garden (no offense intended OG !). The staff is very friendly and helpful, and they pop out of the background at the appropriate times. The place is a bit worn down from being in business for so long. The "wear" reminds me of the NY/NJ places that have been operated for generations by one family. Step through the front door and travel 500 miles to the north. Look for coupons, the place is not cheap. But then nothing good is cheap.

Gio's as some of the locals call it, is the saddest example of Italian food I have ever experienced. The cook/owner knows more about selling used cars than running a restaurant.

This was the best experence I have ever had in a nice restaurant. Friendly staff and great atmosphere. Food was over the top. Thank you Giovannis.

On April 5th I chose to take my employees out to celebrate at Giovanni's. This was the most unpleasant dinning experience I have ever had, but it was not the fault of the restaurant, it was the result of the behavior of my employees, who were obviously not accustomed to fine dining. The service was superb and the food was excellent as always, but my employees were not accustomed to five star cuisine and sauces that had not been frozen or had come from a can.

The members of my party were indecisive and, not only made snide remarks about the hostess and the Englishman dressed in the tuxedo, who both greeted us politely upon our arrival, but began to complain about the potency of the drinks that were delivered to them, suggesting that they were not strong enough. Some were obviously intoxicated upon their arrival, and they continued drinking, obviously hopeful that the tab would be covered by the company's account, and swearing at the table until I noticed that a nearby table actually moved to the bar although their meals had not yet arrived. The servers were pleasant, despite the cold and hostile nature of my employees, and were able to answer all of the questions asked regarding the menu choices and drink options.

The salad course was delectable and the dressing was outstanding, however my coworkers continued to find something to complain about. The servers took note of their dissatisfaction with the salad course and offered another salad with different dressing options immediately to my party members. One of my employees was so intoxicated that she fell out of her chair trying to make her way to the bathroom. She had not drank after her arrival, but had obviously done so before arriving, and she was one of the most unpleasant towards the Giovanni's staff, who continued to endure unwarranted complaints from my group.

When the entrees arrived the benighted comments came between bites of the food, which was incredible. I have eaten at acclaimed restaurants throughout the Triad and internationally, and I though that my veal was tender and the flavor comparable to the similar cuisine that I have experienced in Italy.

Although I found the entree course delicious, one of my more inebriated employees, who I had to cut off at this point, complained about his veal, even though we had ordered the same dish. There were complaints about the Chicken Parmesan as well, so I asked to try the dish myself, and was impressed. The hearty peeled tomato sauce that I know so well was perfectly complimented, and with just a hint of basil I thought, and was topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Another employee was complaining about her Shrimp Scampi dish, and, even though most of their dishes were consumed, they demanded to have these courses removed from the bill. I tried one of these scampis and thought that the breading was perfect, but she continued to insist that it was not what she had expected and she proceeded to exclaim, rather loudly, that just last weekend she had been at Red Lobster and their scampi was better than Giovanni's. I had to disagree. After hearing her spew dispicable comments about her food, which she had eaten most of, I decided to pay with my personal card, and not with the company card.

I was so ashamed with my employees' behavior that I quickly paid for the bill and left before they could order any more drinks or cause a bigger scene in the restaurant than they already had. Using my personal credit card was the most intelligent decision, since I did not want the undisciplined nature of my dinner companions to be associated with my company's good name. The chef emerged from the kitchen and tried to offer a free dessert in addition to removing the dish from the bill. My employees quickly became indifferent about these items remaining on the check whenever they realized that I was, reluctantly, paying their bill, and tried to order more drinks after the entrees were removed.

My party was shouting threats about leaving unwarranted reviews about their supposedly horrible experience because the server was asking them to open another tab since I had already paid my bill. On my way out, I tipped the kitchen and the wait staff for their unmatched tolerance of my disorderly party.

I will return to Giovanni's for not only the service and the food that our table received, but also for the professional manner in which the servers managed this lawless group.

I plan to return to Giovanni's with clients, but never again with my unruly employees. I have only to apologize to Giovanni's staff and to the chef for the actions and behavior of my employees that evening, which can be summed up as:it is impossible to serve escargot and five star scampi to a crowd whose definition of an exquisite seafood entree can be summed up in two words "Red Lobster".

I took my girlfriend of five years here for the first time five years ago and upon our return, once again, my expectations were exceeded. The traditional Italian cuisine mixed with the stiff bar drinks, extensive wine list and professional service makes this the best kept secret in all of the Triad.

This restaurant aspires to "fine dining" and arrogantly claims to be the "best Italian in town" but it should really be put out of its misery. The service is amateurish, and the food is bland and unimaginative. The real crime is that people are still suckered into coming here for one lousy meal and pressured into paying for it.

Despite vague recommendations from others, we visited here for dinner one Saturday evening and were greeted by a very young hostess in a glitzy prom dress and an old mascot (the server's description) in a tux who had great difficulty just seating us into a practically empty dining room.

Bar service was quick, but the mixed drinks were watered down beyond recognition, a sure sign of a restaurant in a downward spiral. The young server's response to everything was that she was sorry, indicative that she must apologize quite often.

The "hand-pounded" veal was inconsistently thick and tough throughout and looked as if it had been steamed in water rather than sautéed. It shared a common blandness with the Chicken Parmesan that lacked any flavor of a fresh preparation, accompanied with a "famous" red sauce that was uncommonly bitter in taste.

Uneaten meals brought over a manager who touted the restaurant as the "best in town" with nary a complaint, but who, after hearing the numerous issues with our meals, conceded that the chef had turned over his duties to an assistant the night before. We were then presented with a full bill for our uneaten meals. Contesting the bill brought over a haggard looking "chef" to hear our complaints, only to contradict the manager's (his girlfriend) excuses, but finally admit to some issues with the sauce. A second bill was presented with now only one meal removed. Frustrated, worn down, and still hungry, we paid the remaining bill, still in shock by the arrogance of such people, obviously clinging to past successes.

Giovanni's.....WOW!! If you appreciate being SPOILED this is most definitely the place to visit!!!!

This was the best Italian food in Greensboro the atmosphere was beautiful and very good service. Over the top!

This is a small, elegant restaurant with wonderful service and food. The prices can be rather expensive, so I suggest purchasing the $25 gift certs for $10 to help defray your expenses (sometimes you can get them even cheaper during special promotions). The Mozarella Giovanni is WONDERFUL. They do have a kid's menu, but it's a little pricey, but the food and service are great and well worth it for a special night out.