Mattone Ristorante is the newest Italian restaurant in East Sacramento off Folsom Boulevard, making its home in the building of a former dining establishment.

We visited Mattone Ristorante to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary and were greeted kindly at the entrance and sat quickly with reservations. The interior was busy and almost every table and booth full, with a soft glow about and Mattone’s signature shade of red themed throughout.

Getting Started at Mattone Ristorante

To start, you’re served a bread basket with slices of bread and breadsticks.

Immediately I felt romantic and nostalgic as I found their music selection playing softly in the background to be pure perfection; it was Andrea Bocelli and his greatest hits. He’s most wonderful to see live and fully regal over an anniversary dinner.

Wine was consumed during dinner, but I started dinner with the Empress 75 drink — featuring Empress 1908 Gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar and sparkling wine. Perfectly purple and the perfect blend of sweet and tart.

Next, we moved to insalate/la zuppa, or salads. I tried the Foglie di Lattuga Tenera al Gorgonzola. This salad had little gem romaine hearts, roasted walnuts, pears, and a woodsy gorgonzola dressing. Barrett tried the Insalata alla Trevisana, featuring Treviso radicchio, apples, pancetta, pine nuts, and an apple cider vinaigrette. My salad was fruity and fresh and prepared the palate for the most wonderful continuation of the meal to come.

Antipasto all’ Italiana at Mattone Ristorante

One of the shining stars at the restaurant is the Antipasto all’ Italiana. It’s a beautiful antipasto platter with a thick smattering of Barolo salami, prosciutto, duck liver pate, nduja, Mt. Tam cheese, Mahon cheese, seasonal fruit, olives, and house-made crackers.

Despite taking my fill of everything offered, I had the most challenging time pulling myself away from the platter. Our seasonal grapefruit and pears, olives, and saltiness from the prosciutto and duck liver pate was balanced with the light crackers and cheese choices.

Moving to Ravioli, Meatballs and Baby Back Ribs

After eating starters and more, it was time for an Italian restaurant favorite: meatballs.

The Polpette di Carne meatballs at Mattone Ristorante in Sacramento are served as a duo and smothered in a hearty tomato basil sauce. Scrumptious! The meatballs were piping hot and were mixed with flavorful spices.

As Primi Piatti and Secondi Piatti main courses, we first shared the La Pasta Ripiena del Giorno. This was a velvety prosciutto and cheese ravioli served with trumpet mushrooms and a butter sage sauce. I loved the soft texture of the ravioli contrasted with the meaty texture of the trumpet mushrooms.

To finish the dinner, we ordered the Brasato di Manzo, a red-wine braised short rib with diced tomato, gremolata, broccolini and polenta. Mixing a small piece of broccolini with a short rib bite; stunning in all the best of ways.

Desserts came at the end of our experience, and even as I type this now, I’m wondering when I might plan my next visit. Mattone Ristorante is fine Italian cuisine and served in warm fashion that will have you feeling right at home.