The Early Word on Travertine

It's been just over a week since owner Danae Cappelletto and chef Manuel Trevino, of Top Chef fame, finally opened the upscale, Mediterranean spot Travertine. After nearly two years in the making, the restaurant managed to build a considerable amount of buzz and has attracted both a neighborhood crowd and the food world alike. So how are things going? Early word tends to skew slightly negative, though it should be noted that a lot of these posters, like those frequently found in adventures in shilling, are going on these review sites for the first time. Does the place need work or is there some reverse shilling going on? We await the word from the real critics.

The Good News: A Yelper writes that, despite the earsplitting volume, both the food and service are pretty good: "Ok, the acoustics in this place suck. It was SO LOUD! Not only could we not hear each other, our waiter could not hear us. The service was great, very attentive waiter who made great recommendations (both food and wine). We did not have dessert, it was too loud to commit to another course. The gorgeous owner stopped by to chat and introduce herself, she was very sweet and has a great thing going at Travertine. We will come back to try the pasta dishes next time (they looked amazing). One thing though, the dishes you would expect to be served hot were lukewarm. Still a fan and coming back for more." [Yelp]

The Suspiciously Horrible News: An Urbanspooner hates everything about the place, showing no mercy, while a number of first time Citysearcher users and a first time ever Yelper are all immediately down on the place in its first week: "I went there last night and ordered the fagotini. The dish was the most overcooked I had ever had and came out at room temperature. My boyfriend had the gnocchi and that was also overcooked and cold! The staff was rude and unapologetic. Don't waste your time." [US; Citysearch]

The Fantastic News: Another Citysearch user tells a different story completely, loving everything: "Went to check out this new restaurant with a group of friends, and was completely impressed! The restaurant had such a great vibe and was beautifully designed, which made me excited to taste the food! Needless to say, everything on the menu was FANTASTIC! My group likes to share, so I was able to taste pretty much everything, and was SO HAPPY that I did! The beef carpaccio was to die for, and DEFINITELY make room for dessert! It will knock your socks off!!! I highly recommend this place, as I will definitely be coming back!!!" [Citysearch]

The Mostly Good News: From the tipline: "I went in on one of the first two nights and had a great time. The portions were big, the pasta was delicious, and the duck was perfection. The calamari appetizer could use some work, and the music was a little off--Counting Crows followed by Eminem. But the place has charm, lots of potential, and I'll definitely be back." [Eater Tipline]
— Matt Duckor