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Pinzimini, in the Westin Arlington Gateway in Ballston


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I hope to save many of you both dollars and frustration. Scheduling conflicts kept us limited to the Ballston area for Friday dinner and not having planned ahead kept us out of better options. If considering Pinzimini's - don't do it. One of the single worst dining experiences ever. We were quickly seated, and then never saw the hostess/manager again. Our server appeared periodically - he stood several yards away flipping the pepper shaker we had requested, only bringing it after we signaled him at least 4 times and then finally caved and ate our appetizers without it. Caesar salad was bland and drenched in dressing, with no noticable anchovy flavor.

Entrees were underwhelming, to put it mildly. My daughter's steak was overcooked (she had asked for medium rare - it was nearer to well done), and served with "roasted" tomatoes - we had asked that the tomatoes not be served with the dish, a request which was totally ignored. They were just bad - cooked in some sort of vinegar dressing that permeated the steak as well, giving the whole dish an awful flavor. The pasta with meat sauce was mild almost to the point of no flavor. The roasted chicken was quite dry, as was the lamb. Risotto was a bit sticky. although the scallops were fine. A spring-themed pasta was ok, except for the roasted tomatoes that weren't roasted.

Although we wanted to send back the steak (the rest we would make do with), we did not see the waiter after he brought the meals, until we had to leave - we found him behind a pillar with other staff watching basketball! After telling him about the steak (which was $38), he only said he would tell the chef - no apologies at all. The only good part of the evening - parking is free in the hotel lot.

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Are there really no reviews other that the one above? I bit the bullet and have a LivingSocial voucher for Pinzimini to use before the end of the July. Am I going to wish I hadn't wasted the money?

The problem with Pinzimini (and others in the vicinity - Grand Cru, Big Buns, etc.) is that they're in Generia - sort of like Rosslyn without the street parking. The whole area lacks character and is just a big downer.

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My husband went for a business breakfast there one day, and hasn't been back. And we live all of two blocks away. But their food at Taste of Arlington was good, so there might be hope? If we are going to spend that much $ we normally head to Rustico or Willow. They had some sort of short rib at taste which were good.

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My daughter lives nearby on Washington Blvd. She and some friends ate there about a month ago, She called me to tell me it was the worst restaurant she's ever been in, a designation formally held by General Pickett's Buffet in Gettysburg!

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