Louis A Piece Of The Levee - Saint Paul

I've heard of Cossetta's before, but I had never been until now. I was not expecting it to be so big and have so many options! It was a taste of Italy from all parts of the building! They have their own complementary parking outside the building which is super convenient and nice. When we walked in, we were a bit overwhelmed and confused at what to do. There were plenty of spots to sit, but most of them were full due to it being packed on a Saturday. We walked upstairs, grabbed a table, and then walked back downstairs to wait in line for food. It was cafeteria style and there were no guidelines other than a guy randomly coming by and telling us what to do. There were signs with the food options, but I was very confused so panic ordered when I got to the counter. Thankfully I got the Alfredo tortellini which was delicious! I even ordered a small glass of white wine to go along with it. Once we were done eating, we stopped by the Pasticceria for dessert. There were so many delicious options and the service was great! Once you were ready, you grabbed a ticket and they called your number. I had 3 Macaroons and they were delightful. The last stop before we headed out was to check out the little store filled with Italian food. So many pastas, olive oils, meats, cheeses and more to explore! It was so fun to look around and see. Now that I have my first trip under my belt, I would definitely go back! It was confusing at first with no guidance, but now I know how everything works and the food and atmosphere was worth it!

Vegetarians and those who avoid pork should be aware that the marinara sauce contains pork broth. We've been dining here for years, but I've noticed that the portion sizes have definitely decreased. The chicken parmesan now consists of a small piece of chicken accompanied by a scoop of pasta for $15. The pizza remains about the same, although prices have increased slightly. The service can be inconsistent. The upstairs seating area is nice, spacious, and clean. Their desserts are worth the visit; even though they can be a bit overpriced, the baked goods are fantastic. I haven't been able to find a better cannoli anywhere in the Twin Cities. Their cannoli definitely deserves a perfect 10 from me!

A staple of Saint Paul. This is one of the restaurants I always went to as a kid (never went to a place served cafeteria-style) after enjoying a day at the nearby science museum. Their quality and variety still persists, though their prices get a bit expensive for just pasta. Everything is good, their salads, their pasta, the pizza, and definitely check out the bakery for gelato for dessert. I highly recommend walking through the attached Italian grocery store. They have a great selection of meat and cheese, as well as take-out pasta and salad dishes (great if you don't want to stand in line in the restaurant). Staff are friendly and happy to help. Parking: free parking lots in the back. Accessibility: this is a giant wooden building (with an upstairs eating area and bar that's semi-open to the main floor), and it gets crowded and noisy on the weekends, so be prepared for lots of noise, us hearing-impaired folks. For folks with mobility issues, the halls are plenty wide enough, handicap parking, and an elevator to get to the upper floor.

This place is the best. The food, the dessert, the store inside... I could go on and on lol... My partner introduced me to this place and it's so nice. It's hard to describe the ambiance. You def need to visit because my review can't do it justice. It's very cozy especially the upstairs seating. It's cafeteria style so you just order and go. The service is great. They offer so much! Hot pasta, cold pasta, pizza, salad, sandwiches, yummy dessert, etc!! Def a must visit!

In the past I would have given this restaurant 3-4 stars. The food was decent and the cannolis were delicious. They have a counter that you can see your food and order from, then seat yourself on 2 floors inside or on their outdoor patio. They also have a pastry shop and a little shopping market attached, which are nice. Yesterday, however, I was greatly disappointed. I drove 60 mins round trip just to get a party sized Tiramisu dessert for my daughter's birthday, upon her request. I was able to easily order it online and reserve a pickup time. Unfortunately, there was construction to and around the restaurant. They do have a parking lot, free for customers; however, it was full of cars who paid because they could not park on 7th street due to construction. I finally arrived inside and went to the pickup counter. There were 8-10 employees working and standing behind the food counter and not one greeted me, offered to help, nor said anything to me. I was the only customer at the counter and waited 10 mins for anyone to acknowledge me. This was very poor customer service. Finally a server who had been helping a waiting a table came and helped. I told her I had a pickup order and gave her my name. She couldn't find it. She finally asked what it was and found it. I had ordered a Tiramisu to serve 8. It was much smaller than expected. I immediately stored it in the fridge. I cut it into 6 servings and served it. It was runny coming out of the container and then it collapsed and ran all over the plates like pudding. The consistency and presentation was awful and a huge disappointment for my daughter's birthday. They only ate a few bites and threw it away. I thought the flavor was OK, but not great. I have ordered this several places and made it myself with various recipes; it has never been like pudding when made properly. Even the one from Sam's Club was better, but they sell out quickly. I was greatly disappointed in the awful customer service and do not look forward to returning anytime soon.