Posta Tuscan Grille in Raleigh

For my friend's birthday, a group of people went to Posta Tuscan Grille (http://www.postatuscangrille.com/) to celebrate.  The restaurant is located in the lobby of the Marriott City Center on Fayetteville Street in Raleigh, and is relatively new.  I'd heard good things about the food but wanted to try it myself since I'd recently eaten at (and LOVED) Vivace in North Hills.

Our table was situated with a whole glass window showing off Fayetteville Street and the walkers-by, and the service was okay for a table of 15 or so.  They added 20% to the bill as gratuity under a "service charge" which was a bit aggressive and also potentially deceptive to customers to get more money, but ultimately I didn't have any issue with our waiter or the general service.

One random thing that happened to a majority of our table... they set the table with each person's bread plate covered in olive oil, leading to a barrage of spills and "hand dips" without realizing!  It became a running joke for the rest of the evening, which is probably actually a net positive, but it certainly was unusual.  And just for the record, I thought the bread was solid (although I chose to use butter rather than the olive oil).

For my appetizer, I went with the salami pizza, which proved to be quite a hearty choice.  I expected a thin, relatively small pie as a first course but instead was greeted to a full medium-sized pizza covered with fresh Italian meat and melted cheese.  The crust wasn't as thin as I'd hope, but everything was served hot and tasted extremely fresh, resulting in nice flavor.  I'd probably categorize the pizza as "good to very good" but there was a lack of originality / authenticity as it was a pretty standard preparation in the mold of a better chain.

For dinner, I had the pappardelle bolognese to compare with the effort at Vivace (which was perfect!).  The effort by Posta Tuscan Grille was prepared well and had good flavor, but ultimately did not have the same freshness or pack the same "punch" that the pasta from Vivace did.  I am not sure that the pasta was made fresh (as it was at Vivace), and the meat sauce could have used something to give it a slightly more pronounced, unique taste.  This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the dish or that I'd tell friends to stay away from ordering it, but I know where I'd point you if you wanted the best version in Raleigh.

Someone looking for a good Italian meal in downtown Raleigh will be satisfied if they chose Posta Tuscan Grille; the food is solid, the prices aren't overly outlandish, and the convenience of location is strong.  I'd favor it over La Volta by a hair, mostly for atmosphere, but I'd say both can provide you with typical Italian food made right.  All of that said, if you want to experience a class above the standard "good" Italian that can be had several places across the area, I'd certainly point you towards Vivace or Il Palio.  That's less a knock on the others and more a compliment to the best, so don't avoid Posta Tuscan Grille... just don't raise the expectation bar too high.