For my birthday dinner on Monday, my family and I decided to check out Chesterfield’s in Utica, NY. They offer a decent-sized menu, which you can view here, with mostly Italian options (although I wouldn’t classify this as an Italian restaurant). The pasta dishes were what intrigued me in the first place. There seemed to be some tasty vegetarian options.

Atmosphere & Location: Chesterfield’s location in downtown Utica on a rather seedy street is far from welcoming. It’s more of a turn-off. The restaurant was dark-lit, which I personally don’t like, but some people may like that kind of “mood lighting.” I did, however, enjoy the decor. It was simple and modern. The restaurant was broken up into different rooms, which is nice if you’re like me and don’t love huge crowds of people. The separation of the restaurant allowed for a more intimate feel and I didn’t have to worry about people staring at me all night. Atmosphere Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Service: Our waitress was very nice and accommodating. My only complaint was the wait. It took a little bit longer to receive our appetizers than I would have liked which wouldn’t have been a huge deal had the rest of our meal come at a reasonable time. It took much too long to receive our entrees, especially since the restaurant was dead that night. There was no excuse for it and it was very frustrating. We were hungry! Service Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5.

Food: For appetizers, we ordered the “Famous” Bean Dip and the Chesterfield Mozzarella. Also included with the meal was a complimentary loaf of bread (with marinara sauce for dipping) and salad. For my entree, I ordered the Homemade Hats Baked with Alfredo Sauce. Continue reading →