Having read the many positive reviews here, four of us decided to try Tocai last night. We made reservations (via an answering machine) and were surprised to find the place NOT crowded at 7:30 on a Friday night. We started off with with their calamari and also the goat cheese. Both were delicious. Marinara sauce accompanies both and I really enjoyed how it complemented the strong flavor of the cheese. Like others have stated here, I concur that Tocai appears to be one of the few places that can cook calamari properly: full cooked and tender without any hint of being rubbery. Unfortunately, the entrees left most of us disappointed. Two of us tried the caldera: a Mediterranean seafood stew. Both felt the stew somewhat bland, particularly the broth. Additionally, the seafood within was sadly overcooked. Another member of our party tried the beef tenderloin. While the meat was cooked to precision, our party was very disappointed with the amount of fat that overwhelmed the meat which greatly diminished enjoyment of that meal. Our fourth member appeared to be the lucky one with the seared salmon on risotto. The fish was cooked wonderfully and had great texture and flavor. The risotto also looked wonderfully creamy and according to our fourth, delicious. Regretably, one out of four is not a great batting average. The service was also off, but it appeared to us that the fault was in the kitchen. Drinks, bread, etc. were always refilled expeditiously and without any fanfare. The problem was in the delivery of our entrees. The beef and fish arrived without either of the calderas. After approx. five (5) minutes, one of the calderas arrived. At this point, we urged everyone with a dish to dig in as we didn't want anything to turn cold, particularly the salmon. After about another five minutes the final caldera arrived. It's a good thing the others started without the fourth else the food would most certainly have turned cold. Finally, I'll mention that Tocai's wine list appears very impressive representing a large variety of types and vineyards. Their Bernard cabernet at $7.50 per glass, while pricey, was delicious: wonderful to the nose and palate. I've not had a wine by the glass that was this good, but then I'm also not in the habit of spending that much for a single glass. Given the glowing remarks of others who've experienced Tocai, I'm led to believe we just hit an off-night. I will try them again, but probably not really soon.
Austin, TX