Gratzi! needs improvement

This is my last restaurant review for the IDS. I figured as it should be my last, I'd do a review of a new restaurant, which in my mind is what my job really is about.\nThe owners of the former restaurant Me Oh My Oh's could not figure out how to make their idea work. Either Bloomington was not ready for a Bayou-style restaurant, or the one they presented was not up to par.\nThree weeks ago, the owners re-opened at the same location, 106 W. Sixth St., with a different menu and style now called Gratzi! An Italian eatery, as they call it, Gratzi! was an educated move because of the lack of Italian restaurants in Bloomington -- I can think of only three others.\nBut Gratzi! seemed to lack the authenticity and panache Bloomington dining requires, even if it does not attempt to be fine dining. Even with so-called casual dining, the Bloomington restaurant scene demands quality and style.\nThe decor of the restaurant, similar to that of its former incarnation, is more suitable for the new style and menu -- a cafe.\nIt no longer seems odd to sit in a stylish wood booth to eat, whereas before I had difficulty imagining alligator eggs in a place like that.\nOur server immediately offered us drinks and brought them to us as soon as we'd ordered them. Although we did not order alcohol, the selection of wines seemed to be on a lower scale than some other Italian restaurants in Bloomington. While at Gratzi!, a better red is the Beringer Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. At a place such as Puccini's, it might not even make their list.\nWe began our meal with calamari alla marinara; fried calamari over marinara sauce. It was preceded by salad and breadsticks that seemed to be stylistically similar to that of the Olive Garden, but it was nice as it was free with dinner. The calamari followed shortly. It was very good calamari as it was not too chewy and very moist. The marinara sauce was also quite tasty and zesty as a dipping sauce.\nAt Gratzi!, one can choose his or her pasta based on the different pastas they make in combination with any sauce ranging from marinara to pesto. Also, there is a classic recipes and specialties menu. My companion and I tried veal scaloppini and wild mushroom tortellini.\nThe scaloppini came with a side of fettuccine alfredo and asparagus. It was not the best veal I'd had before, but it was not disappointing. But it relied too much on the garlic to give it flavor. The fettuccine was not good and I did not eat it. The pasta was underdone and the alfredo sauce did not taste good at all.\nThe wild mushroom tortellini was a decent dish, but the alfredo sauce was the same and it did not inspire. The taste was not as wild as I'd hoped it would be, but the mushrooms were varied and tender.\nFor dessert we tried the dessert of the day -- sweet potato pie with rummed whipped topping. It was scintillating. The flavors surpassed most sweet potato pies I've had. It was gone in minutes.\nTo the owners of Gratzi!, I would not say to try again, but rather to augment. As it stands, I see Gratzi! as a mere step above something like the Olive Garden (only because of location and decor), but the menu just isn't cutting it. The food is not of a region, it is just "Italian" and what people perceive that to mean.\nI would say that seeking out some new recipes, bring the wine list a little higher on the classy scale and fixing the whole free breadsticks and salad deal (I liked that, but we're talking about class, not accommodation). I believe Bloomington and IU patrons would rather suffer some extra cost than be patronized in a restaurant.\nThanks for reading and happy eating.