The Boot

So I read the reviews and they were pretty accurate. The calamari Was ok and the mussels were good, but I was looking for more of an authentic italian dinner with more red sauce dishes and good bread with dipping oil… etc. But it is Valentin night and it is a last min. Decision to go out, so you get what you plan. Staying in Durham for 5 more weeks for treatment and I will definitely do my research on Italian food, hey Jason’s deli for lunch was great… But That’s a different review.

We had a pretty good experience at this casual Italian spot. This is one of the few local restaurants that make fresh pasta, so I will be back for that!
Calamari: delicious crispy squid rings and chunks of whole squid with an aioli and a marinara dipping sauce. Overall, yummy and I would recommend it, but the aioli was bland.
Pappardelle: chewy (in a good way), wide strips of pasta with a tasty ragu of tender shredded meat and tomatoes. Prettty good, I would definitely order again.
Mussels: I ordered this app as my meal. It came with a LOT of smallish mussels and a very flavorful sauce that included little chunks of sausage. Also some toasty bread to sop up the sauce, mmmmmmmm!
Service: our waiter was nice, but seemed a little less than knowledgeable about the menu. He also didn’t tell us about the specials (which we overheard another waiter reciting). But our water cups did stay full and he checked on us a couple times during the meal. I’m just being nitpicky.
An overall pleasant experience, I will be back the try the other fresh pastas!

Sad to say, I was not impressed by The Boot. I heard great things about it.
Great décor. but they don’t have an airlock on their doors so everyone freezes when people come in/​out of the restaurant.
Food is good. But nothing over the top, best Italian I’ve ever had. It didn’t give me that «OMG you have to go there!» feeling to tell my friends.
Service… was fine. But they forgot to put in my drink order. When the appetizers came, they don’t give you small plates. Do you know what a pain that is to share appetizers when you’re not given small plates?
I guess it’s a good place for the neighborhood, but I do not have any desire to go back.

This is a casual Italian joint with large picnic style tables that would be great for a big group, if you call ahead. While we were eating here, a college soccer team rolled in and out for dinner.
I had a baked pasta dish and it was good, but the portion wasn’t big enough to take any home. That’s OK, but I was a little surprised. They have a small selection of wines, but you can find something from the glass or bottle to enjoy.
The canoli is great and you get two!

I had the Orecchiette, which was amazing! My husband ate the meatball sub which he thoroughly enjoyed. This place has reasonable prices for great food. Looking forward to trying their lunch menu with pizza!

Four of of had dinner here tonight & really enjoyed the meal. Great soup; outstanding spaghetti and meatballs; good sandwiches; fair linguini & white clam sauce; good service; great wine & coffee. We will return to try other items. (If the clams had been tastier, this would have been an additional star rating; but, alas, this isn’t NYC or Boston!)

Gave The Boot another try and I appreciate the efforts the managers have taken to help guide their employees on better customer service! I had a really great experience this time around and I look forward to returning! The food was great, per usual and I really want to show my gratitude to the owners! They are truly great people and I wish them nothing but success with their business! Thank you for your kindness & generosity, it is greatly appreciated!

I feel like food is hit or miss here. I had the arancini twice now, and the first time it was divine but the second time was just okay. I had the chicken Parmesan the first time but could barely taste the chicken under the tomato sauce (which in itself was pretty bland). Another time I split the BLT with my mom and we shared fries, which were both pretty good. It does have easy parking, which is good. I just don’t know if the food is great enough to come on a regular basis.

Good, but small portions.
I was still pretty hungry after my meal (a pasta dish). The interior décor is decent.

I’ve been here a couple times now, and have sampled several things on the menu. All of the food has been great.
The Boot has a nice casual vibe with picnic tables inside, a bar, and some outdoor seating. But the food is more upscale — really good homemade pastas, tasty salads, solid sides. Some of my favorites have been the braised kale side and the creamy zucchini soup. My meat-​eater friends have really liked all the pastas and the meatball sub.
Service is always friendly and in my experience, there’s never been a wait or a crowd.
We came here the first time because of way too big a crowd at Nana Taco… but have returned because the food was really impressive in its own right!

Wife and I decided to give The Boot a try.
In terms of taste, the food rates fairly high in the more laid-​back category of Italian eateries. I think their theme is more about eating instead of dining ala the more fancy establishments.
Maybe its that we recently relocated from Chicago and are used to actually ‘eating’ at family favorite, Italian neighborhood, high-​quality restaurants… but we left The Boot asking ourselves if we’d be back:
1. A Chicken Parm
2. Farfalle
3. Baked Ziti
The chicken was absurdly good. However, something like that should come with pasta, without asking more money. The farfalle was my favorite– the combination of pea with pea purée in alfredo balanced the pork. I dare say the pork tasted more like country ham instead of thick prosciutto (or pancetta), as the menu describes. Same thing with portion size– I wanted more, and at that price point about double the amount would have been more appropriate. The baked ziti was great too.
Service was courteous and efficient– waiters earn their tips.
Pros– Service, Quality of food. Seating options are nice.
Cons– Small-​ish portion size. Do not eat here on an empty stomach unless you order an appetizer, an entrée, and dessert.

Stopped by on a Sunday evening for a little dinner and thought it was OK but not a wow. One good thing is that the space has all sorts of seating options – regular tables, a long bar, some four-​tops in the bar, and some picnic-​type tables that would be great for groups. It’s kind of an industrial feel and reminds me somewhat of the space at Fullsteam, if Fullsteam served food. Also good is that there is plenty of parking here in a parking-​challenged area. And they jealously guard it, too! There are signs in the lot saying «If you park here and cross the street, you will be towed». So you’ve been duly warned.
I tried the seafood stew, which came with mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari (because we’re afraid to put the word «squid» on a menu). The seafood was all cooked very well, but the broth didn’t have the depth of flavor you would want in this type of dish. Also, the vegetables were hit and miss. Some pieces of the fennel were cooked through and some were almost raw; same with the carrot cubes. And I’m used to dishes like this having some sort of white fish cubes for a little more meatiness. The ciabatta bread that came with it was good, with a nice chewy interior and a little char on the outside. Also, they have Stone IPA in bottles, so that made me happy. The wine list also looked decent.
Service was fine. I would probably come back here for a guys’ night out or something, since it can be hard to find places with food, a good beer selection, and group seating options.

The good: I liked the atmosphere. It looks casual but cool inside. The staff was friendly and quite accommodating. Some diners at our table really enjoyed the spaghetti and the eggplant.
The so-​so: The portion size on the ravioli, $ 14. I think I only had 5 pieces, which were good but not great. My $ 9 cocktail came in a fluted champagne glass. Needless to say that after those I was hungry, sober, and annoyed. Maybe I should have ordered the $ 4 bread. Instead I ordered the tiramisu, which seemed like a cup of cream basically. Personally I didn’t care for it. The overall sentiment from the rest of the diners at my table was that the food was ok, but not good enough to make a return trip.
Overall I liked the place, but the food wasn’t special enough to make me want to go back. As some others have said, Pulcinello’s has much more flavorful food, although in terms of atmosphere and cool factor The Boot is better. I hope The Boot finds its stride regarding its food, which is lacking in flavor in several dishes.

The Boot is awesome! I go there weekly with my co-​workers and it’s always a stellar experience. Every single thing we’ve tried has been ridiculously amazing. The fried mozzarella is unlike any other I’ve ever had. It’s next level. They’ve recently made some changes to the menu, all good. The new arancini is seriously the bomb.
The customer service also amazing. The servers are always really helpful and pleasant. They always remember us when we come in, which is also nice. The owners are really nice people and always say hey when we come in.
We always look forward to lunch at The Boot and send all of our clients that way!

I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve ordered at The Boot, save for the glass of cheapo house red wine — avoid that one. I haven’t tried any of the sandwiches or desserts, but so far I can recommend the garlic bread (some of the best I’ve ever had — sinfully delicious), the orecchiette, the eggplant parmesan, and the baked ziti (on special). The butternut squash ravioli is also good, but the portion is quite small. Overall, I would call their food a nice mix of rustic Italian and traditional Italian-​American favorites. I think they need to expand the menu though and add 3 – 4 more entrees to their regular rotation. I’d like to see a fish dish, lasagna, pappardelle with lamb ragu — just some ideas!
I haven’t had any problems with the service, but something about the ambiance and the layout feels off. The communal tables just don’t work in this space or with this clientele, and I hope The Boot replaces them with another type of seating. I also hope they change the lighting and odd more décor to the wall. As of now it feels a bit cold and industrial. Despite these issues, The Boot is a welcoming spot and I’m glad they’re here!

The Boot I believe is a great new restaurant. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with warm colors and woodgrains. The family style seating is a nice touch yet and individual table would be nice. We ordered the garlic bread from the Italian wedding soup the meatballs and spaghetti and homemade ravioli.
The service was good yet it was a little too fast. I had only eaten about two bites of my Italian wedding soup when my entrée came out. So timing in the kitchen might be something they need to work on.
For a small Italian restaurant I was very surprised that the ravioli is the only homemade pasta on the menu. I think more homemade pasta would lend itself to a great addition to the menu. I will be back.

The Boot was a very chic little spot down in the Rockford area shopping center across from the likes of Nana’s and Nana Taco. I couldn’t find a menu online so I wasn’t exactly sure what to think and couldn’t pre-​plan my order, which was a fun adventure. The décor lends itself to a mix of individual tables and the ever-​Durham-​popular group picnic bench style seating. There’s lots of exposed brick and hard wood and it’s generally warm and inviting.
I thought the price points on the food would be higher, but they were very reasonable. It was pretty crowded on a Friday night but my friend and I were seated right away. I got a glass of red wine (a $ 6 treat) and started with the marinated olives– which was a VERY large portion of olives. It’s usually a ramekin and this was like a bowl. YUM. Get in my belly! I ordered the linguini and clams for my entrée and it was perfect– very lemon-​y vs. buttery which I like. My friend ordered the Italian Wedding Soup for her appetizer and loved it. She said it was some of the best she’s ever had. She ordered the Seafood Stew which was a mix of scallops, mussels, shrimp, etc. in a tomato broth. We both thought it was really good and left full. I had two glasses of wine, an appetizer, and an entrée and it came in under $ 40 with tip. Not too shabby.

I really enjoyed my lunch at The Boot today it was very tasty. I was looking for a new place to check out in Durham and heard some good things so far about this joint. I feel like the Triangle area really needed an Italian restaurant like The Boot, it’s a casual restaurant with a little of the typical Durham restaurant flair (large communal tables). The menu is full of really fresh and traditional Italian dishes. I love that their was nothing to fancy on this menu you get to choose from some Italian favorites like spaghetti and meatballs. chicken parm, ravioli etc.
The sausage, meatballs, and ravioli are all made in house as I’m sure many other things that I missed. I thought their red sauce was spot on and homemade as well. I actually thought the prices were really reasonable for the portions. My chicken parmesan was amazing and huge it didn’t come with pasta but you could add it for $ 3 trust me though I really didn’t need the pasta that chicken was plenty for me. My friend had the meatball sub which was really really good and we also tried the Orecciette and arancini. The sweet potato arancini could have bee a little warmer the cheese wasn’t quite melted inside and it was luke warm but they were really good still.
I like that they also offer some soups and salads and some yummy veggie sides like braised kale, fried chickpeas, and more.
I was so tempted to order the tiramisu and cannoli but I just had no room on this trip. The service was superb and I can’t wait to get back here for dinner.

«Italian across from Q-​Shack in Durham»
Tried this new restaurant this evening for dinner with the family. It’s located in the old Local Yogurt location, across the street from Q-​Shack and Nanataco.
Setting: Not ideal for me. Quite dark inside. Loud rock music playing. Not especially comfortable bench seats with picnic tables between them. In some sense, it had more the air of a sports bar than an Italian restaurant. But at least parking was easy.
Food selection: Good but not huge– this isn’t an «Olive Garden» with a huge array of choices. Lots of sandwiches on the menu and some appetizers and main dishes. I was impressed, however, that they could special-​make a kids’ meal dish for $ 5 of any pasta with butter or red sauce or alfredo sauce. All dishes are in the $ 10-​$ 14 range (or less if you skip the pasta or get a sandwich).
Food quality/​quantity: I ordered the garlic bread appetizer ($ 4) and the eggplant parmigiana with pasta ($ 11). Others at our table had the squash ravioli, the chicken parmigiana, a sandwich (I think pastrami?), and a bowtie alfredo dish for kids. The appetizer was uninspiring– slightly burnt and not very big. Honestly, at many places, that would’ve just been «given» rather than $ 4 extra. The squash ravioli was good overall– tasted great though a bit oily. The sandwich was good, but the person eating it said she wished there was just a bit more meat and less onion.
However, I REALLY liked my eggplant parmigiana. BIG thick chunks of eggplant, and I absolutely loved the thick red tomato sauce. It may be the best eggplant parmigiana I’ve had in the area (and it’s a dish I order often). The chicken parmigiana was similarly excellent. The portion (with the added pasta) was HUGE… I left quite full/​satisfied, and I’m a big eater.
Service: Excellent. Our waitress checked on us often and was very accommodating.
Speed: VERY fast, though we were there early. The appetizer came out almost right after we ordered, and our main dishes were out within 15 minutes.
Synopsis: I’d happily go back and get the same dish, though I might be inclined to get it as takeout given the setting. I really like that they can create a kid’s meal, and I appreciated the speed and service. Potentially good for groups given the picnic-​table-​like seating, though. Overall, A-​OK.

4 stars for food, +1 star for opening in my neighborhood!
We have been eagerly anticipating the opening of The Boot, same owner as Geer Street Garden. The restaurant is in Rockwood Center across from NanaTaco, where the original Local Yogurt location used to be. The L-​shaped space is a lot bigger than I thought — a handful of booths up front, several long communal picnic tables (a la The Pit), then in the back some pub tables in front of a full-​fledged bar (haven’t tried the cocktails yet, next time!). The clientele included several families with young children, perhaps because we were eating at ~6pm on a Saturday. Service was polite and efficient, surprisingly so given they’ve only been open a few days.
The food was pretty good, and the prices were reasonable (similar to Geer St). We ordered:
— Garlic bread ($ 4): A whole but small loaf, low on garlic, but tasty. Bread was chewy more than crusty. Great for dipping in red sauce.
— Housemade ravioli with butternut squash, ricotta, brown butter, parmesan ($ 13): Four large ravioli. The filling was very fresh and rich, but the pasta was a little too al dente for my liking — I think that the ravioli were perhaps pan-​fried briefly after cooking, which dried out the pasta?
— Chicken parmesan ($ 9+$ 3 for pasta): A HUGE cutlet of chicken, cooked really well! The breading was crusty but not overly-​thick or crunchy, and the meat was moist. The red sauce was tart with a hint of sweetness, lots of crushed tomatoes. The side of pasta was a little small for $ 3, but that was also in comparison to a giant piece of chicken, so we were okay with that. I bet the chicken parmesan sub ($ 12) would be tasty, too, given the combination of the garlic bread and red sauce. This was my favorite dish.
— Cannoli ($ 7): Two regular-​sized cannoli filled with ricotta, chocolate and orange peel. The shells were a little too dry/​crunchy (not stale, but not quite right either), but the filling was great! The perfect texture and sweetness.
— Tiramisu ($ 7): Okay, we probably didn’t need another dessert, but I wanted to try it. The marscapone was delicious, but the ladyfingers were soaked into a little bit too strong of espresso and/​or rum flavoring for my liking. Still a tasty dessert.
Overall, I would definitely go back! I love that the Rockwood area has another delicious dinner location, and I’m pumped that there’s a local place to grab a good chicken parm for takeout. Also, our waitress did mention that although the pasta is currently only handmade for the ravioli, they are hoping to expand to making more homemade pasta in the future.