FlyRod and mgreen touch on something that, for me, matters: no full bar.
I was hoping that Paolo's would be one of those places where people could go to have a cocktail, maybe two, and grab an appetizer or a salad. (Lord knows they have the space for it.) You know, a place to go at 5:00 with a colleague for a drink and a bite. But they have no liquor license -- just beer and wine. The absence of a liquor license means that I also wouldn't go there for a late-night drink (or two). Not only is The Republic the best place for such things, frankly I'd prefer to go to Luigi's than to Paolo's for a pre-dinner drink or a post-dinner drink.
I do like the food at Paolo's. I like it a good bit, actually.
The "kid" area is also a negative for me. Tai once said that he wanted Paolo's to be a family place where you could take your family instead of to Carino's. Well, I never, ever go to Carino's (with or without my family). So that wasn't a helpful starting point for me. Let the families with the loud kids -- and hey, when my kids were young, MY family was that family -- go to Carino's or Chili's or wherever; and let's reserve the nicer places (with somewhat steeper prices) for the adults: No "kids" area, full bar.
That's just my experience. I wish them all the best.