So Wednesday night I needed to eat a hot dinner... But I was not feeling any type of vibes toward anything and was feeling very uninterested. I was driving around Northgate area, along all the restaurants in the strip malls, and I remembered that I had read a KRDO article about food safety and health inspections and Papa's Italian had passed with a perfect score. So I attempted to use their online ordering system and it was broken and not processing orders. I called ahead and had good service on the phone, and placed an order for Spicy Sicilian pasta (their only red sauce dish) with one garlic knot, it's accompanying side salad, and an order of Italian stuffed mushrooms. I was quoted 15 minutes, I gave it 20. It is in the same complex as the Dart Wars and there was quite a few people 20+ standing in the parking lot milling about, which is an interesting thing. (I can see how this safe parking lot would be very attractive to teenagers, it's a great milling place that where there's food and it's off of a main thoroughfare, this would be a safe outdoor space) I entered into the restaurant and it is humble, with only three patrons inside. Very stark. Clean. Yellow oak tables in contrast to a modern warehouse feel, with a very interesting mural. (If you like Cold War Russian inspired imagery) I remained neutral. Even though I had waited 20 minutes, my meal was not prepared. I then waited an additional 15 minutes. The young man at the register was appropriate, but when he delivered my food to me-- he literally just handed me the to-go boxes stacked, hot and greasy with no bag to hold them. I had to ask for a bag. No silverware or napkins were provided.
I went home and the first thing I ate was the mushrooms. Yes, I know mushrooms weep quite a bit, but my black-to-go box with its assortment of-- I think eight mushrooms, was sitting in water. These were not large, in fact these were petite mushrooms. They were not stuffed and overflowing, they were a teaspoon filled. There was not overflowing cheese that was bubbling or melty or crisp edged. The chilled and bright red marinara dipping sauce was lovely, And I was hopeful that this would be the same sauce on my entree. This appetizer was very disappointing. Edible, but what a lost opportunity to make a great dish.
I then moved on to my entree. Immediately I could see that it was a dark red robust sauce, not the fresh bright red marinara. I would say it was a medium sized portion, and I did note that the pasta was done perfectly, and that for Angel hair pasta it was beautiful separate noodles, Not a conglomerate mass. I did not care for the deep robust sauce, it did feel as though it had been on the stovetop for many many hours and had lost vibrancy. The three meatballs were golf ball sized and had shrunk with cooking, and they were soft and lovely. In the KRDO article the owner is correct when he says his best dish is the meatballs, they really are! The garlic knot was a great disappointment. Huge chunks of uncooked garlic made it so that I was unable to even eat half of that golf ball sized garlic knot. The salad looked fresh and was just a bag mix... But they had forgotten my salad dressing. My total for pasta and mushrooms was $27. I was displeased with the price point, the medium portion size, the poor execution of the small appetizer. You couple that with the teenagers that served me hot-greasy-to-go containers with no thought and it was a really poorly done presentation. That all being said, I can absolutely see myself picking up a meatball sub at some point in the future, because they are great meatballs and I do like a fresh red marinara sauce and I need food in the Northgate area.
I really think the owner operator could zero in on a lot of these customer service / execution issues, and make this more elevated, if you're trying to hit that price point ---you need to deliver.
-better to-go containers, provide utensils, napkins and all to-go containers need to be bagged and a receipt. Lost opportunity to include a to-go menu or promote delivery.
-fix the online ordering system, Also missed opportunity to use digital marketing and digital coupons.
-upsell featuring beverages Italian themed or desserts that could be taken with to-go orders.
-clear out the hallway near the restrooms from the stacked storage items
-The cottage goods presentation of home-baked bottled breads and jams etc is pokey and actually discredits the restaurant grade food you are trying to sell
-You offer only the one spicy Sicilian deep robust sauce, a second option that might be more crowd-pleasing and definitely child pleasing- for pasta would probably go well.
- revisit your garlic knots and tweak them. read more