Shame Factor: Shameful
We had some expectations of a good quality dinner and experience, last night. Honestly, I was optimistic. The hostess was polite, helpful and accommodating. We only had to wait 5 mins!
At our table the server happily greeted us with the standard salutations and offer of assistance. Smiling and happy.
I should begin by sharing that I'm Italian. But I've come to understand that food is different here in the states. That being said however, there is some really good Italian food to be found in North Beach (San Francisco), Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Boston and I'm sure many other areas, that I've not visited.
Last night will be the last time we visit Skipolini's. While the service was mostly good, the back of the house disappointed us. We ordered Caprese for an appetizer and it was prepared and delivered to our table promptly, despite the staff being clearly shorthanded. We were given set-ups, (knife, fork, napkins), but no appetizer dishes. I approached a nearby station and asked for appetizer dishes and was told they didn't have any clean ones... but a server offered to retrieve some dinner dishes. (We overheard a server explaining to a nearby table that they were also out of clean spoons for their soup... that It will be a few minutes). Hmm.. Chef, schedule a dish machine training session with the fine folks at Ecolab. They'll have your team back on track.
For my meal, I chose the "Italian Wedding Soup", as I had a small appetite last night. My wife selected the Classic Lasagna, as her favorite "Fettuccine Alfredo" is not on the menu at Skipolini's.
The wait for our meals was about 20-30 mins. The cooks were very busy, as they appeared to be shorthanded, because the restaurant manager was running back and forth, helping the cooks, setting tables, delivering food, and barking orders and giving directions.
Okay... the food:
Caprese - The mozzarella was fresh enough and the tomatoes were palatable. The fresh basil as a treat, however the balsamic reduction tasted prepackaged and not a homemade reduction. Too thick, with weak flavor... and not enough drizzle. But we seem to enjoy it just the same.
Italian Wedding Soup - The soup I received truly looked nothing like the photograph on the menu. Little to no vegetables, nor the appearance of many spices. The pasta beads were delightful; however, it would have been best to just leave the "meatballs" out of the soup. They are very small, like marbles, and honestly had little flavor, very plain and an uneasy texture. The best way to describe this dish is "Chicken and Stars" Campbell's soup. It was edible, and warming because it was a cold evening out.
Classic Lasagna - Well this was the highlight of the evening. From a humor standpoint. Chef... where did you come up with this recipe? It should have been labeled "Zuppa di formaggio marinara", or for you non-Italians... "Cheese Marinara Soup". I would be very curious to see the consumption data for this dish. How many people are really ordering this dish, the second time? Chef, it was a bowl of hot baked marinara sauce and cheese, with a couple of lasagna noodles.. literally! This has to be the worst item, and the least ordered item on the menu!
Let me help you out with a recipe that will have your customers ordering lasagna again! Click on this link and check out my friend Pasquale's lasagna recipe...
https://www.facebook.com/OrsaraRecipes/videos/easy-lasagna-recipe/1767087933379732/
We drank water with our meal and paid almost $50 in all. We tipped the server well. She was pleasant and it's not her fault the back of the house needs a lot of work.
Best of luck! I'm sure you will do fine, as the rapid Bay Area migration has overcrowded our region and demand is high for dining out, regardless of the quality of the experience.
1 Star for the hostess
1 Star for the server
1 Star for a mostly clean restaurant read more