Eddie's Napoli's Pizza and Pasta

Date:
Monday July 5, 2010

Restaurant:
Eddie's Napoli's Pizza and Pasta
915 W Centerville Rd.
Garland, TX 75041

Dishes and Price:
Veal Parmigiana $9.95+tax

For over a decade I have been a loyal, if infrequent customer of this little hole in the world. It has been one of my favorite spots and I have recommended it to many people. Just last week I was recommending Napoli's to someone. Well, not any more.

I entered into this small Italian restaurant and was greeted by a nice woman behind the counter. I was ready to eat a great meal. We sat at a booth. You know the type... where you sink a foot into the cushion and feel like a babe at an adult table. The granite-style table tops were nice, as was most of the atmosphere.

I took the opportunity to run into the restroom to wash my hands, passing a waiter exiting as I made my approach. Since an employee was just in the room, I was quite shocked to realize that I needed to be Moses to avoid the huge puddle on the floor that was spreading from the toilet. Yeah, this made me want to eat. I quickly stepped over to the station, unused in quite some time, and washed my hands.

As I returned to my seat, I began to wonder if that employee had really been in the bathroom. I could have been mistaken. Right? As I sat and ordered my Mountain Dew, I began to watch the server. He seemed quite personable and was constantly walking from the tables to the kitchen, busing tables. My drink arrived and I was quite happy with my Root Beer. Wait, that's not right. I ordered Mountain Dew. I looked and sure enough, it was a greenish semi-clear liquid. When did Mountain Dew start tasting like Root Beer?

Now, I opened my menu, expecting to see samples of great food. Boy did I! Right in front of me was an all you can eat buffet of food. Too bad it wasn't pictures I saw but actual bits and pieces of food-gross! Complaining to my waiter resulted in a restrained sufferance from him. He walked the distance, marathon in it's intensity, to the other menus. He took two steps. He pulled out another menu, and was nice enough to open it and let the crumbs fall out. Receiving my new menu, I was thankful he took the time to clean it as I was assaulted by a need to wade through the latrine to wash the grease from my hands.

Ordering my food, I sat back and watched the waiter from the restroom as he worked. I sampled the rolls, cold and stale, and tried to enjoy the conversation. I noticed the waiter busing a table, rinsing a wash cloth out, and then wiping down the counter. Wait, was that the hand wash station he was rinsing that nasty cloth in. Why is there no soap in the soap dispenser at the hand wash station? The waiter then carried a few glasses to be washed, his fingers sticking deep into the previously used cups. Busy bee that he was trying to be, he was nice enough to fill some new cups for a couple of new customers... again without washing his hands.

My food came out, thankfully not served by the waiter who I am beginning to think never has washed his hands. I took a bite hesitantly and wiped my mouth. Not bad at all. Honestly, the food is very good. I look up and see the waiter as he brings food to customers, his fingers well over the lip of the plate. I am feeling sick to my stomach suddenly.

I inform my guest and they observe several activities that bring a halt to any eating, the server has now placed a used roll basket on top of the clean stack and has used a paper napkin to wipe down a counter only to return the paper napkin to the top of the stack to be taken to customers. Both of us, fighting the need to explosively return the food to this wonderful restaurant, got up to leave.

I had to fight the need to point out all of these issues and refuse to pay the bill for need to stay objective for this critique. I will say that the woman behind the counter seemed genuinely concerned that we were leaving having eaten so little and wanted to ensure we enjoyed the food. I did pay the bill, and we left with a feeling of hunger but a lack of appetite.

I doubt I will ever return to this restaurant. I am saddened more than I can say for the loss of a eatery that I have been to hundreds of times over the last decade or so. I am saddened more than that for I had just recommended another person go to lunch at this restaurant. Please, if you are in Garland and want to eat, stay away.

Silver Spoon Restaurant

Date:
Saturday June 26, 2010

Restaurant:
Silver Spoon Restaurant
218 East Spring Valley Road
Richardson, TX 75081

Dish and Price:
Chicken Boti - $6.99+tax


If you are familiar with Indian or Middle Eastern food, then you are probably familiar with the classic chicken boti dish. Tender pieces of spicy, but not necessarily hot, dark meat chicken that have been slow cooked in a tandoori. At least that is the style most commonly found. Unfortunately, the Silver Spoon differs from this ideal.

Walking in the door of a very small and hard to notice restaurant, you are assaulted by a similarity to every low-rent Chinese food restaurant. The tables are the same white topped particle board, the chairs the same over-used fabric and metal relics of bygone years, and the menu is on a board behind the counter in someone's inelegant scrawl. A greasy spoon is the term we normally use, as your spoon is invariably left with a film of grease when you are done eating. Even though this food is not Chinese, it is definitely a greasy spoon.

I fear I am giving you the wrong idea. The food is adequate and is very affordable. The naan, or flat bread, is very good. This bread is light, fluffy, and extremely flavorful. If there was a single down-side to the naan, it was in the fact that I only received a single loaf.

The cucumber yogurt sauce was good. It had a sweet, fresh, and tangy taste to it. This sauce was a nice balance and would be great on a multitude of dishes. Be careful, though, as it is a bit thin.

All of this is nice to know, but the chicken is what is important. And that, my friends, is where we have a problem. First, boti is the leg and thigh meat of an animal. This can include lamb boti or chicken boti. So, imagine my surprise when I was served dry, white meat chicken. I was alarmed at how they would serve this food and dare to call it boti.

The spices of this dish were very good. I have to admit that much. I was sorely pressed to find a fault with the spice mixes that were used for this dish. The addition of cilantro, a combination I had never considered before, was unique and worked very well with the lime slice provided.

I have to say that, overall, my meal was very decent. The meat was dry and it was not boti, but the flavors worked very well. I visit this small diner very rarely. The food is a great gateway to some of the more exotic tastes and flavors, and a great way to be introduced to Indian food for very little money. Feel free to visit and enjoy a meal, just remember your Tums and have an open mind.