admireed (anonymous) says...

Good luck Nick. Emporia has not supported Italian Rests. Hope this is the exception.

Edward McKernan

July 14, 2010 at 2:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

HenryVIII (anonymous) says...

Might I suggest some advertisement? I love me some Italian food, but this is the first I've heard of this joint. If you have advertised, you haven't hit my market demographic.
'enry

July 14, 2010 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Denise_Dorcey (anonymous) says...

My family and I ate there last night. The food was fabulous!!!!

July 14, 2010 at 2:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

abc123 (anonymous) says...

I talked to someone today who said the food was really good!

July 14, 2010 at 3:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...

While I'm not a huge fan of The Olive Garden®, I do hope our local eatery will follow one example, the salad.

Olive Garden has one of the consistently best salads in the sit-down “faster- food” industry, and of course there is always plenty of it.

The salads that I had at the last Italian eatery in Emporia were always wilted, small, and consisted of 98% yellowed lettuce.

Make a SALAD with a variety of veggies including Greek/Italian peppers, red onion, fresh grated Parmesan or Romano, and cracked, black pepper, and bring on the bread sticks. GOOD LUCK!

July 14, 2010 at 3:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...

Why do people keep saying that Emporia doesn't like or support Italian restaurants? Other than pizza places which do well here, we've only had the one and it had mysterious problems from the start. We still don't know why it closed or where the owners went. Before that, we had S'ghetti's which did not qualify as an Italian place any more than Pizza Hut does. I hope this one is good. I really liked the last one but was only able to go to it once. When I went back for a second time a few weeks later, they had already closed. I am looking forward to trying this one.

July 14, 2010 at 4:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

HenryVIII (anonymous) says...

Serious question: Does anyone know if they serve booze? (or wine for you well-to-do types)
'enry

July 14, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Bluestreak (anonymous) says...

Independence had a Napoli's several months ago and was open for about a month. Same people? I liked it well enough, but someone else I talked to didn't care for it. I would have frequented the place, but they were gone faster than they came in.

July 14, 2010 at 5:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

I'm with Bloomsbury on the salad situation, and I agree with his/her suggestion. There isn't a place in Emporia that serves a decent salad. NOT ONE!!! Instead they keep serving this iceberg lettuce combined with grated carrots and purple cabbage crap. Sorry, that is not salad. Besides, the purple cabbage serves only one purpose in an iceberg lettuce salad -- to fool the eye from seeing the browned edges of the lettuce. BARF!!!

Good luck to Napoli's. I hope you can stay a long time if your food is worth it.

July 14, 2010 at 6:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

chiefsfan (anonymous) says...

Bruff's has nice salads. Love, the steak salad, with chunks of steak in it. Yummmmm!!!

July 14, 2010 at 6:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

JohnDoe (anonymous) says...

Can't wait to go!

July 14, 2010 at 10:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

neighbor (anonymous) says...

Hope this one is a legit business unlike the last one. The last traveling chef that that found their way into town, obvious got itchy feet and moved on down the road. Will watch and see if this one is seriously going to make a go of it.

July 15, 2010 at 12:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

REWBA (anonymous) says...

Will they make their pasta in house, or will they boil me up some store bought noodles? Will they create their own sauces, or will they open a jar and let me hope that it's in there? Atmosphere? Salads? Breads? Service?

Italian Restaurants in Kansas always disappoint me. I guess I'll stick with meatballs and macaroni with some garlic bread to sop up the juice and make a happy plate...but I can get that at home really cheap. Good luck selling spaghetti to all the Irishmen around here.

July 15, 2010 at 1:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

LOL REWBA. Suppose they have use for some nice, fresh basil? There's a market for you.

July 15, 2010 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

TexasGirl (anonymous) says...

I adore Italian food, and I really hope Napoli's can stick it out for the long haul. The negative tone of most of these posts is sad, but I guess to be expected considering the trend of closing businesses in Emporia.

Oh4 is right, we've never really been given the chance to support a REAL Italian restaurant. I thought Italian Garden was great, especially their bread, but then they got some bad press about some bad cheese, and next thing you know they are high-tailing it out of town.

BTW, Bloomsbury & create, Montana Mike's makes a pretty decent salad, always nice and fresh, not that chopped up bag stuff.

July 15, 2010 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

REWBA (anonymous) says...

Not all salads use lettuce. Here is a great tasting garden salad recipe with zero wilted lettuce:

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or substitute with balsamic vinegar)

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or substitute with olive oil)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or substitute with basil)

2 limes, juiced

1 teaspoon white sugar (or substitute with brown sugar)

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (1 pound) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) (or substitute with chick peas)

3 cups frozen corn kernels

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

In a large serving bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, salt and garlic. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the soybeans and boil for 3 minutes. Add corn to the boiling water and continue cooking for 1 more minute. Drain very well, and pour into the bowl with the dressing. Gently mix in the cherry tomatoes, green onions and black beans. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to chill and blend the flavors.

July 15, 2010 at 6:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...

REWBA,

What's it called?

Toot scootin boggie salad?

Seriously fro someone who is NOT a "well to do type".

Pasta as well as antipasta beg for a nice red wine

July 15, 2010 at 9:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

realitybites (anonymous) says...

Do they dice up boxed Velveeta to make their own fried cheese sticks, or use a microwave to warm a box of frozen sticks shipped in from New Jersey? That's true I-(pronounced "eye")-talian. Yum!

Either way, yum. Five stars?

July 15, 2010 at 10:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jimbo (anonymous) says...

no itll turn out to be like bruffs and just order a bunch of crap from EVCO and deep fry it all. Nice try Gary but to me Bruffs is terrible. I hope the new place does well, but like every new place in this town you will all go for the first two weeks its open as much as you can, then just stop going.

July 15, 2010 at 10:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

REWBA (anonymous) says...

LOL Steve. Substitute the cilantro or basil with some sour diesel and you can call it Toot scootin boggie salad DUDE! I don't even know if that recipe is Italian. It's good vittles albeit fancy. If your going to make it for a restaurant then you should add some more of each ingredient. It's a great night in Emporia! :-)

July 15, 2010 at 11:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

REWBA (anonymous) says...

realitybites, What's wrong with Velveeta? Ever tried a sausage cheese dip? It only takes about 20 minutes.

1 lbs of ground sausage

1 (16 ounce) package VELVEETA®

1 (16 ounce) jar of salsa

Crumble and cook sausage in large saucepan over medium heat until browned. Drain on paper towel then return sausage to saucepan. Cut VELVEETA® cheese into cubes and add to sausage. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Stir in the jar of salsa. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

If you have never tried it, you don't know what your missing in life! Oh...That's not Italian either. Sorry for straying off subject. :-)

July 15, 2010 at 11:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

HenryVIII (anonymous) says...

An associate of mine tells me they do NOT serve alcohol. I guess I'll have to eat elsewhere to unwind after a rough day. Besides, what respectable Italian joint doesn't serve wine?
'enry

July 16, 2010 at 12:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...

Are all the restaurants in Italy, Italian?

They all serve wine. Maybe because the water is no good?

July 16, 2010 at 10:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

lets_get_reasonable (anonymous) says...

I had Napoli's for lunch yesterday and it was FANTASTIC! I also was sort of skeptical about it considering what happened with Italian Garden and everything. I know they had their own issues, but still! Napoli's definitely impressed me. The food came out to our table a lot faster than I had expected, the portions were big, and most of the lunch specials seemed to be between $6.95-$8.95 or so. Not bad at all! Our waiter was fabulous as well. I will definitely be going back!

July 16, 2010 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

giggles (anonymous) says...

I am very excited to go there. I think I will wait it out for a couple of weeks to let the initial fervor settle down. I LOVE Italian food! So far from the people who have gone there the reviews are great.

July 16, 2010 at 10:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

I'm gonna wait a while before I go. I heard it's pretty crowded right now. Good to hear your post, let's_get_responsible. I'm interested in going for lunch to try it out.

I'm told that the evening meal is all ala-carte. A friend went last night and spent $20 on her meal. Kinda pricey, but she said it's because everything is ala carte.

July 16, 2010 at 5:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

Salad?

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/v...

July 17, 2010 at 6:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

imarun_r2 (anonymous) says...

Honestly I ate there a few nights ago...the food tasted good. However me and one other person were there for an hour and a half. I ordered a salad and after 45 minutes of waiting for it, the server came out and told me someone is "running to the store" because they "ran out" of lettuce. The ppl behind me tried to order a pizza and I heard the server tell them that their oven broke and they have a new oven on the way. Maybe I shouldn't have went to such a new place....I give them 6 months.

July 17, 2010 at 6:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

Ouch, ouch, ouch. Running to the store for lettuce is bad news indeed, especially after they should have expected to be busy after being featured in a news article.

July 17, 2010 at 7:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

joecitizen (anonymous) says...

i ate there for lunch yesterday, and the food was great. it came out fast, was hot, and tasted great. like any new business, they have some issues still to work out, and i am confident that they will work to improve areas that aren't there yet. you should try their bread, very good. reasonably priced, and ample portions. i will be back. I met the owner, and let him know how i enjoyed my visit. he was very grascious, and welcomed my input to improve upon my next visit. i strongly suggest that you give it a try, and reserve judgement until you have done so. anyone who's ever been in the restaurant business know's that you can have too much stock and end up with lots of waste, and have to jack up prices to cover inflated food costs. Or you can do what every restaurant in the world does, and try to guess what your next weeks volume will be. It takes a while to get it right all the time. With a new business, it can be dead or packed, at any given point, if every one thinks it will be too busy, and everyone stays home, it will be dead, so here's an idea they've been trying for a few years in restaurants all over the world. call ahead, make a reservation if they're taking them, or get an idea on wait times if they're busy. i'm just saying, if it was your business, you'd want them to give you a fair shake. try the Napoli's or tony's specials both were good.

July 17, 2010 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

lets_get_reasonable (anonymous) says...

I feel the same way, joecitizen! People are too quick to judge when it comes to a new restaurant in town. I went yesterday for a second time and had the chicken parmigiana - have to say it was honestly the best chicken parmigiana I've ever had. Once again, the food came out quicker than expected, was hot, and nothing short of amazing. The dessert was especially good - make sure to try the classic Italian favorite, Tiramisu. You won't be disappointed!

July 19, 2010 at 10:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...

Well, that, answers my question about whether they have tiramisu or not. Now to find out if it's a good tiramisu.

Once again one person told about one negative experience and we all were accused by two posters of judging too quickly. Even though, may I point out, every other post had been that we were all anxious to try it for ourselves and see combined with expressions of hope that Napoli's makes it.

I really need to stop coming by this site. There are too many people who jump to conclusions instead of reading and then accuse others of jumping to conclusions.

AAGGGHHHHH!!!

July 19, 2010 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

giggles (anonymous) says...

Well, oh4theluvof, perhaps we all know too well that we can be a critical bunch. I was very optimistic about going, and even though we went sooner than I expected we were not disappointed. It was so good. The owner came by and was very nice. He seemed genuinely concerned as to whether the customers were liking their experience. The bread was great. The entrees were exceptional, and I already have plans for what I am going to try next.
BTW, when the parking lot is full, it doesn't necessarily mean the restaurant is full. There was another dining room, that I noticed. I never really went when it was Regency Gardens, but I think that was because I forgot they were there. I guess they never really stood out.
I think that Napoli's though, has really good food that this town doesn't have otherwise. I recommend you try it.

Nick's Special is my next dish to try, it looked so good.

July 20, 2010 at 10:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

NickyLane (anonymous) says...

I've gotten to eat there, it was so great compared to Italian Garden. Most of all, I'd like to say that obviously I am an Italian food fan, in definitly! Go Nick and make sure you keep that restaurant because without this restaurant, Emporia would sieste to exist.

August 26, 2010 at 10:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

giggles (anonymous) says...

I got to try the Nick's Special about two weeks ago. It met all of my expectations, it was spectacular! They are really trying to give really good customer service, and excellent food. So far, they have succeeded in my book.

Perhaps if enough people patronize their place they can move to a better location.

If you haven't tried it, I would highly recommend doing so. I can't wait to go again!

August 26, 2010 at 10:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )