A very, very short review. I don't know too many people in KC yet, so I tend to eat out alone quite a bit. Yesterday night, I headed down to the River Market area to grab some dinner. The folks at the River Market Brewery are usually quite friendly, but the place was packed at 8:00, so I headed a few blocks away. I stumbled on Al Dente, the place wasn't too crowded, and I felt like Italian anyhow.
Service: Seems like everyone else in the place was a regular, someone from the neighborhood. While the waitstaff were checking them out every few minutes, the only time I saw anyone was when I was handed a menu. when my order was taken, when my food was delivered and then the ceck was delivered. No "so, how's everything," no free samples of food like other customers were getting, no nothing.
Food: The large spaghetti filled an area on the plate no bigger than jy hand, just a quarter inch deep. Took about three minutes to eat it. The aaitress said the serving seemed about right, but others had plates that were filled much higher. Spaghetti costs a buck for a one pound box, an it's cheaper in bulk. I get three to four times as much spaghetti for half the price at a Fazoli's. If anything, spaghetti is so cheap, there's really no reason to skimp on it. At least the marinara sauce was tangy, although a bit runny.
Would I go back there? Pfft ... definitely not. Others were getting healthy portions of food, while I was being hurried out of the place for some reason. It's not too often that I come across a restautant that still treats single customers with disdain. Unfortunately, they're still out there.
On a scale of 1 to 5 .... 0.5. Gimme' more than a three year old child's portion of food, and treat me like any other customer, and maybe I'll up to a 2 1/2.
Al Dente - River Market area
Al Dente - River Market area
I've eaten there a couple times, usually on a Saturday afternoon after visiting the market. Each time, I had a sandwich, which wasn't too bad. Service was hit or miss - definitely not a strong point.
Given the choice, there are much better restaurants in the market, but many are closed at night. Walnut Deli and Delaware Market Cafe are daytime only.
Winslow's BBQ, Minsky's Pizza and Garrett's Corner Market are some sure bets for good grub. I haven't tried Kabal yet. Big Daddy's Cajun shut down about a month ago. A little more upscale and east of the Market are Le Fou Frog and Garozzo's.
- Rob
Given the choice, there are much better restaurants in the market, but many are closed at night. Walnut Deli and Delaware Market Cafe are daytime only.
Winslow's BBQ, Minsky's Pizza and Garrett's Corner Market are some sure bets for good grub. I haven't tried Kabal yet. Big Daddy's Cajun shut down about a month ago. A little more upscale and east of the Market are Le Fou Frog and Garozzo's.
- Rob