New Italian/Neapolitan cafe/restaurant on Green Lanes

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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on March 31, 2011 at 15:50

Wooa there Hugh. you are right it is fair for someone not to like something and write about it. and it is equally fare for someone who does like thta somethinmg to not be happy with someome saying they do not like it and write about that too.

 

You are right it would be shame if people felt they cant post against the majority without getting gip. sadly that is what normally happens in life. I am trying to work out if you are giving me gip for my last post? it certainly feels like you are.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on March 31, 2011 at 16:03

You don't feel that your last two paragraphs somewhat played the man not the ball? i.e. attacked the posters (get out from behind your computers) rather than their views on the food?

Or suggesting that those people who offered a criticism want the place to close down (and become a bookies) is a trifle disproportionate? 

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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on March 31, 2011 at 22:52

yes you are right. Just like you did 

 

Incidentally, we have another example of a poster assuming that 2 members of a website = all 4, 000 members of a website.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on March 31, 2011 at 23:12

What I meant was, you are not the first to not like something you have read and address the website "Way to go HOL" rather than the posters. "Way to go, guys?" might have been more appropriate?

Still, if you did not mean the website was slagging off the place, then I apologise, I clearly misread (and misunderstood) your comment  " Way to go HOL" and took it mean that you thought the views carried by the website were the same as the views of the website (which, of course, do not exist). My mistake.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on March 31, 2011 at 16:12

Can I be the first to say how much I disagree with Tunbridge Wells' disagreement with Liz's agreement with Hugh's disagreement with Tunbridge Wells. And can we please stop this ridiculous shilly-shallying.

It's obvious that everyone has the same taste in food. And just as obvious that proper food establishments have efficiently and reliably found ways to serve a standard range of dishes in standard portions. And which taste identical whoever is operating the microwave that evening.

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Permalink Reply by Sassie on April 3, 2011 at 21:01

I went to this restaurant for lunch today with my two daughters, having read the good reviews on here. I can confirm that the staff were really nice and the food was cheap. Sadly we were not impressed at all with the food. Two of us are vegetarians and they had two veggie dishes on the menu (none of the specials were vegetarian). We are not crazy about gnocci so we had the pasta with broccoli and parmesan. When it arrived it was exactly as decribed - pasta shells with a few bits of boiled broccoli and grated parmesan. Sadly it did not taste of much at all. I also ordered a mixed salad which consisted of lettuce, red cabbage and white cabbage. I have always had lovely veggie meals in Italian restaurants before so I was pretty disappointed.

 

The people at the next table were unhappy about their food and asked us what we thought about ours. As my daughters had taken me there for a Mothers Day treat, and I didn't want to upset them,  I said diplomatically that the staff were lovely but the veggie menu was a bit restricted. It is such a shame as I only live around the corner and I really wanted to like the food. I am a bit reluctant to go back, as although the food is cheap, it really wasn't very appealing.

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Permalink Reply by Abi on April 3, 2011 at 21:13

I agree that the veggie choice is limited. I tend to take a dim view of any place that doesn't offer a decent selection but in this case one does have to consider that there are only about half a dozen meat dishes available (and heaven forefend that us picky veggies should ever expect to be able to eat more than a third of what's on any menu!)

In my experience, Italian restaurants are usually great for veggies but this is because the majority serve pizza, which iBorboni does not. I think there is plenty of scope for more non-meaty pasta dishes though - I have been twice for dinner now and probably won't go along again in the very near future simply because I would have to have the same dish again. It was great the first time I went when they had a veggie special on - I think their best bet would be to make sure one of the specials is always meat-free.

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Permalink Reply by Sassie on April 4, 2011 at 17:30

I don't mind a choice of only two dishes as long as they are tasty. The pasta with broccoli was really not that nice! I rarely eat pizza but most Italian restaurants that I have been to have at least 3 tomato based pastas and maybe a pasta with pesto sauce, plus a veggie lasagne on the menu. It can't be that difficult to do a tomato based pasta - they could even offer the meat ball dish without the meat balls!

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Permalink Reply by Germana on April 4, 2011 at 20:14

What was wrong with the pasta with broccoli specifically (reply meant for Sassie, not sure why it's above rather than below her post)? I had it and I found it lovely although of course taste will vary from person to person - I particularly liked that it was nice and light rather than really garlicky as I would have expected in some Italian places in the UK.

I think it's fair enough that not everybody will like this restaurant but as an Italian I can tell you the food is pretty genuine and very close to what you would get over there. I wonder whether people (not necessarily you, I mean in general) have expectations that Italian food should be really strong tasting and spicy - a lot of pseudo Italian restaurants in this country use way too much garlic and insist on pouring loads of black pepper over everything (the other day at Pizza Express I literally had to scrape it off my bread as it was inedible, while my husband struggled to finish his pizza as it way too spicy).

The reality is that traditional Italian food was food made with simple ingredients that were available to a rather poor population made up largely of peasants (the country only industrialised in the 50s). Of course these days we have trendy chefs plus a widespread diffusion of Italian-like food around the world that have changed that perception/reality completely.

As someone who has tried and failed vegetarianism, I can also sympathise with the lack of choice in restaurants, but I think this one is no worse than any others on Green Lanes - in fact it makes for great a change from lentil soup and falafels!

The good news is that I understand from a conversation with the guys running I Borboni that the restaurant next door will open quite soon (while the current place will become a deli with cafe) and it will have a bigger (more "professional" they said) kitchen that will enable them to offer a longer menu. As I told them I rarely eat meat, and they are aware of the need to cater for vegetarians around here, they reassured me there will be  lot more choice in the new menu for people who don't want meat or fish. 

As for Pizza, I find that Bianca's pizza is perfectly acceptable. They are considering making pizza too but they are a bit perfectionists, being from Naples where it was invented, and they won't offer it until they can make it the way it's made over there....that's what I've been told!

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Permalink Reply by katia on April 4, 2011 at 21:14

Great post Germana. I Borboni (in its current form and current kitchen size) is what it is - a place to get a wholesome plate of pasta and fantastic espresso. My husband (also Italian, with a Naples background) also vouches for the genuine nature of the dishes. Looking forward to seeing how the place evolves.

Oh and Forza Napoli - great to be able to see the Serie A games locally!

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Permalink Reply by Sassie on April 6, 2011 at 17:53

Hi Germana, you asked what was wrong with the pasta and broccoli specifically. I found it really bland, and I am not someone who likes highly spiced foods. It tasted like something I would have cooked for my daughters when they were toddlers, and I was having an off-day! The broccoli was soggy and tasteless.I was not looking for strong tastes, or a garlic overdose, just something with some taste.

I'm sorry, I really wanted to like this little restaurant as I strongly believe in supporting local businesses, but it was just not good enough, by a long way. There is no point in pretending that something is good just because the people that serve you are nice.

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Permalink Reply by 0xmduyqrq9379 on April 5, 2011 at 14:24

Yikes!  The quite equivocal reservations I gave in my original post seem to have driven some to distraction.  Tunbridge Wells, in particular, seems a mite dyspeptic; I hope it wasn't something he ate.  

 

As I said: I think it's fun that I Borboni is there, the guys are really friendly, and it's a welcome addition to the area, with room for improvement on the menu.  I wish them the very best of luck, and will continue to contentedly pop in for a coffee and a bit of Serie A of a Sunday.

 

With respect to Germana, though, I would question the notion that 'authentically bland' is somehow meant to be 'acceptably bland'.  I also think that the peasant roots of a dish is a slightly spurious defence if the dish is simply below standard.  When you pay for a meal in a restaurant, however inexpensive, citing the food's peasant roots simply doesn't excuse poor quality.  As peasant stock, myself, I'd take umbrage (or even Umbriage!) with that idea.  If you order a pasta bake, say, and it's arrival is heralded by the 'ping' of a microwave, it's never going to turn out well, whatever its origins.  And I'm fairly sure the peasants weren't using microwaves.

 

All that said, I'm with Sarah in looking forward to seeing how the place evolves.           

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