Benvenuto!

Critique No. 8
Restaurant
Napoli's Italian Restaurant
1196 NE Douglas Rd
Lee’s Summit, MO 64082
(816) 554-4874

Cuisine: Italian
Max. Occupancy: 105
Price Point Average: Lunch- $5.99 & Dinner- $9.99

Well, it has been some time since my last post- I have been awaiting the opportunity to go taste some local delights! Several months back I noticed that a local Italian restaurant had closed and soon after another opened in the same location. I was weary of trying it because of the experience I'd had with the previous establishment. As fate would have it, I had to drop off my car for an oil change the other day and this restaurant happens to be in walking distance across the road, so I decided to go for it, put my preconceived notions aside and try Napoli's. This happens to be two spots down from Thai Spice (the amazing Thai restaurant I had previously reviewed). Like most places in strip malls, the sign does no justice to the business. Nothing spectacular or eye catching.

I walked in and the decorations were very familiar. It was however, laid out in a different way which really opened it up, less booths and more open tables. Very nice. You are given some very warm fresh made rolls, which were the texture of a cinnamon roll, but- they were savory and topped with parsley and parmesan cheese-I was very happy with this bread! It was served with olive oil and herbs (pretty typical of many Italian restaurants now) A small critique here on the oil, it wasn't flavorful like I'd expected it to be. It literally had no taste. I added some salt and pepper to it, which helped, but not by much.

I ordered off of the $5.99 Lunch Specials menu, this got me my entree and a good sized salad. You can choose from several dressing options. I opted for the house Italian dressing. The waitress informed me that it was an oil based dressing made with some of their marinara. It wasn't really appetizing to look at (kinda looked like ketchup). But it wasn't bad- it reminded me of a Catalina dressing, but slightly more acidic. It was very sweet though, not really to my taste. I would have preferred something more savory. The salad was nothing special, just bagged greens and some croutons.
Then my entree came out, all hot and bubbly! I got the Pasta Trio, which was one cheese ravioli, one stuffed shell, and a small portion of lasagna covered in sauce and mozzarella cheese, then popped in the oven to bake for a few minutes. The portions size was good for lunch. The flavors where there, it was a good sauce, and the meat inside the lasagna was so tender and flavorful. All of the pasta was also tender- the creaminess of the ricotta just enhanced the dish so nicely.
Finally, as I usually do when I try a new place- I looked over the dessert menu. The waitress recommended the Chocolate Mousse cake. The mousse was light and fluffy and the cake was soft. There was some chocolate shavings on top, but then they killed it for me by dousing the whole thing in raspberry and chocolate syrup. I could have done without the sauces. It just looked a little cluttered on the plate- sometimes less is more, and in this case that would have been true.
I enjoyed talking with Labi, the manager of Napoli's. He told me he hails from Venice and is still getting used to being in Missouri, but he likes it. He asked me how the food was and told me about their other locations. The Lee's Summit location is still waiting for their liquor license (I mean you gotta have a little vino with dinner), but he's hoping it will come in soon. I am happy that there is a new Italian business here in my town. There is always room for improvement, even in the best restaurants. Napoli's is still young, give 'em time and I think they'll be just fine.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Please visit this locally owned business and see if you agree!