La Palina — Restaurant in New York

The last time I dined at this restaurant was about 20 yrs ago & it was fabulous. It was so good I suggested to a friend ( that used to live in the neighborhood & is spending some time here again from California ) that we go there for dinner - Since she had never been. I'm sorry to say it was very disappointing. From the service & ultimately to the food....the baked clams had no taste, ordered a salad with no dressing & it arrived at the table with dressing - when I asked the waiter if it had dressing on it - he told me it did, ( I told him I specifically asked for no dressing - his response was " well that's the way we serve it - with dressing - you should have said you didn't want dressing ) ** I can tell you something but I cannot think for you & make you understand it * As for the entree, the " broiled " fillet of sole was more like poached, however I will say the dressing on the side was tasty & the spinach that accompanied it was good too. I was looking forward to the Italian cheesecake that looked wonderful, but in this case - looks were deceiving. All toll, the $ 160 that this bad experience came to was wasted! *PS : a minor, but important detail - when the waiter was asked for 2 straws, when drinks were ordered, never got them ( I had to get up myself & walk over to the bar to get them, because I was so aggravated with the waiter I didn't even want to ask him again ! ) Normally, because of Covid & how the restaurant industry has suffered for so long, I would leave at least a 30 % tip ( & more if the service, food & overall experience was outstanding ) I will say the waiter did bring a small side dish of potato croquettes & fried zucchini strips complimentary, if it hadn't been for that, I really didn't want to leave any tip at all ! But I couldn't find it in my heart to do that - especially with how the past year has been. Also didn't want to penalize the other waiter who helped out, & couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating! Only once in my life did I leave a penny tip on the table to send a very clear message to the waiter that you really shouldn't be in a service industry if you aren't both willing & able to provide at least minimally good service. Needless to say, this is the last time I will be going to this establishment! ( They are also very lucky I am not a published restaurant critic ! ) At the very least, I hope they learn from this review & make the very badly needed improvements!!

• By the way ... For those who say I am one of those people who have nothing nice to say & find fault with everything, you may want to read my review of 2 other restaurants I recently dined at : Nick's Lobster - on Flatbush Ave & Mama Rao's on 11 th Ave ( I guess to get decent service & food at La Palina I have to either be Joe Causi or an Elvis...

I often get nervous when trying a restaurant for the first time. For some reason I try to interpret the bad reviews. Which is what I did before making reservations at La Palina. An Italian restaurant in a section of Brooklyn I rarely have reason to be in. Difficult to park (if you prefer not to valet, which is an option). We were seated near the kitchen, but I had a view of the dimly lit, aged restaurant. Service was slow to begin. Then the bus boy greeted us with water. Then bread. Then garlic bread. Then he lit the candle on the table. Then the server took our drink order, and things progressed quickly, and perfectly. Baked clams: delicious. Mussels marinara: perfection. Ravioli. Chicken rollatini. Zucchini (on the house). I never order cappachino, but I did this time. Delicious. Servers seemed to be on the job for many years, but instead of having an attitude, they excude professionalism. And very reasonably priced. Problem was I felt the ‘regulars’ ( and just about everyone else in the place was a regular; whenever someone new walked in they made the rounds, hugging & kissing the people seated) got...

Walking to the subway and looked over. The sign screamed at me: OLD SCHOOL ITALIAN. I went with my gut. Warmly welcomed and seated. Comfortable vibe. Carlos was an awesome server and took care of me with humour and kindness. Fast like lightening and on point with recommendations. Thank you friend. Michael bussed my table and chatted with me intelligently. I enjoyed sangria, several glasses of the house Chianti, a half order of the vodka pasta and a dish that involved thinly sliced rolled veal stuffed with prosciutto, soft cheese and surrounded by braised mushrooms in Marsala sauce with deep fried zucchini and arancini. If you don’t like the food or service here you need to get your head examined. First trip to NYC. Tired and battered after 2 days of terrible conference food and a fully drained social battery. I’m from a small town in BC Canada but well travelled and I love to cook and eat. Well done team. I honestly felt like I had been welcomed into a warm Italian home. No matter where I stay in the city next time I will be back. Sincere thanks to the team. You made my day. Actually emotional...