Nello's Place — Restaurant in Redding

My girlfriend and I arrived a little early for our reservation and were told we could grab a drink at the bar while waiting. Sounds lovely in theory. In practice? It felt more like we were sent to the penalty box.

Enter: the bartender. An older gentleman who radiated all the warmth of a parking ticket. Ordering a drink from him was like trying to barter with a moody toddler who skipped nap time and now resents your existence. Grumbling, curt, visibly annoyed—we weren’t sure if we were interrupting him or if his job was just to keep people away from the bar.

It quickly became clear why the bar was empty. Honestly, it would’ve been more relaxing to stare at the host stand and wait in silence. A friendly note to the waitstaff: unless the goal is to humble your guests before dinner, maybe skip suggesting a pre-dinner drink at the bar.

Thankfully, once we were seated, the evening took a turn for the better. The servers at our table were outstanding—welcoming, attentive, and kind. Absolutely five-star service once we left the bar’s gravitational pull.

Unfortunately, the bartender's sour presence didn't stay behind. From our seats, we could still hear his booming voice echoing from the bar, like a cranky foghorn drifting through the dining room. Not exactly the ambiance you want with your entrée.

I’ve heard he's a relative of the Nello family, which might explain how someone so fundamentally allergic to customer service is still employed. Were he not family, I imagine his position would have been eliminated somewhere around the Bush administration.

To sum it up: food was decent, table service exceptional, and the bartender… a truly unforgettable reminder that not everyone should be in...

Aspects of the good were excellent, like the main dishes. We placed a phone order and picked up for our anniversary. I had Chicken Parm (reported as their signature dish by friends) and it did not disappoint! The chicken was so perfectly cooked, tender and juicy, the flavors were amazing. My wife had cheese ravioli in a cream sauce and it reminded her of the flavors from our honeymoon in Firenze, IT. The bread was delicious and a perfect accompaniment to out food. The soup, salad, and antipasto did leave us scratching our heads and questioning our decision to do a pickup on such a spendy meal...

Service was top notch. Everyone was dressed to the nines, buzzing around, constantly checking in with me, and threw in a slice of the most delectable chocolate cake when I mentioned our anniversary. Salt I didn't catch any names, but I'm pretty sure everyone there is a class act based on my observations. I also need to apologize for my math on the tip... So, I'm sorry about that

Atmosphere seemed a little dated, but everything looked clean and well maintained. The murals were awesome! It was romantically darkened, but still well enough lit that you wouldn't be left stumbling in the dark. Also a little noisy, but from the conversations in the room as a proper Italian restaurant should be focusing on the relationships. I didn't see anyone being rushed out at the end of a meal, again as a proper Italian restaurant should be handled.

In the end, we'll be back when our personal circumstances allow an in...

We attended Nello's Place for a late night Sunday dinner (730). We were promptly greeted, asked if we had a reservation, which we did not, but we're immediately seated. The booth was a little tight (immovable, but tolerable). Our waiter was quick to take our drink order. We were prepared with our dinner order, so he took that at the same time. I ordered the Eggplant parmesan with sauce on the side and my husband ordered Fetticini Alfredo.They came with your choice of soup or salad and also bread and butter. For the salad, that came with our meal there is only one salad dressing oil/vinegar, mixed at the table. Bay Shrimp was offered as an options as was shredded blue cheese. The salad had no other veggies other than lettuce but it was fresh and the blue cheese shreds were a added bonus of flavor. The minestrone soup was also offered with parmesean. A antipasto small plate was provided with 3 slices each of mozzarella cheese/salami, olives, tuna salad and pepperocini peppers. The actual dinners were served piping hot and my husband was thrilled with his Alfredo. My eggplant was hot, cooked thru, covered in melted cheese. There were approx. 6 small slices 1/2 dollar size. I thought it might be served with a side of pasta but it was not. I have both ordered and made eggplant parm before that was superior to this one. I will probably make another choice on our next trip there. Service was quick on the clean-up and taking of payment. Leftovers were boxed...