| Spoodles |
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| Boardwalk |
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| Dinner |
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| Date of Visit: |
2/11/2007 |
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| Time of Visit: |
17:10 |
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| Adults in Party: |
4 |
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| Children in Party: |
2 |
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| Total Cost: |
$148.72 |
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| Average Price Per Adult: |
$35.18 |
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| Ten Point Scale |
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| Food: |
8.5 |
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| Value: |
8.5 |
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| Service: |
7.0 |
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| Environment: |
8.5 |
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| Overall Rating: |
8.1 |
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An amalgam of "spoon" and "noodles," Spoodles sounds like, and looks like, a fun place to eat, especially once you factor in the men throwing pizzas high into the air and the whimsical (some would say "demented") creatures piloting ridiculous blimp models hanging from the ceiling. But somehow the place manages to be just a restaurant, and a noisy one at that, without any real character.
The service on our visit was very slow. Despite the ADR and very uncrowded conditions when we arrived (some 80% of the tables were empty), we had a five minute wait before being seated. Throughout the evening, we found the server about five or ten minutes more delayed than would have been ideal. He also was not attentive about drinks. That the meal had to last two hours is inexcusable. This wasn't fine dining drawn out into multiple courses; this was just poor service.
The sangria pitcher ($18) is a good value for filling 4-5 glasses, but most items on the menu are not constructed with value in mind. The garlic shrimp appetizer ($10) is three large prawns - tasty and succulent, but expensive. The Greek salad ($6.50) was nothing special, and felt slapped together.
We found the oak-fired salmon ($20) to the be premier dish here: smoky in flavor, and just right in both flakiness and moisture, two things very hard to get right in salmon. The lemon chicken ($19.50) was also good, though less remarkable in its mixture of flavors. The sausage rigatoni ($17) allowed itself to explore bolder Italian flavors and heavy fennel, and while the dish "worked," it was possible to have too much of a good thing. The fettuccine alfredo ($17) was entirely pro forma: you can find better at a local Olive Garden, and at a substantial savings.
The kids' meals were fine, though the chicken noodle soup was mostly taste-free. Don't miss the zesty, flavorful olive compote and olive oil that is served with dinner rolls, themselves fresh. The bread was one of the best things about this meal.
The dessert sampler included gelato, vanilla creme brulee, and chocolate apricot pistachio cake. At $11, it's a luxury - but then isn't dessert always?