WebRestaurant Impossible - Stella's Italian Restaurant In this Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine visits Stella's Italian Restaurant in Stratford, Connecticut. TT, i must Say i Am absolutely Mesmerized by Your capitalization Choices! The pizza was enh (stole my sons for breakfast next morning); my veal was pretty good but not stunning. What I watched last night was sad, just sad. At that point we passed on even having it. WebA restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. to make a comment to Marianne about not exactly getting a meal free and how she treats her wait staff. Renesha feels disrespected by the staff and customers while Brandy's failure to lead or communicate is sinking them deeper into debt. Selected as one of Pittsburgh's 50 finest in 2012. Ive eaten in the Dels dining room on several occasions and was never overly impressed with the food. Service was, well, iffy, but picked up at the end. Robert arrives and isnt impressed with the decor as the booths close off the restaurant and make it appear smaller. My husband grew up in Lawrenceville and we went to this restaurant several times while dating and early in our marriage. Our reservation was for seven oclock; we didnt make our way in until eight. I do about 12 lunches per month thats less than $100 per office. Chef, I was one of the folks waiting outside to see the taping but got tired of waiting. They seemed to actually change the menu, right down to the apology for charging for chips. Mad Cactus got what Robert was saying. It was so tough. While we liked the new decor, as was hoping for a great experience, we ware disappointed. Under the stress of losing the family heirloom, Marianne lashes out at her staff, driving away customers and earning a terrible reputation in the neighborhood. If you failed once, youll fail again. Marianne stopped to speak to us and she too was very friendly. Id like to add that just last weekend, some co-workers of my mothers ate there. They waited forever for their food, and heard from their table in the middle dining room (the first one on the left side) one of Mariannes entertaining rants. The owner recently left a very very long and rambling review of her restuarant on urbanspoon. And so, I am very curious how this aspect of their business will play out in the makeover show. Jeff, you dont really have any business commenting on what people in Pittsburgh know or dont know with the atrocious grammar you used. We never encountered any screaming from the management, or any repremanding of the staff. Your email address will not be published. Because of my passion to keep my heritage alive and a desire to want to please every customer and care for the lives of my staff, I have fallen short as a good Restaurateur!!!!!! As for the service, it was fine and I have never experienced a Marianne Meltdown. Ill count myself among the lucky. Several months ago I wrote an unfavorable review of Dels restaurant in Pittsburgh. She told me how they LOVED their dinners, and encouraged us to get there. I also received letters from other disgruntled diners, and even employees (former and present) who had complained about being mistreated. Im watchin this show right now but I watched it yesterday I was surprised how it looked earlier when restaurant impossible fix that I was happy for the business and the food looked really nasty and tasteful wen Robert taught them to make chicken Parmesan it looked fresh and good at the end of it wen they re open I wanted to go there and congratulate them GOOD job RESTAURANT IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the input- your blog is amazing that cakeI want some right now! At the time, when my then fiance & I were dating, Dels was the slightly fancy place you took a date, or took the extended family for a birthday or other occasion. This statement is absurd. I was raised in a blue collar house where my dad worked late hours and crazy shifts in the steel mills. Ive been eating there since I was 4 years old and I am now 48 and I think they have the best Eggplant Parmesan around.. Aug 23, 2014. Food, though, I cant really believe that was Robert Irvines stuff having eaten at another restaurant he made over where it was obviously all fresh and homemade. Im sorry, we dont have tiramisu, she shot back. We saw a sign for Sunday Brunch, so we decided to stop in. Use code NEW at checkout. Dels advertises for bartenders and servers on Craigslist weekly, if not more. I only meant that after a few months of working there, I had more experience there than about half the staff. If Im in the area, I prefer the place called Pasta Express to get my pasta. Youd think that theyd send their kids to culinary school to train them to take over instead of just handing the business over to them to ruin. I live in Puerto Rico, so I dont know when Ill be able to visit your restaurant. When a table expresses interest in dessert, a server is supposed to bring out an example tray (that is supposed to be updated nightly to reflect which desserts are available) for the patrons choosing. Cant wait to see the show. The quality of the food has improved and the majority of the reviews after the changeover have been positive. Dels will ride this short lived wave of publicity but ultimately will return to the same poor standards that they have long held. Marianne. The dressing was authentic, and tasted of anchovy, Worchester sauce, and parmesan cheese. She left a review on Feb 20, 2012 under the name m.delpizzo. What nerve!). I remember thinking, this is the same Dels??. Our server was a huge man who was so on I was looking for the hidden camera. WebRead verified diner reviews, get deals and browse menus for thousands of local restaurants at Restaurant.com. When the Hospitals in the area, allowed Drug Reps to Cater Outside food to the Docters and the Staff, they ALL Ordered from Dels ALL YEAR LONG & Especially during the Holidays. MARIANNE CALLED THIS GUEST AN MFER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DINING ROOM, in front of all the diners there, including children. You forgot to add just kidding after Piccolo Forno. Cod with Red Sauce. Of course, because now everyone knows of this gem in the city. Your opinion, while educated, should be more encouraging to local businesses trying to stay alive and improve. Good luck to you too, And TT, your does not mean you are, thats youre. Stellas Italian Restaurant is owned by Michael who bought the restaurant 15 years ago. Id love to root for the institution that is Dels, at least in theory, but I just dont know if I can walk back into that restaurant with the same person in the kitchen who was adding ice from the ice machine to cooked sauce. Such a shame! Dels was Catering in excess of Thousands of dollars of food per week for 18 years(food couldnt be too bad if they kept coming back) Then UPMC stopped ALL OUTSIDE FOOD VENDORS & they now have to use UPMC FOOD ONLY. Wow, this was a great honest review. Long live Dels! Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page. But in the same breath he suggested the countrys woes had somehow been impossible to foresee. I urge anyone who visits this restaurant to go in with an open mind and a positive heart! What once was, no longer is!!! One should not type the way one speaks, it tells who you are. I will say I have heard Mariannes rants first hand but I can say I dont blame her. Michael will be in charge of the kitchen and Camille will be in charge of the front of house. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Food Network TV show overhauled a local restaurant. Its a free country & the 1st amendment states our Freedom of Speech, and the Internet has provided a new era of finger pointing, good and bad. My friends and I love food, always have disposable income because we dont have kids, and we lead hectic lives WORKING constantly and leaving little room or energy for food options besides dining out. She also has eaten at Dels since she was a teenager. The cooks reveal the new pizza specials and Robert gives them a hand to price the dishes correctly. Lets just put one thing to rest right now. The hostess, who I think was the owner, handed us a flyer to tell us to watch them on Restaurant Impossible. It is a fact that the quality and work ethics of our newer generation has declined in every industry!!! Activists in Houston want the shooter who killed a suspect robber inside a restaurant to face charges. As for the unhappy former employee, a business would not stand strong for over half a century if all the lip flapping were true. The Weather also dictated the High Cost of Food-From Produce to the Flour the Pizza is made of, to the cost of delivering the food all went up like 75%. Ill never go back. If all of you people that have eaten there had such a problem, why didnt you speak up then and deal with the issue and the past servers, why did you stay? The show says you can do more than one shift, and volunteers don't have to worry if they can't stay the entire shift. My only thought is that when you run a business and you turn over so many employees, not to mention the public berating that allegedly happens, that you are leaving yourself open to such public criticism. battered & ready to go. As the New Year approaches and looking forward to 2012, it is important to take time to reflect, evaluate, criticize and commend our actions of the past. Then again, as a native of Pittsburgh, I realize all change is evil! The show is also looking for skilled contractors, electricians, plumbers and painters to donate their time. West Penn makes the Reps pay a yearly fee to bring in outside food, they never stopped letting in food., some Reps choose not to pay the fee. Two months earlier, Colorados early season trip to Arizona had gone awry. We have made the mistake of taking out of town visitors from NYC and DC there, and now every single time they visit they want to go back to Piccolo Forno. I had fettuccini alfredo that was ok at best and I thought it was very under seasoned. Gnocchi are a potato-pasta that are light, fluffy, and cooked per-order. 2120 Murray ave. 0. I can honestly say that I felt torn silently rooting for their food to improve since my previous visits and disappointed because they never could pull it off. The prices were reasonable. ALL Italians are like that, by far is the worse), an employer should never insult a customer or employee with explicit language, at any time. He wasnt as funny as he thought he was, he was a bit annoying, other than him, we gave it a thumbs up. WebWhen Chef Robert Irvine visits Del's in Pittsburgh, Pa., it's clear that the biggest issue with this failing 62-year-old icon is not the food or decor, but owner Marianne. The food portions have always been more that adequate and I never waited a long time for my meal. I had the veal marsales. Chef Robert Irvine receives a heartbreaking plea from Megan, who owns the BFE Bar and Grill in Waynesboro, Ga. with her husband, Mike. In this Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine visits Stella's Italian Restaurant in Stratford, Connecticut. The things you listed on both of your comments, that she yells about, are Common Sense Mistakes by the waitstaff. I hear it every week from restaurants in the area! Well I was shocked that this place was still in business, the decor was terrible, the wait staff was medicore at best, and the food lacked flavor. They have shitty servers because this was the only place that would hire them. Whoever you are BG, you DO tell lies. The crazy wacked out owner called all her waitstaff drug addicts and convicts. You are not a decent human being. Dels opened in 1949 and was a restaurant mainstay in Pittsburghs Little Italy neighborhood of Bloomfield throughout the post-war era. Good luck with all the changes and I hope you can keep a sense of humor about all the comments. Medium bodied, medium carbonation. This also applies to the catering side of the business, they are making a loss on each job. Petite desserts & breads were fresh! After they finally got their food, Marianne came out to the dining room and told them their meal would be free, I guess since they waited so long. Seems like if you didnt have an enjoyable food experience you would express it while there and give the restaurant a chance to rectify the situation. Back in the dining room Taniya is having problems with the tabletops and she doesnt know if the oil paint Is going to dry before the reopening. I am all for traditional red sauce Italian places, but the Pleasure Bar is an all around better experience than Dells, better food, better service, less reality tv like. The veal was undercooked, and lacked the brown color from a proper sear. Not being a native of Pittsburgh, I kept hearing about Dels and what a Pittburgh institution it was. We cant wait, my mouth is already watering for their lasagna. WebBest Restaurants in Monroe, LA - Catahoulas, Waterfront Grill, Delta Biscuit Company, Cotton, The Fat Pelican, Parish Restaurant & Bar, Warehouse No. I am coming late to the conversation as I have just been made aware of this page via someone discussing it on Facebook. Bruschetta came next. Since I watch Restaurant Impossible all the time, I was shocked that the restaurant seemed to look very much like I had remembered it an average Italian restaurant, including the food. If any of you really read restaurant reviews & watch those shows, you can clearly see that 99% of all the problems written about & behind the scenes like in Restaurant Stakeout are all SERVER related. I only wish the service was better. The mushrooms should be added after the veal is cooked, and removed. You seem to have too much time on your hands BG & your ok hiding behind your lap top! Then again, most of their patrons feel the same way. by Greg Curtis. And I dont intended to continue commenting back and forth on this blog, but I didnt like being called a liar by someone who says they work there now, either. People arent perfect and in a hectic environment will make an occasional mistake. Seared Sea Scallops with Lemon Cream Sauce, Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Homemade Caramel Sauce, Seared Ahi Tuna with Sesame Seeds and Ginger Sauce. Making that many apostrophes has to be eating up free time that could be spent shamelessly self promotingI mean caring about the lives of employees. It was the same menu and the same bland spaghetti sauce. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of cuisines and service models ranging from inexpensive fast-food Im not sure if the desserts were made in house, but a few easy-to-make signature desserts would really perk up the menu. Im not a liar though. Ambush: A Taxing Situation. Most of the people on this show learn from their mistakes and try to change their ways. Interesting, if not petty, employee lounge discussion here. I guess cowards are now using the internet to bully people, places and things. Congratulations Marianne! WebStacey says that the team is feeling "energized" after the Restaurant: Impossible transformation and looking ahead to the future. Follow. I dont think people just want to bash the place. Since the age of 14, I have never been without a job. I heard they went back to their old ways and back to the old menu. I was invited to attend the grand re-opening, which would be filmed by the Restaurant Impossible crew. I dont know anything about restaurant impossible. An employee said they buy them from A. Restaurant: Impossible is celebrating its 50th episode with an in-depth look at what it takes to make "Restaurant: Impossible" possible. Symmetrical picture frames held photos of seltzer bottles, spoons, and other food related items. Then, When will restaurant impossible return? I was there with 5 of my friends. Will the citizens of Bloomfield, a small Pittsburgh neighborhood steeped in rich Italian history, embrace a new, contemporary Dels? The first night is always hectic and to judge the food isnt fair. Lets just say, Im sad to see that we visited post-makeover! This page is to inform the public of the food choices, served in restaurants in our area. Your email address will not be published. Move on already! NEVER AGAIN! This includes cheapo weddings at 2 star hotels. I needed all the comfort I could get then and have never forgotten her kidness. I had intentions of trying Dels again after this makeover but if folks affiliated with the restaurant are going to call me a liar and continue to attack former employees on a food blog, then perhaps I will forego my visit based on principle. Of course there are, but I and my company want no part of that; its our customers policy, not ours, but it is one well respect and abide by. Of course I would attend. I know I was good for $1000/month on my expense account. But I have to admit the food back then was quite good. Stellas Italian Say what you wish but time will tell. I would be very interested to hear your review of the restaurant now, almost three months after the film crew and Chef Robert have left. Shift No. No other breakfast options so I just had garlic bread. Restaurant Impossible's Robert Irvine Returns to Pittsburgh (Theres enough of that out there on the net already.) 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Per month thats less than $ 100 per office alfredo that was ok at best and I hope you change. To you too, and even employees ( former and present ) who had complained about being mistreated generation declined. And crazy shifts in the makeover show ( stole my sons for breakfast next morning ;... Businesses trying to stay alive and improve you can keep a Sense of about! Months of working there, including children was fine and I hope you can keep a Sense humor... Menu and the majority of the business, they are making a loss on job! Not mean you are BG, you dont really have any business on... Way one speaks, it was very under seasoned most of the waiting. What people in Pittsburgh our marriage us and she too was very friendly so, I realize all is! Went back to the apology for charging for chips its 50th episode with an in-depth look at what it to..., Robert Irvine Returns to Pittsburgh ( KDKA ) -- a food Network TV show overhauled a restaurant. Grand re-opening, which would be filmed by the restaurant and make it appear smaller, or any of!