Del’s Restaurant
Del’s Restaurant
Del’s Restaurant
Several months ago I wrote an unfavorable review of Del’s restaurant in Pittsburgh. The article got a lot of attention from loyal Del’s diners. How could I criticize a Pittsburgh staple? I also received letters from other disgruntled diners, and even employees (former and present) who had complained about being mistreated. Eventually, I received a call from the Food Network show. In doing pre-show research, they had come across my review. One of the producers from the show Restaurant Impossible called asking if I would be interested in participating. They were coming to town to do a complete makeover of the restaurant. I wasn’t told specifically what I would be doing, but that didn’t matter; this was Food Network after all!
On Thursday, a crew was to arrive at my work and do some filming. Long story short: I got an e-mail a few minutes before they were to arrive stating that they would not be able to make it down.
“There’s drama on the set; this is reality TV… we’re so sorry!” I was told.
I was invited to attend the grand re-opening, which would be filmed by the Restaurant Impossible crew. Of course I would attend.
Off to the restaurant…
Katie Lane and I made our way to Bloomfield. We noticed a hundred people standing outside the restaurant waiting to get in. Our reservation was for seven o’clock; we didn’t make our way in until eight.
It was difficult to tell what had been done to the interior of Del’s, as it had been quite some time since I was last there. We noticed red shutters that had been placed around some of the lighting fixtures. The floors were covered with a neutral-colored carpet and the tables were white, sans tablecloths. Small vases help fresh tulips, and were placed on every table; nice touch. Symmetrical picture frames held photos of seltzer bottles, spoons, and other food –related items.
“Why wouldn’t they have photos of Pittsburgh on the wall?” Katie Lane asked.
Good question.
One of the oddest design choices was the baby-blue paint that adorned the walls. Light blue paint in an Italian restaurant? Surely they could have come up with a more traditional, appropriate color choice.
The remaining décor was minimal, as was the feeling of warmth.
Del’s Interior
Food
After standing outside for an hour, we were famished and ready to eat. Our starters were Caesar salads, bruschetta and mussels.
Our Caesar salads arrived first. The salad was exceptionally cold and crispy. The dressing was authentic, and tasted of anchovy, Worchester sauce, and parmesan cheese. Large croutons were soaked with the tasty dressing, and the salads were topped with fresh, blonde anchovies. Delicious!
Caesar Salad
Bruschetta came next. Long pieces of toasted bread were topped with a zesty combination of olive, parsley, fresh tomatoes, and fresh lemon juice.
Bruschetta
Although the appetizer was flavorful, it was difficult to cut into shareable pieces. The bruschetta would have been better served on small, bite-sized crostini.
The mussels arrived looking plump and appetizing, but to out dismay were served cold and completely raw.
Mussels
As we waited for our entrees to appear we watched as the Restaurant Impossible crew moved throughout the crowd filming guests as they ate. It was interesting to see how incredibly focused, organized and diligent they were, even after working 36 straight hours. The host of the show moved among the crowd when necessary directing the guests to lower their voices when needed. Food was being served in an organized manner considering the entire restaurant was seated at once (every server’s worst nightmare!)
The entrees arrived, and the first dish was a cod served in red sauce. I didn’t have a chance to try it, but I was told the fish was tasty and fresh.
My veal marsala was… inauthentic. The veal was undercooked, and lacked the brown color from a proper sear. Most troubling was the “gravy” that was served on top of the dish. This particular dish should be served with a sauce that results from sautéed, caramelized mushrooms. The mushrooms should be added after the veal is cooked, and removed. Next, the pan should be de-glazed with veal stock, sweet marsala, and finished with butter, parsley, salt and pepper- NOTHING ELSE.
Cod with Red Sauce
Veal Marsala
Also troubling were the hard, floury gnocchi that accompanied the veal. Gnocchi are a potato-pasta that are light, fluffy, and cooked per-order. Hopefully they will revisit this dish.
Katie Lane’s large portion of osso bucco was tender. The meat was cooked properly, but the dish lacked flavor. As with the marsala, the sauce lacked richness, color, and depth of flavor.
Osso Bucco
As we sipped our coffee, we pondered dessert. We had eaten so much already, but surely could force down some sweet Italian pastry. Our waitress returned to our table, and we placed our dessert order.
“We would like some tiramisu please.”
“I’m sorry, we don’t have tiramisu,” she shot back.
If you own an Italian restaurant it’s a good idea to have tiramisu on the menu- it’s a traditional Italian dessert, and people expect to see it on a dessert menu. It’s also essential to have a cappuccino machine on hand; another missing menu item.
A frozen piece of cheesecake with raspberry coulis, and German chocolate cake eventually made their way to our table. I’m not sure if the desserts were made in house, but a few easy-to-make signature desserts would really perk up the menu.
Cheesecake
Even though food wasn’t on-point this particular evening, we enjoyed watching, and being part of Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible. It’s a gift to have food-service professionals revamp and breathe life into a struggling restaurant, all at no cost to the owners.
Will the citizens of Bloomfield, a small Pittsburgh neighborhood steeped in rich Italian history, embrace a new, contemporary Del’s? And will the owners of Del’s adhere to the new menu and décor?
Only time will tell.
Chef Chuck Kerber
Cooksandeats.com
chuck@cooksandeats.com
You seem to have a mixed review, which makes perfect sense to me based on my past experiences at Del’s. Having previously worked in the Strip, I’ve visited the restaurant several times in the past few years for lunch. 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. I agree with your dinner companion, photos of Pittsburgh on the walls would be preferable to spoons. Although, I’m slightly biased because I am obsessed with my city. Then again, most of their patrons feel the same way.
I personally look forward to giving them another chance (once the hub-bub of the TV show appearance has died down) – the history of the place is irresistible. I can’t help myself – I always root for the underdog.
Do you think you will dine there again?
I’m really not sure- it’s always difficult to get things right the first night. I am hopeful that they will work on some of the dishes like the veal and osso bucco.
I never understood why people liked Del’s so much. I’ve been disappointed the two times I went there. Now, reading your review of the makeover, I am still not sure whether I will ever go there again. If I’m in the area, I prefer the place called Pasta Express to get my pasta. Even Pleasure Bar, a few blocks away, doesn’t make me feel so underwhelmed as much as Del’s.
Thanks for the input- your blog is amazing… that cake…I want some right now!
thesilverliningssaga.blogspot.com
So funny, both Del’s and Pleasure Bar were such parts of my childhood because they’d been so much of my family’s history. Dad from Lawrenceville; Mom from Bloomfield. I believe a friend of a friend of a friend (yeah, no one I know) bought the Pleasure Bar. And my mom shares the funny story of “discovering” pizza pie at Del’s.
I think the criticism of the blue is unfair, because it obviously was playing on the existing blue/white tile, and it would have been wrong to remove that. Overall, I liked the new decor.
We ate at Del’s over the holidays, having been there last year at family gathering (as I said, something of family tradition.) I liked the new decor. Service was, well, iffy, but picked up at the end. My husband speculated they feared we were critics, and, well, I suppose we are, but not professional ones. Food, though, I can’t really believe that was Robert Irvine’s stuff having eaten at another restaurant he made over where it was obviously all fresh and homemade. They seemed to actually change the menu, right down to the apology for charging for chips. But they followed the advice, even where it was problematic. And, to be honest, the chips were quite good, and I recognized I was paying for the salsa bar, which was *excellent*. Mad Cactus got what Robert was saying.
And then Del’s. I can’t believe these were Robert’s recipe’s because I seriously have made better and purchased better in grocery store stock than I tasted in my wedding soup. The pizza was “enh” (stole my son’s for breakfast next morning); my veal was pretty good but not stunning. I can’t even remember what my husband ordered; I just remember he found it “meh.”
They were lovely to my kids, though, which goes a long way in endearing any restaurant staff to me.
Overall, I just don’t think the owners or staff embraced Robert’s vision or menu. And while I didn’t experience that menu, I think it would have been good to branch out. Then again, as a native of Pittsburgh, I realize all change is evil! 🙂
I have to completely agree with the comments above.
We had dinner there tonight and when we had asked for the chicken parmesan, our waiter asked if we had watched Restaurant Impossible. When we said yes, we were told that they went back to the old way of making it as the owners felt that it was still a better production process. At that point we passed on even having it.
We had the breaded mozzarella as an appetizer which was somewhat bland. I had fettuccini alfredo that was ok at best and I thought it was very under seasoned. The Shrimp Scampi from “Restaurant Impossible” was very good according to my boyfriend, and his mother enjoyed the veal parmesan. I tried it and was unimpressed. I had tried the sauce and all I tasted was tomato, again under seasoned. The sauce also did not have the color like the one Chef Robert made, so I assume they went back to their old sauce as well.
While we liked the new decor, as was hoping for a great experience, we ware disappointed. I will not be going back there again.
Wow, this was a great honest review. Glad you got to be a part of it!
Thank you for your honest review.
I’m one of the former mistreated employees of Del’s who commented on your earlier review (http://pittsburghhotplate.com/restaurant-reviews/dels-restaurant-and-bar)
I simply cannot wait for this episode of Restaurant Impossible to air. I hope in doing the pre-show research, the makers of the show came across the many internet reviews out there that speak to the despicable behavior of Marianne DelPizzo towards her employees, in particular the wait staff. I always said, while working there, that Del’s could be a reality show all it’s own. With the constant turnover of servers, there’d be no need to “vote someone off” each week! When my tables became uncomfortable or distressed when overhearing her swearing and screaming during their dinner, I’d try to lighten the mood by smiling and joking, “some restaurants have music, we have… Marianne!”
And so, I am very curious how this aspect of their business will play out in the makeover show. I’m sure the producers wouldn’t have minded any added drama, but I’m also sure that Marianne may have been as sweet and gracious as possible while they were there, if that was what she wished to portray. In fairness, I’ve seen Marianne be very sweet and giving to her friends, and to random customers (during a rare “happy” mood). One time she even gave free pizzas to the firemen who showed up when our alarms went off, though there was no fire anywhere to put out. This doesn’t excuse the near constant abuse that I, and many others, went through during our time there as servers. And for her sake, as well as for the future of Del’s, I hope they find a way to put a stop to it. Imagine if most, or all of the servers there were well-trained, and happy, even proud, instead of terrified, or hate-filled and resentful toward the management. Everyone knows that no matter how great the food is, having a bad (or unhappy) server can negatively affect the dining experience to some extent.
From your second review, it sounds like food-wise at least, not much as has changed, even if a few things on the menu have. I still stand by my previous feelings: some things made there are great, most things there are just all right, and a few things made there are simply awful. You do get a lot of food for your money with the large portions there – which some families just love. Desserts there are not made in house, but bought from an outside vendor. These include a couple flavors of ice cream (there is nearly always Spumoni), a refrigerated cannoli mix that the servers squeeze from a bag into store-bought cannoli shells when ordered, and a couple of different types of cakes and pies. 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. I’m not sure this was the experience you had, but you’re right – they should have tiramisu on the dessert menu! (They should probably HAVE a dessert menu!)
I hope that some of the $10,000 from the Restaurant Impossible show made for a much better (and less dangerous) kitchen space. And I hope the owners will continue to improve on the menu and decor. As a lover of Pittsburgh and of Bloomfield, I want Del’s to thrive and survive there another 60 years as a family owned business and Italian tradition. I just hope that the absolute craziness I experienced there is “made over” for the better, as well.
If you knew anything about “Restaurant Impossible” you would know that the menu for the grand re opening, is done by Chef Robert Irvine, down to the spices and the desserts. Del’s does carry Tiramisu. Whoever you are BG, you DO tell lies. You were never the head of the waitstaff. No such person exits. And yes everyone knows Marianne & her entertaining rants. The things you listed on both of your comments, that she yells about, are Common Sense Mistakes by the waitstaff. No wonder the woman is so frustrated. When people are hired to wait tables and claim to have all the experience in the world, and they lie about it, whats a person to do? After reading all the negative comments about her, my suggestion to her would be to Fire People! She does have a lot of waitstaff, that not now or ever has been screamed at! Hmm… could it be they know what their doing, and are there to make money & not feed into, work related drama? You seem to have too much time on your hands BG & your ok hiding behind your lap top! Good Luck to whoever you work for! Sign me-Part of Del’s Waitstaff for over 5 years and I Love It!
reusing bread that’s been served to customers is “common sense”? gross!
TT,
I don’t know anything about “restaurant impossible”. And maybe tiramisu is one of the desserts bought by the outside vendor. I’m not a liar though. I never claimed I was “head of the waitstaff”. I only meant that after a few months of working there, I had more experience there than about half the staff. There are a few workers there that have lasted a life time or a few years, some months, but the rest are a part of an ever revolving door of hiring and firing. I think it only aggravates Marianne’s temper to always have new people who don’t know what they’re doing.
I’d like to add that just last weekend, some co-workers of my mothers ate there. They’d been going there for years and were out to celebrate a birthday. 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 Marianne’s “entertaining rants”. The rant included a berating of their waitress who took an order for gnocci, not knowing that the kitchen was out. And about how maybe Marianne needed to “take a little pill” to calm down. The waitress came back later in tears and got a new order from them. 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. When the check came, they charged for only one meal, and the pizza they’d order to go was not on the slip. So things got worse when this had to be fixed. The guy customer, whose birthday it was, had the um, I don’t know what you’d call it actually, nerve maybe? to make a comment to Marianne about not exactly getting a meal free and how she treats her wait staff. And TT, this is just for you – I can also use capital letters (sorry for yelling, everyone else) –
MARIANNE CALLED THIS GUEST AN MF’ER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DINING ROOM, in front of all the diners there, including children.
I stand by what I said, in each of my comments. Ask ANYONE in Bloomfield about “Scarianne”, they’ll tell you.
P.S. I really do want only the best for Bloomfield and for Pittsburgh. Good luck to you too, And TT, “your” does not mean “you are”, that’s “you’re”.
Del’s advertises for bartenders and servers on Craigslist weekly, if not more. That alone says something isn’t right.
That being said, perhaps “every new hire is terrible”…and it is completely the work ethic and lack of skills of what appears to be an insanely high turnover rate for one little restaurant…but I know an excellent bartender with a good following who didn’t make it there…and it had nothing to do with her or her attitude or her work ethic or her bartending knowledge but rather the lady in charge. And her bar is always empty — which is sad. The other bars around there (Howlers, BBT, Lot 17, etc) have a fair to large amount of clientele.
I, personally, would never spend a dime there. Literally.
TT is a plant by the restaurant management.
TT – you have no idea what you are talking about. Or a plant by managment trying to discredit BG.
BG – You are spot on. The high turn over was always due to Marianne being a crazy loon. Servers that were worth a damn always quit and found someplace better. They have shitty servers because this was the only place that would hire them. To this day, I don’t know why I stayed so long…
I hope that the “new Marianne” sticks. She’s not a bad person at heart – just lacks basic social skills.
TT, i must Say i Am absolutely Mesmerized by Your capitalization Choices! del’s is Easily The worst restaurant i’ve Ever Eaten At in pittsburgh. if You Really like working there, You should Think About replying to All of The craigslist Posts that Former Employees of the Restaurant have Made telling people Not to Support the restaurant!
As a business owner myself, I am appalled to see employer bashing on this web page. This page is to inform the public of the food choices, served in restaurants in our area. After reading Chef Chucks review, makes me more inclined to visit Del’s myself. As a lover of the Food Network and of Chef Irvine, I can’t wait to taste the difference. The first night is always hectic and to judge the food isn’t fair. In the next few weeks, I will defiantly be eating at Del’s! As for the unhappy former employee, a business would not stand strong for over half a century if all the lip flapping were true. As for Del’s going on Restaurant Impossible, in these trying times to make a change, my hats off to you. Anything positive to the community and for Pittsburgh, is a big plus!
Mandy-
Being a business owner does not absolve anyone from criticism.
I agree that this page is to inform people about their food choices. You may be surprised to learn that many people make choices on where to spend money based on how the owners treat their employees. An example of this on a national scale would be people that refuse to shop at WalMart due to employee mistreatment.
As for the unhappy employee, I absolutely believe what that commenter said. I have witnessed on several occasions the owners being very nasty with the waitstaff.
I am further inclined to believe that commenter’s word over the owner’s at Del’s after essentially being called a liar in my comment on the old review. (synopsis: I shared my experience of poor service and being served bow tie pasta that had not been drained properly. Commenter TT, who makes claims of being affiliated with the restaurant, comments that bow tie pasta has never been served. What nerve!)
I never intended to be commenting back and forth on this blog, but I felt compelled to respond to you since I have seen the employee abuse, even as a casual diner.
I had intentions of trying Del’s 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.
Thank you, Pittsburghsteve. I didn’t mean to turn Chef Chuck’s page into a Marianne-bashing conversation. (There’s enough of that out there on the net already.) And I don’t intended to continue commenting back and forth on this blog, but I didn’t like being called a liar by someone who says they work there now, either. Thanks for standing up for me.
One should not type the way one speaks, it tells who you are. This is such a shame and a waste of energy. The place lives on, she is still the owner. Move on already!
With all due respect to everyone,
I have never eaten at Del’s but I did see the show and I like to read up on the makeovers to see how they are doing.
This page seems to have a lot of former employees and pr plants bickering. 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.
This is in response to BG, you probably still work at Del’s as I read between the lines. 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. You ‘FOODIES’ out there can criticize the Food all you want. When the Hospitals in the area, allowed Drug Reps to Cater Outside food to the Docters and the Staff, they ALL Ordered from Del’s ALL YEAR LONG & Especially during the Holidays. Del’s was Catering in excess of Thousands of dollars of food per week for 18 years(food couldn’t be too bad if they kept coming back) Then UPMC stopped ALL OUTSIDE FOOD VENDORS & they now have to use UPMC FOOD ONLY. Then St Francis Hospital closed & the same with West Penn & the economy took a HARD HIT. 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%. So Del’s like other Small Business Owners, got Hit Hard too. And I’m sure alot of ‘Small Business’ Owners, starting yelling a little louder at incompetent Servers.So like it or Not-Del’s is here to Stay.Every year a Server gets angry at Marianne & with malicious intent, goes from website to website to tell their version of what they want you to think happen. They seem to leave out, their part of what REALLY Happened! There are 2 sides to every story, as the old saying goes. Just no one has the time to go out and battle them all. I made the time today to address this, beacause it was brought to my attention and we think we know who this may be.So Touche’ to you BG!
My comments are for rcgb’s entry on December 7..
Excellent summary of the entire scene. Most of this whole series of rants is immature and self-serving.
My wife and I enjoyed a very nice lunch mid-afternoon on Sat. Jan 7. We experienced none of the drama expressed in too many wasted words on both sides of the issues on this website.
I commend Marianne and John DelPizzo for having the honesty to request help.
Reminder to writers and diners: this is food, not rocket science. If you can’t make it better at home, stay away from your keyboard. Interact with your servers. You will have a much better experience.
Hung around del’s the night of the Restaurant Impossible grand opening, I over heard the TV crew outside in the parking lot say how shocked he was working in such an old building, how clean everything was. Caught my interest, as I have never been to Dels. So I made my way for lunch today & found it quite cozy cool. Food was pretty good too & pretty cheap for lunch, under $10. Next trip in, I’m going to make it for dinner & will be back with my thoughts then.
Thanks Scott- keep us informed!
Driving by Del’s last night with friends, decided this was the night to stop back in. Every room was crowded and we were lucky to get a table. We ordered pasta mafalda, lasagna, spaghetti ala dino & a steak salad(wrote them down so I could blog this, lol) food was prompt and very good, considering how crowded they were, the owner was so funny and entertaining we laughed all night. Our server was a huge man who was so on I was looking for the hidden camera. He wasn’t as funny as he thought he was, he was a bit annoying, other than him, we gave it a thumbs up. Then the karaoke started at the bar(not a big karaoke fan) but we did migrate to that area. We met new people, had so much fun, we closed the place at 2 am! Added the place to our mobile check in and we all agreed to return next month and do it all again! Thanks Chef Chuck for pointing this place out!
Thanks for the update Scott!
and as for chef chuck i am alittle takin back by people that call themselves chef. i cant comment or have a opinion at the moment but as for my opinion is that most people in pittsburgh know about as much about food as they do driving on the parkways and thats crap.so to that i would say pittsburgh keep your mouth shut unless your shoving cheese or fries in it!
Jeff, you don’t really have any business commenting on what people in Pittsburgh know or don’t know with the atrocious grammar you used. Seriously, don’t bother trying to diss people when you are just making yourself look like a total moron. And tool.
Interesting, if not petty, employee lounge discussion here. I’ve eaten in the Del’s dining room on several occasions and was never overly impressed with the food. As for the service, it was fine and I have never experienced a “Marianne Meltdown.” I’ll count myself among the lucky. I don’t consider myself a “foodie,” but I feel like I know when I’m eating a flavorful, well-executed dish and Del’s just has never done that for me. Having said that, I have used Del’s catering and for a tray of pasta, a tray of salad, and some bread, it’s a pretty foolproof way to feed 20 people affordably. I’ll give it another try just to see what happened after the Restaurant Impossible makeover. Now, I have eaten in the bar, usually sandwiches and pizza. And I have to say, THAT is where my money is: the grand, storefront windows allow in a lot of light, good sandwiches, and I really like Del’s pizza. I’m really surprised that they don’t have more bar patrons for lunch –not drinkers, but people who want to grab a sandwich at the bar, tune in the news, and escape the “dungeon-like” atmosphere of most dining rooms, Del’s included. On a related note: It was West Penn that never allowed outside caterers. UPMC didn’t care where the food came from. West Penn closed, and UPMC instituted an outright BAN on drug/device/diagnostics lunches. That hit this place hard. I know I was good for $1000/month on my expense account. Just an example of the unintended consequences on local businesses of UPMC’s new policy –apparently they felt a plate of pasta might sway a doctor’s medical opinion because, you know, after 7+ years of education and training, a plate of pasta is so worth throwing it all down the drain. I hear it every week from restaurants in the area!
As a drug rep in the Oakland, Shadyside, Bloomfield area for 15 years, let me put my two cents in. 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. I still send food from Angelos, Alexanders & Del’s. UPMC did NOT ban lunches, only from outside sources, UPMC food was and is allowed. There are ways to get around it, as I and many Reps have found to do. I’ve never had a complaint from anyone of the food I send, and most offices request what they prefer, and Del’s seems to be their choice more than the others. Alexanders is a close second and they Love Angelos pizza. When we have or monthly meetings, afterwards we go to Del’s for their happy hour. My group has never been disappointed. The appetizers and specials are good. I would love to know who you Rep for that allows $1000 a month just for food, you must have a humongous territory.
Let me clarify the “ban” remark relative to UPMC –in-service meals are still acceptable within the institutions, but an outright ban exists in UPP offices. Additionally, I have been run out of some departments –even WITH scheduled appointments– when the ‘wrong’ doctor showed up. Regardless, I’ll never again have food delivered to a UPMC facility. Are there reps “getting around” the UPP ban? Of course there are, but I and my company want no part of that; it’s our customer’s policy, not ours, but it is one we’ll respect and abide by. As for my budget –$1000/month for food is average, I think, and places me well within the Pharma guidelines established per person, per lunch. I do about 12 lunches per month –that’s less than $100 per office. As for West Penn, I’ve seen the list of closeouts grow with respect to lunches and appointment protocols institutionalized among WPAHS offices, though not nearly as strict as some UPMC practices.
To Del’s Loyal Customers of the Past, Present & Future
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. Most importantly we need to look forward to how we will better ourselves in the New Year. As the Owner of Del’s Restaurant, I have taken on more then I can handle, trying to deal with 65 plus employees and their personal lives which has affected my life and my business to extremes. 62 years ago my grandparents were not dealing with the quality of workers that we have today. 40 years ago my parents did not have to deal with the work ethics that I am faced with today. It is a fact that the quality and work ethics of our newer generation has declined in every industry!!! 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!!!!!! In 2012, with the advice from Chef Robert Irvine (Food Network-Restaurant Impossible) you will see an exciting new menu, a newly remodeled restaurant and ME!!!!!! My food is and will always be of the greatest quality and my staff will match. Chef Robert & his team have been a great wake up call. The Décor has changed, the Menu tweaked & best of all, a New Me!!! Hope to see you in 2012!
Marianne
Good luck Marianna!
Thank You Chef Chuck!!!
Good luck with all the changes and I hope you can keep a sense of humor about all the comments. I do hope you kept the Eggplant Parmigiana unchanged, It wasalways my favorite of any Italian restaurant.
Interesting that no one has noted that Lidia visited Dels’ las summer as part of her touring of Little Italy’s in America. The episode aired last fall. Dell’s Mafalda sauce was featured on it and I think is in the accompanying cookbook.
I also want to mention that Mazrianne has one of the biggest hearts. When our son died suddenly, she sent trays of food even though she only knew the family through my brother in lazw who was a patron and told her about this.. I needed all the comfort I could get then and have never forgotten her kidness.
I just heard the news! Congratulations Marianne! I am a fan and will always be a fan of Del’s!
all i hear are excuses.how dare you blame employees or the workers that you as a owner hired or your managers hired. pittsburgh has one of the best talent pools anywhere in the us. all be told its your restaurant and your business.dont blame anyone but yourself. i have been in this business since the early 80`s .wish you well but sounds like your still in denying who really is responsible for the problems with your place
“It is a fact that the quality and work ethics of our newer generation has declined in every industry!!! ” Are you kidding me with that statement?! As a business owner trying to attract new clientele how can you make a statement like this? I have never been to Del’s but I saw that it was going to be on Restaurant Impossible and I told my wife we should check it out, but that statement alone might discourage me from going.
I am 27 years old so I guess I am part of this so called generation of people with poor work ethics even though I hold a steady job and mange a team of 17 technicians (whom I never yelled at in front of other employee’s let alone customers). I wouldn’t know how I would get a position like this if I had a poor work ethic. I was raised in a blue collar house where my dad worked late hours and crazy shifts in the steel mills. I learned from him at a young age that you get nowhere in life without a little hard work (unless you win the power ball). I don’t want to come off like I am bragging for what I have in life, but you simply can’t blanket an entire generation for having poor work ethic.
Most of the people on this show learn from their mistakes and try to change their ways. Blaming the staff and not taking responsibility as the one who hired them does not show me that you have changed at all. I will be spending my hard earned money at other fine establishments in the area.
You took absolutely no responsibility for what your family’s restaurant has become. You know why you can’t get quality staff to work for you for an extended time? Because you suck. You treat your employees like garbage and clearly do not put customers before yourself. And I hope you learned to stop reusing uneaten bread!! it was still touched by too many hands to be served to other people!!!
I watched the show last night. and I was amazed at your (personal) transformation. I live in Puerto Rico, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to visit your restaurant. I wish you good luck and God speed. I would like to leave you with a phrase I learned years ago (I’m 62 yrs. old) “Praise in Public, Criticize in Private”. Believe me, it goes a long way in managing employees. God Bless You Marianne.
Just…wow. I’ve managed young employees for two decades. The bottom line is you get back what you give out. Screaming and scolding is no substitute for training. People aren’t perfect and in a hectic environment will make an occasional mistake. Creating a sense of anxiety and pressure only increases mistakes. Miserable, fearful employees are not motivated employees.
No decent, capable person wants to work under those conditions, therefore you end up employing only the people who can’t find work elsewhere. No customer wants to enjoy a meal in such an atmosphere either. No, you cannot always control what your employees do or don’t do, but you can control when and how you react to it. It is your choice whether to handle something calmly and privately or throw a public temper tantrum.
Comping people for bad food and bad service seems to be a recurring theme. Most people who dine out want a good meal in a pleasant environment and are perfectly willing to pay for it…they don’t want bad food and bad service, even for free. If you put half the money you spend comping people into improving your food, you would make a lot more money and have many more repeat customers.
It seems Robert Irvine was unable to convince you to look inward as he has managed to do with others, as you continue to blame everyone but yourself for the unpleasant experiences in your restaurant, on this blog and elsewhere. That’s a shame, because it means you and your employees will continue to be miserable and your family’s restaurant most likely will not survive. I hope you will change, because I love Pittsburgh and love to see its traditional local businesses thriving.
Making a blanket statement about an entire generation of people is the same as making an openly racist statement. No one should set foot in Del’s based on this kind of disgusting behavior. There is no excuse for it. You, and anyone that still supports you should be ashamed of yourselves. You are not a decent human being. You are a big mouth and a bully. The fact that you see no wrong in broadcasting your dated, narrow minded discrimination horrifies me. Your food has never been good, but it will be your poisonous, hateful, statements that will close the doors of Del’s.
Grow up.
Being a Fan of Food Network shows & now a Fan of Restaurant Impossible & Restaurant Stakeout, I stumbled on to many restaurant reviews from those shows. This site particularly caught my eye. The small business bashing allowed by a local chef is appalling. 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. So wherever the so called wonderful work ethics of this NOW generation are, they certainly are not serving in a restaurant near you! Bad service always makes the food taste bad because people are unhappy. So if any of you have such great work ethics, step out from behind your PC & smartphone & take a SECOND job, and help these local businesses out-THEY NEED YOU!
good luck marr.miss ya
Although your work as a food critic is important, it is also important to encourage the history and upkeep of local restaurants. Your opinion, while educated, should be more encouraging to local businesses trying to stay alive and improve. Long live Del’s!
I am coming late to the conversation as I have just been made aware of this page via someone discussing it on Facebook. But having grown up in Lawrenceville and now living in Bloomfield, I have eaten at Del’s perhaps 8 times in my 40-year lifetime (usually family functions, occasionally a date) and never once was it particularly good. Occasionally it was satisfactory. Sometimes it was downright awful. It was always a food issue- never a problem with the waitstaff or service. When I bring visitors around Pittsburgh, I never recommend the place or take people there. It really seems to me like that restaurant is living off of the dregs of some old fanclub or some more positive quality that it had long, long ago. And this current review doesn’t encourage me or my husband to return. I also have run into various people who are personal friends of Marianne and they will defend her to their last breath. Perhaps she has enough personal friends to keep her in business. It’s a very strange vibe and situation overall, I have to say. Yes, I do passionately support neighborhood businesses when they deserve it. But the truth is also the truth.
I’ve been eating at Del’s for over 30 years now. A lof of Fridays and Saturdays were spent there dining. Not once did I ever have a bad meal. In fact I was just there this evening Jan 29, 2012, with my girlfriend and as always we had a wonderful meal. The restaurant was full and all three rooms were filled. Our waitress, Natalie, was friendly and prompt. However, I was disappointed that Marianne was out of hot peppers but that was the first time in all those years. So we tried the stuffed mushrooms and Marianne didn’t charge us for them. Marianne stopped to speak to us and she too was very friendly. I will say I have heard Marianne’s “rants” first hand but I can say I don’t blame her. She is running a business and not a day care. When you hire a person to work, you expect that person to work. The food portions have always been more that adequate and I never waited a long time for my meal. Prices are reasonable for two. And, finally, I would like to see Marianne bring back the steak Sicilian.
To Phil J:
It is never ok for a restaurant owner to have “rants” no matter what is going on in. Being professional means you handle things appropriately “behind the scenes” not in front of wait staff or customers.
Chef, I was one of the folks waiting outside to see the taping but got tired of waiting. I heard they went back to their old ways and back to the old menu. That cheesecake is different. They had a really cute round personal cheesecake for awhile and I hope they didnt get rid of them. Best cake I ever tasted. An employee said they buy them from A. Wards Cheesecakes. Can’t wait to see the show.
Thanks- I’m looking forward to seeing it to!
This statement is absurd. If this were the case every establishment with young employees would need rescued. Robert Irvine would be extremely busy.
Dels sucks. Plain and simple. Maybe I would try it again if Gordon Ramsay had fixed it up.
Del’s is not authentic Italian, I am a life long Bloomfield resident and if you want real italian food go to Damico’s Place. Del’s service is still bad and tomato sauce is still too sweet! I never go there and anyone that asks me where to go for good Italian food I recommend D’amico’s. Del’s is not a true representation of Bloomfield. I don’t know Mariane and have never heard anything good about her but when I have eaten there I never finished the food.
Scaryanne…chill out with the punctuation too. Making that many apostrophes has to be eating up free time that could be spent shamelessly self promoting…I mean “caring about the lives of employees”. Spare me.
If you failed once, you’ll fail again. Say what you wish but time will tell. I may be an old man when it happens since Pittsburgh is so terrified of any kind of change, but it WILL happen eventually. No one with half a brain would believe that 48 hours with a celebrity chef could possibly make a crap restaurant miraculously delicious or turn poor business people into some kind of success. Del’s will ride this short lived wave of publicity but ultimately will return to the same poor standards that they have long held.
Also, I’ve been to more than a few restaurants that have been featured on the Food Network in some way, shape, or form and I must warn you…prepare yourself because the backlash will be incredible. Being featured on one of their awful shows tends to put restaurants under a very critical microscope. You’ll see what I mean. You’ve thrown yourself to the wolves now.
Not being a native of Pittsburgh, I kept hearing about Del’s and what a Pittburgh “institution” it was. Of course, I had to try. 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. I will say this was before the rennovation.
Marianne- I guess I would fall into the generation of the “quality of workers today”, which I find offensive. I work hard for the money I earn and will never spend it in your establishment again.
You’ve really got to love the fact that this Marianne character has taken on so many personas to defend her obviously flawed venture, as evidenced by the Crazy Capital letter on Half the Posts here.
I’ve never even been to Pittsburgh, but I can spot Marianne from here.
Don’t waste your time. How dare Del’s consider themselves a Pgh institution. Most residents of the Burgh know them as a joke.Any “chef” that would even waste their time commenting on “Dels” has no business being heard. Your not worth the time you took to learn cuisine.
Today my husband and I decided to go out for brunch with our 1 year old and we wanted to find a new place. We are not from here and have seen Del’s, but never been in. We saw a sign for Sunday Brunch, so we decided to stop in. The hostess, who I think was the owner, handed us a flyer to tell us to watch them on Restaurant Impossible. I had never heard of the show. I found this article when I googled it. Let’s just say, I’m sad to see that we visited post-makeover!
It was not a good experience. While I’m happy that they did have quite a crowd, I can’t possibly believe that this restaurant has benefitted from being on the show. The seating was overly crowded. The waitress had to keep asking us to push in our chairs so she could get to the table next to us. Very disturbing. The brunch buffet looked horrible. It didn’t seem fresh and/or authentic. My husband had it, but I just asked for the menu. No other breakfast options so I just had garlic bread. It wasn’t good. It took them forever to get us our check and the whole time we kept saying “I’m glad this place is going to be on a makeover show…it really needs one!” We won’t be back.
My but aren’t we picky! A brunch buffet means exactly that. I was there with 5 of my friends. The eggs, bacon & home fries were spot on! The meatballs & pasta were flying out of there, saw them refilling it about 4 times. The soup was hot, with greens a plenty. Petite desserts & breads were fresh! Crowed? Of course, because now everyone knows of this gem in the city. Don’t like it, Denny’s is about 10 miles away. More room for me to invite more friends! Enjoy!
I got so sick after their brunch (and I barely ate anything) that I considered suing them. The room where the brunch was held smelled like a wet rag left out for days and the food tasted similarly. They had run out of a few things and despite being there 45 minutes (and the place was relatively full) they made no effort to replenish. The petite desserts were obviously from a freezer, probably from Sam’s club (I know, i’ve bought them for parties). And the soup tasted like they had boiled the aforementioned dirty rag in it and then added enough salt to cure a pig.
It was by far the worst brunch AND worst buffet I’ve ever seen. This includes cheapo weddings at 2 star hotels. I’m not sure where there is a Denny’s but nearby for brunch is Enrico’s, Delucas, Pamelas, Lydias, Kaya, and a host of other non-chain restaurants that will serve you an amazing meal for the same or less than what Del’s charges and you won’t feel like hurling afterwards.
I’ve been to Del’s a few times when others insisted on it. It had to be one of the worst restuarants ever. Honestly, I don’t think that they can improve unless completely new people take over. The owner recently left a very very long and rambling “review” of her restuarant on urbanspoon. The crazy wacked out owner called all her waitstaff drug addicts and convicts. She left a review on Feb 20, 2012 under the name m.delpizzo.
Honestly, if they were really doing well then she wouldn’t be ranting online and excusing herself.
I wonder why people leave their family businesses to their children without training them and educating them before the hand-over. You’d think that they’d send their kids to culinary school to train them to take over instead of just handing the business over to them to ruin.
Chef Chuck, I read both articles and all the comments while watching this episode of Restaurant Impossible as it aired. 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. It seems that the two top complaints are still the quality of food and the owner. And I don’t care what excuse you use (“she’s not rude… she’s loud and Italian. 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. I had hoped that the show edited it to make her appear that way for drama. (They obviously have to whittle down two days worth of footage for a 46 minute show.) But it appears from these comments and the ones I’ve read on other websites that this is how she really is.
Restaurant Impossible made over a restaurant here in my city, Harrisburg, PA, last year. If you haven’t seen it, watch for the episode about Dodge City. I can tell you that after about a year that they have pretty much stuck with Chef Robert’s changes. The quality of the food has improved and the majority of the reviews after the changeover have been positive. I will also say that the restaurant is now up for sale with a million dollar asking price. Which makes me wonder if the owners just wanted a makeover and a pick-up in business before selling. I don’t know but it seems strange to me.
I have to say that I am one of the many ex employees and yes, things did get a little crazy there. But like any place there are good and bad things about it and food service is notoriously difficult and high stress for everyone. I worked there several decades ago and its true Marianne did go crazy periodically and was quite verbally excessive with the wait staff on bad days. In all honesty, myself included and she claimed to “like” me. But I have to admit the food back then was quite good. Marianne would try and do right by her staff in some ways and provided meals (spaghetti or ravioli) as part of the package and I grew fond of many of the dishes. Like anyone who eats somewhere over and over you get sentimental about the food so I have gone back now and again. Unfortunately the food just kept getting blander and blander and the pasta more and more watery. The pizza was always great and still is and they make some really good sandwiches so if I go there it is usually for lunch. I am leery of dinner since I went a few years ago and took a coworker who was in town and the food was not good. I hope this intervention turns things around since there is history in the place but Marianne and Josephine always cut corners and tried to find short cuts and I would love to see them create dishes full of flavor and do so because they love the food, the customers and the business. People can taste the difference if food is prepared for a commodity or if it is cooked with love. Del’s needs the love and I really hope they find it.
Why bother with Del’s when there are excellent alternatives nearby such as Piccolo Forno?
You forgot to add ” just kidding” after Piccolo Forno.
Piccolo Forno is AMAZING! I’m not sure what FAH means but they have obviously never been there. I can say that we’ve been there at least a dozen times, and each time it was great. I think only once could we have called the meal OK, but if at its worst its OK then that’s pretty good (and honestly, it was 15 minutes to closing when we went in).
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. Since I’m on a diet I limit going out to special occasions and when I’m hosting someone, so I’m dismayed that we can’t seem to try anything new when our regular guests come to visit 🙂
Marianne-
I am extremely insulted by your sweeping generalizations about the younger generation and it’s work ethic. Since the age of 14, I have never been without a job. That hard work has afforded me the ability to be both a home and business owner by the age of 23.
I visited your restaurant in the last 6 weeks, completely unaware of its reputation or recent makeover. The food was alright, but I loved the decor and bright expansive windows. My husband and I agreed it was a cute spot and worthy of a return trip.
You will NEVER see me in your restaurant, and I will be certain to share your tasteless and tactless views of younger people with everyone in my social circle.
BIG MISTAKE! My friends and I love food, always have disposable income because we don’t have kids, and we lead hectic lives WORKING constantly and leaving little room or energy for food options besides dining out.
You really owe your customers an apology for passing the buck of your poor management skills to young employees.
That last sentence needs to be stressed to Marianne. Everyones fault but her own.
What I watched last night was sad, just sad.
I have not eaten at Del’s since the early 1990s. At the time, when my then fiance & I were dating, Del’s was the “slightly fancy” place you took a date, or took the extended family for a birthday or other occasion. I was somewhat shocked when I returned to Bloomfield a few months ago and saw a tacky beer sign tied to the front of the building. I remember thinking, “this is the same Del’s??”
It’s now about 12 hours post-TV episode. Has the county heath department paid a visit yet, to address the obvious lack of safety in food handling? I’d love to root for the institution that is Del’s, at least in theory, but I just don’t 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.
Why go to Dell’s when the Pleasure Bar (Damicos) is just up the street? 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.
After reading all of the above crazy reviews, I am a bit shocked that a simple food blog can turn into, a bashing and a trashing of a LOCAL Business and the Owner! Thank you Jesus that none of you are appointed by God to judge on judgement day, This is like the poison pen of years gone by. If all of you people that have eaten there had such a problem, why didn’t you speak up then and deal with the issue and the past servers, why did you stay? Servers can basically get a job anywhere in Pittsburgh if you are all such GREAT servers, should be no problem. As far a the menu, I was told it took some time changing it and getting it printed during the holidays, but the NEW menu is due to be out this month. I guess cowards are now using the internet to bully people, places and things. Such a shame! So as you all keep writing negative things, Del’s is booming, place is packed. That old saying must still hold true: Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see!
to Brad,
I don’t think people just want to bash the place. Practically anyone who grew up in Pittsburgh, knows about Del’s and I am sure most of them (myself included) would love to see it prosper, but people have to be honest about the food and service. Personally I plan on trying it again, and I hope I have a good experience there.
There are a lot of places in the city that do their kind of Italian food, so it has to be good to survive.
I am really shocked at all this bashing of Marianne. You can see she is a hard worker who tries to make everyone happy and your not going to make everyone happy.. So quit being an internet bully and stop bashing Del’s. I’ve been eating there since I was 4 years old and I am now 48 and I think they have the best Eggplant Parmesan around.. I only wish the service was better. Here’s to many more years Del’s!!
Lets just put one thing to rest right now.
Del’s is NOT authentic Italian food. That statement is absurd. If you told someone living in Italy they they would laugh so hard you would have to rush them to the emergency room. Do you honestly believe that there are families in Italy right now sitting down to enormous portions of chicken parmagian? Or eating big sloppy pieces of pizza dripping with sauce and greasy mounds of cheese? Since everyone likes to bring up Food Network, do you think Mario Batalli would ever cook anything remotely resembling anything currently on the menu at Del’s? Glorified pizza shops should never under any circumstances be refered to as “authentic Italian food”. Just because you are eating something with sauce and cheese does not mean you are eating Italian food.
P.F. Changs is not Chinese food.
Taco Bell is not Mexican.
Del’s is not authentic Italian.
Have eaten and loved Del’s since I was a teenager, and that was a long time ago. My Husband & I went there a few years ago with 2 other couples, and all enjoyed their dinners. I have been there for funeral lunches as well as weddings, and always came away thought the food was great.
My sister just told me her and her husband ate there on March 4th and had the $ 20.00 dinner for 2.
They eat out constantly all over Pgh., including all the new trending places. She also has eaten at Del’s since she was a teenager. She told me how they LOVED their dinners, and encouraged us to get there.
We can’t wait, my mouth is already watering for their lasagna.
I don’t think you should serve baby animals (veal) that never get to spend time with their moms, or roam around a pasture… for that reason alone, I will not come to your restaurant.
I keep hearing about Marianne blaming young employees for Del’s loss of business.
Am I the only one that watched Restaurant Impossible and found a majority of the Del’s staff to be middle aged?
I went to Del’s last week for dinner. It was not good at all. I guess all of the changes Robert Irvine made to the menu were tossed after he left. It was the same menu and the same bland spaghetti sauce. I’ll never go back.
Carey, the new Menus came out on Friday. We ordered 3 different pasta dishes. The mafalda sauce, meat sauce and the alfredo. Each was unique and tasted good and I absolutely loved the mafalda. The prices were reasonable.
Respectfully, the bottom line is that the older lady who is part-owner really needs to do something else. She’s in the wrong business. She should keep an ownership position but leave, we are witnessing her committing slow-motion suicide with her intransigence. Let someone else manage the business who knows what they are doing…even partnering with the Culinary Institute, and using students would be a better choice. I’ve seen this before, folks that really want to do something they weren’t cut-out to do end-up crashing and burning. She seems to be ignoring all of the great feedback from everyone. So sad, I really liked Dells.
Amen Ronjamin! Marianne DelPizzo is, an has been, the major problem with Del’s. She has little business acumen and working with the public is WAY out of her realm. Her screaming outbursts and loud foul mouthed retorts are totally inappropriate and should never, under any circumstance, be witnessed or heard by the eating public. She is the classic example of a narcissist, always blaming something or someone else for her shortcomings. Further, Del’s has reverted back to many of their old ways since Robert Irvine conducted his make-over. It’s only a matter of time before Marrianne starts driving customers away again and this time there will not be a third chance. Marianne needs to become a silent owner and hire a true restaurateur to manage the front of Del’s while she finds herself something else related to Del’s that she can do while staying at home. And make no mistake about it, Del’s is not authentic Italian! What once was, no longer is!!!
Two things.. Tiramisu is rarely seen on a dessert menu when you are in Italy.. It had become an iconic Italian dessert when in all actuality any Italian would never end a meal with dessert made with cream…
Which leads me to the other comment. There is no such thing as a cappuccino machine. I am sure you meant an espresso machine. With the addition of steamed milk you would have a cappuccino.. An Italian would never end a meal with one of those either.. It’s a digestion thing..
If you are going to critique a restaurant in a public forum I suggest that you get your facts strait. That is if you want to be taken seriously..
Grazie Mille
Good points Grazie, but we’re not in Italy, we’re in America, and people this country do expect these things 🙂
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!!!!!!!!!!!
Marianne has P.T.S.D. that her mother Josephine (owner) play a epic part in,
Coming soon the real story on how Josephine,Marianne and John delpizzo took over Del,s restaurant. leaving Bobby Jr. Delpizzo ( Dino’s brother Bobby Sr. Delpizzo son ) without a penny.
Wow its so disappointing to see the sheer hatred and bashing on this site! Lift people up don’t try and break them down. Seems like if you didn’t have an enjoyable food experience you would express it while there and give the restaurant a chance to rectify the situation. I think its true of the statemenmisery loves company so the former employee must be miserable and want the people at Del’s to be miserable also. J am thirty years old and in management and I can truthfully say that the work ethic of youth is slipping but that is a generalized comment and all people can not be grouped into one some yohnf people do work hard and are good workers however this is a FOOD bologna judge the food and stop judging people! I urge anyone who visits this restaurant to go in with an open mind and a positive heart! Good luck and blessings to Del’s !
Just watched Restaurant Impossible love the new look…best of luck to the owners
My husband and I have eaten at Del’s several times before the Restaurant Impossible crew were there. We haven’t had the chance to return since then. But, we have no complaints. We were satisfied with the food, and the generous portions. And to be honest, the old decor didn’t bother us, either. It had a sort of nostalgic, old fashioned feel to it. I come from an old fashioned Italian family, and we’re from an old fashioned Italian neighborhood, and the old Del’s sort of reminded me of the good old days. We never encountered any screaming from the management, or any repremanding of the staff. And yes, I had Tiramisu for desert, and it was delicious. Once we happened to be there for the buffet special and I thought it was great. The meatballs and the Italian sausage tasted homemade. I usually don’t order meatballs in restaurants because they don’t live up to my standards, but I will eat Del’s. I never order Italian food unless it’s in an authentic Italian restaurant, (not in one of those chains), but Del’s is one Italian restaurant that hasn’t disappointed me yet. I’m sure we’ll be going back.
We had dinner there tonight and when we had asked for the chicken Parmesan, our waiter asked if we had watched Restaurant Impossible. When we said yes, we were told that they went back to the old way of making it as the owners felt that it was still a better production process. At that point we passed on even having it.
Dear buck, my good friend works there and says that since she has been there, since April 2012, that they have always made the chicken to order. battered & ready to go. Sounds like you had a unhappy server who lied to you. If you go back, get the chicken parm. Delish!
My father took myself and boyfriend to your restaurant for our birthday dinner at the beginning of October. I am sorry to say that it was the worst meal we ever had. A total waste of money! I had the veal marsales. It was so tough. They both had the “taste of Del”. The eggplant parmasagne was burnt, and hard as a rock. Unfortunately all three dinners ended up in the trash. NEVER AGAIN!
I thought it was just me. My husband grew up in Lawrenceville and we went to this restaurant several times while dating and early in our marriage. Have not been there in probably 15 years. 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. One thing that I was surprised at was the floors. I know Robert hates carpeting as I have come to agree. I always think of what germs are in that carpet. It was too dark. I may go back again, but nothing is pulling me there. Not much better than before in my opinion. But I do have to wonder what changed since Robert left!
@Karen-I was there the week before R.I. & on the Grand re-opening! Everything you see, is what Chef Robert gave the OK to, including the RUG!.I just ate there last week & was very happy with the New Menu(smaller) & the food! Everything was made from scratch(my best friend is a server there & agrees with me) I will def go back!
I’ve never eaten here but I loved the show and the owners and staff appeared to be genuinely happy to be helped. Maryanne was a bit harsh to her staff but I think that was just worry and stress. I look forward to eating here when I’m in town.