This is our first blog. It was difficult to decide where we should eat. But, that shouldn't be surprising since that is the name of our blog anyway. It is a common problem with us. "Where do YOU want to eat?"" I dunno...where do YOU want to eat?" Every single time.....
So, today was Sunday. We didn't even set out until after 3:00 pm. In a similar vein...."What do YOU want to do today?" " I dunno...What do YOU want to do?" Because we had no specific agenda, we grabbed the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce Guide (thanks Gordon) and drove towards the beach with the intent of driving along the coast to eventually end up at a restaurant.
We went to the Bolsa Chica Wildlife Preserve and watched birds for awhile and then cruised up PCH to Seal Beach. Although it was a nice drive...nothing in the way of food caught our attention.
We wound up turning around and driving back down the coast to Newport Beach and an old favorite....Spaghetti Bender. This cute and cozy restaurant has been owned and operated by the same family since 1969.
The good thing (or the bad thing depending on your point of view) are the generous portions of food offered here. Most people order the "complete" meal which is a giant entree (usually Pasta) preceded by Soup, Salad and Garlic Bread. The reality is that you aren't hungry anymore by the time the entree appears. It either goes directly into a takeout box or you eat it and suffer the consequences that come from an overstuffed belly.
We hadn't eaten here in a few years. We decided that the soup/salad/bread combo would be a perfect meal all on it's own and that's what we ordered. (Note: We almost always order the same thing. Don't know why...just happens like that.)
We started with our usual drink order: water with lemon. They brought out a generous plate of sliced lemons on the side...nice touch.
The big tureen of minestrone soup arrived about 2 minutes after we placed our order. It came in a worn metal tureen that had obviously served thousands of diners before us. It was kinda nice....felt like something you would have in your own kitchen cabinet.
The soup was steaming hot and fragrant. It contained big chunks of veggies: zuchini, celery, cabbage, and cauliflower. There were garbanzo and red beans and small tubular macaroni. The broth was flavorful and rich. With a hearty sprinkle of parmesan cheese on the top...it was delicious!
A generous basket of fresh-from-the-broiler garlic bread accompanied the soup. It was a traditional soft Italian bread with garlic and parmesan cheese on top. Although the top was crunchy, the bread itself (including the crust) was soft. To be honest, we both prefer a crustier bread; but to each his own.
It did taste pretty good when dipped in the soup though.
We have had soup and salad dinners elsewhere and it seemed a little odd to have the soup served before the salad at Spaghetti Bender. Again, this is the traditional European order...salad last and it is the way that they do it at this restaurant, so we didn't complain.
The salad was tossed tableside by our server. It featured romaine lettuce, tomato cut in small chunks, more garbanzo beans, capers (a nice touch), and avocado. The dressing (dubiously called Papa's World Famous House Dressing on the menu) was a rather bland, creamy Italian. The dressing mixes with the avocado when the salad is tossed and at first seems pretty tasty. By the end of the salad, however, you are left wishing for the bite that a good-quality vinegar would have lent to the salad. One other note was that the lettuce wasn't as cold as we would have liked. The salad felt a bit warm and soggy by the last few bites.
While the food arrived quickly...it took quite a while for the server to bring our check once we were finished. This is a pet peeve.
The cost per person for this soup/salad/bread combo was $13.50. Not too bad except for the fact that the exact same quantities are served with an entree as a 'full dinner' for only $6.00 in addition to the price of the entree. To more than double the price as a stand-alone meal seems a bit excessive. When compared with Olive Garden ( despite being a chain; their soup and salad is very good especially if you request 'all Romaine' in your salad) whose unlimited soup/salad/bread combo is only $7.95...this seems very expensive.
To be fair: overall pricing is competitive compared to other Italian restaurants in the area. Most complete meals (spaghetti with mealballs, Fettucine, Lasagna) are in the $15.00-$17.00 range. The most expensive complete meals on the menu (seafood) max out in the low $20's. For only fifty cents more per entree, we could have gotten spaghetti with marinara sauce along with our soup/salad and bread.
To sum it all up; Spaghetti Bender is a great place for hearty appetites. It is a good place for a casual dinner with the family or with a date. They have a fairly extensive , moderately priced wine menu.. It isn't gourmet faire...but, it isn't Pizza Hut either. From the red-checked tableclothes with a vase holding a fresh flower and the little votive candle on the table to the cheery flowered wallpaper and the lace curtains...Spaghetti Bender is like eating in the home of a friend. It isn't always perfect; but you leave full and warmed by the experience.
Lydia's Final Comment: I'd go back again...but I'd order the Pasta instead.
Charlotte's Final Comment: There are other Italian Restaurants that I prefer. Probably won't go back.
Spaghetti Bender
6204 West Coast Highway
Newport Beach, CA 92663
PS...One notable and reliable feature of every meal out is Lydia's inevitable food spill on the front of her shirt. Count on this being a regular finish to most blogs:
