Dining Review: European Bakery & Cafe does it Old World style
From the moment you first walk in, you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported. You’re not in Naples anymore. Are you even in a commercial space? You could be in a small shoppe in some European village; or perhaps a business run out of someone’s Old-World home.
Our next dining adventure took us far, without leaving home. The European Bakery & Cafe in Naples is not just dining, but an experience.
First came the bread. You can choose to have it toasted or not. To gain the full experience, we decided to do half and half. The toasted is much better. This dense, seedy bread was the perfect partner for the butter that tasted as though it was churned that very morning.
Next up, the soup course. From the menu, I had the “cabbage soup with pieces of chicken breast.” The cabbage was cut finely in the broth-based soup; and the chicken was little white cubes. There were bits of carrots and generous amounts of dill swimming among the ingredients.
My partner in dine chose the mushroom soup. It was a creamy soup, but lighter than your typical American soups. It had a generous amount of mushrooms and also had the dill and carrots, like my soup.
Both soups tasted authentic, homemade and absolutely amazing. You don’t need any crackers or chips with these hearty soups.
Before the main event came the chef’s salad, included with the meal. The salad features lettuce, cranberries, sunflower seeds, bright-orange peppers and parmesan dressing. It’s a full plate, so I probably shouldn’t have ordered the soup. But I don’t regret it. The most standout thing about this delicious salad was the dressing; it was evenly distributed among the leaves, almost as if each one was painted with a brush.
For my main entree, I had the beef goulash. It comes with your choice of mashed potatoes or pasta. I picked the latter.
It arrived with the beef to one side, the pasta in the middle, and some veggies -- seasoned and grilled zuchini and carrots -- and a dill pickle. What’s the deal with all the dill? Did you just read that in Seinfeld’s voice? That’s the way I wrote it. That means we’re connecting.
Why was I expecting egg noodles? The pasta looked more like a blob of Ramen noodles; but I don’t mean that as an insult. It was quit tasty; especially mixed with this hearty goulash. I especially loved the subtly of the spices. The veggies were and unexpected and tasty addition. I did try the pickle, but left half. It just felt unnecessary.
I give this dish my full-throated support. You won’t be disappointed.
My dining companion chose the stuffed cabbage filled with pork, beef and veal; covered with tomato sauce and served with mashed potatoes.
If my noodles were Ramen, then the cook used the seasoning packet in these mashed potatoes. I jest. But I swear there was chicken broth in those tasty taters. And it was amazing.
The tomato sauce was sweet and the mix of meats were artistically accomplished. Most impressive; it was not layer upon layer of cabbage; it was a single layer holding in all that meat.
I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the the food or the service. The quarters are a little tight, but it adds to the atmosphere. One word of warning: no credit cards allowed. This is cash or check only. I had to make a quick dash to the bank in order to avoid washing dishes all night. And the prices are not cheap. So bring your appetite and your checkbooks.
Dining after 4 p.m. requires a reservation.
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If you go
European Bakery & Cafe
71 9th St. South, Naples
239-263-0096
europeanbakerycafe.com