PULSE / Restaurant Review
Written by: Adam Douglas / Design & Layout by: Chelsea Coolsaet For Pulse Magazine SWFL to award the title of “best place for a working lunch,” the winning restaurant must provide
much more than just good food. Noodles Italian Café & Sushi Bar in Naples does exactly that. From its humble beginnings in 1991, when the owners, brothers Matt and Seth Berman, served hand-craſt ed pasta dishes in a small building behind the Hess gas station on Pine Ridge Road, Noodles has grown into an authentic local landmark. So whether you’re hoping to actually get work done while grabbing a quick, yet satisfying bite, meeting clients to talk business, lunching with coworkers, or putting the offi ce behind you at happy hour, Noodles is an ideal venue. Diverse menu options, free high speed internet, private booths, and a prime location are all factors that make this restaurant the quintessential destination for all your business lunching needs.
The great thing about grabbing lunch at Noodles is that customers don’t have to sacrifi ce quality, service, or menu options if they have a limited schedule due to work. The atmosphere is upscale, yet casual, and depending on their needs and desires, guests can choose from several diff erent dining styles and tempos. For some, a “working lunch” involves meeting with clients, and they can do so in a private booth, at the sushi bar, or at a larger table designed for groups. For others, a “working lunch” means that they have an hour to rush somewhere, order, eat, pay, and then get back to the offi ce, so the bar or a high-top table might be a better option. Guests dictate the pace, either selecting multiple courses from the full menu to impress clients, or they can expedite service by ordering from the special $5.99 lunch menu.
Each menu off ers both homemade Italian cuisine as well as fresh, made-to-order sushi. Although the Long Island heritage of the brothers certainly supports the Italian side of the menu, the sushi is no joke. The head sushi chef, Adek, trained for eight years at Sushi Samba in Miami Beach before coming to work at Noodles. I can personally attest to the superior quality of ingredients; the blue corn tuna tartar is fresh, innovative, and delicious, and all of the Italian ingredients are as fresh and authentic as you will fi nd outside of Italy. To emphasize this point, Seth gave me a rare tour of the kitchen where I watched an effi cient team preparing home-made focaccia bread, a variety of sauces, and pasta noodles made from scratch.
The Berman brothers are true innovators when it comes to fusion cuisine, and having both a top-quality sushi bar and an authentic Italian kitchen certainly helps. Their extensive menu also off ers transitional dishes which bridge the gap between the Italian and Japanese styles. Garlic Edamame, the Godfather Roll, and Asian Calamari are great examples of the restaurant’s unique identity shining through. A gluten-free menu is also available, off ering over 15 diff erent wheat- free pasta dishes as well as a “Healthy Choice Menu” approved by Dr. Caroline J. Cederquist, medical director of Cederquist Comprehensive Weight Control. With all these options, there’s certainly something for everyone.
After over 20 years of excelling in the extremely competitive local restaurant industry, it comes as no surprise that Seth and Matt are also very involved with the Naples community. Casual business networking begins daily at 5pm with appetizer and drink specials at the bar from 4-7pm. Want to impress a new client, close the sale, or get promoted? Now you know where to go!
Noodles -- 1585 Pine Ridge Road #5 -- Naples, FL 239-592-0050 --
www.noodlescafe.com
Noodles -- 1585 Pine Ridge Road #5 -- Naples, FL -- (239) 592-0050 –
www.noodlescafe.com 10 | Pulse Magazine SWFL
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