Neumanali's

Review from dinner on Jan 6, 2006.

Service:
My friend and I showed up around 9:00pm and they were still seating so that was good. The waitress was friendly. Unfortunately, it took her way too long to come get our order. When she finally showed up, she didn't even bother to mention what the soup of the day was. I find that just to be poor service especially considering there were only two other tables.

Food:
First came the salad. Seasonal greens with fresh papaya and pecans. About $9- The greens tasted like they were from yesterday. Not crisp or light at all. The papaya was fresh and the pecans were good. The dressing was not spectacular but was least wasn't drowning the salad.

Second was "Thinly spun bread stuffed with crescenza cheese & topped with prosciutto, grilled figs and arugula". $10- This time the greens were fresh, the bread baked just enough to be heated and slightly crisp. Unfortunately, there was no cheese taste and not nearly enough prosciutto to go around.

Main course was a lamb shank with gnocchi. For a $28 main course in downtown Hayward, this was a disappointment. The shank was about the size of my wrist, if not smaller. The meat on the shank was overcooked and tough, not fall off the bone, melt in your mouth type. The sauce was good, nice and thick, but a little on the salty side. The gnocchi, however, were perfect.

Two cups of espresso with more grinds at the bottom than I've seen in a long time. Grinds in an espresso? I'm not even sure that makes sense.

After that meal, we opted out for dessert.

Other comments:
I've been to Neumanali's on several occassions for lunch and it is reasonably priced and quite yummy. The salads are always fresh and interesting. The sandwiches and soups are delightful. Dinner, however, was such a disappointment. I think a lot of has to do with pricing. When you are charging $25+ for a main entree, I'm looking for excellent service, and excellent food. If the price was cut in half, I'd probably back. But the food and service just is not on par with the pricing. I don't think I will ever dine here again. I would not recommend it for my foodie friends.

Overall score: **/****
Cost: $$$/$$$$
Service: ss/ssss