Michael’s On Naples

Just recently went to Michaels on Naples and boy, was this restaurants the perfect restaurants for any special occasion. First off, the ambience of the restaurant itself is warm and inviting. As soon as you walk through the door, the host greets you. If you are waiting for your table, you have a chance to grab something at the bar, which is right there in front of you as you walk in. Apparently they have an upstairs lounge area, but unfortunately it was being renovated. And if I recall correctly, it’s going to open up back up by the end of this month. In the meantime, our host sat us in the newly modeled room that looked completely like an art gallery. It was interesting because I felt like it wasn’t really a part of the restaurant, but it was… The feeling you get dining in the room with all the art hanging on the wall is different from once you step into the restaurant. Not necessarily bad, but just a different feel.
Regardless of the separated room, the food here is phenomenal. My friend Erin got the seabass, which was cooked perfectly. You know it’s an authentic Italian place when they keep the head on. Not only that, they were able to de-​bone this fish so well, both Erin and I were stunned. I wasn’t able to try Michael’s bone marrow, but I am definitely going to try it the next time I’m there. Unlike many places, the bone marrow here was fairly large and personally worth the $$$ especially for the size of that thing. My other favorites were the Fois Gras (an absolute must) and the squash blossoms. The veal (ravioli?) was hearty and had a lot of flavor to it. A little on the saltier side, but I didn’t mind it. And lastly, my sausage orecchiette dish didn’t compare to all the other dishes, but it was fairly light. Sausage was pretty strong itself, and unfortunately I wasn’t a big fan of it. I would rather have gotten the Seabass or maybe one of their Pizettes instead. For dessert, they gave us a cheesecake to thank everyone in the community for supporting Michaels on Naples, especially since they are renovating their upstairs patio.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE FOR ANY SPECIAL OCASSION. The staff is friendly. The restaurant is small and it’s as if I am welcomed into someone’s home for the first time. The food is specular. What else could you ask for?
As far as parking goes, my friend Andy parked around the neighborhood behind Michaels on Naples. Not sure if it was okay or not but they also have valet there for your convenience. Until next time Michaels on Naples!

Food and service was OK, but thought it was overpriced. They even charged for the tap water.

We went here for our anniversary dinner and it was a great choice! Both the service and food were excellent. Our server was very friendly and consistently kept coming with «chef’s specials» which were all very delicious. We were not rushed and it gave us time to enjoy the ambiance and the soft music playing in the background. Our food came out exactly how we ordered it and at a decent time. This is a must try if you are in the area as you will not be disappointed. Parking was easy since they do offer valet. Cute little gem in long beach!

Whether you are going for a full blown meal or just apps with a great glass of wine, you won’t be disappointed. My wife and I have had great times at Michael’s eating small plates with wine by the glass. We also enjoy going with our neighbors to the special event dinners– very memorable.
If you want an easy introduction to Michael’s, go on Meatball Monday, sit at the bar, and enjoy wine by the glass. Try a variety of meatballs and a variety of wines and you will have something to tell your co-​workers about on Tuesday.

If you’re coming here because you saw some delicious meals posted on Unilocal,don’t. Because you won’t get it.
New York steak with gnocchi. FAIL.
Lobster pasta. FAIL.
Upstairs patio with live music. FAIL.
These were the reasons why we came to Michael’s and none of the above were available. Apparently the entire upstairs is closed for renovations and they frequently change the menu, so you can never order what you came for.
The restaurant is small and dark. The music is so quiet and boring, which makes for a really sleepy atmosphere. If they played more upbeat music like deep house or had a live jazz band, that would spice things up. Thank goodness we brought a bottle of wine to keep us entertained.
I opted for the New York steak with potatoes. It was good, but overpriced. When you pay $ 43 for steak, you don’t expect to enjoy the mushrooms more than the meat. But yeah the mushrooms were delectable. They probably used a whole stick of butter in that dish, but if I don’t see it, the calories don’t count. Ha!
My boyfriend ordered a lobster «ravioli» dish that was buttery and had great texture, but was lacking salt and seasoning overall. The size of his entrée was also so small, I could’ve stuffed all these pieces in my mouth in one bite. He left Michael’s still hungry.
Our server was very receptive and had a really positive and great attitude. He came by to add salt and grated cheese to the lobster dish and gave us great recommendations for dessert. (The almond cake. The almond cake!) For him, I’ve added another star, but overall we were disappointed and won’t be coming back because we won’t know what will be or not be on the menu next.

This review has been sitting in my «in box» for a while.
Firstly, I commend the owner for contacting us to make sure we had a better experience at his restaurant. We ended up returning, several times, and have had nothing but amazing experiences. The service is always in point and the food… oh! The food!
Phenomenal. Some of the BEST Italian food I have had in LA, period. The wine list is spot on and the flavors are just phenomenal, everything is fresh, and I have yet to try a dish I didn’t like

I had absolutely no expectations for his place as it was a surprise anniversary dinner. First off, parking is either street or valet (for $ 4). We were able to find free street parking easy, but there’s a sign that if you park in any of the private business lots you may get towed.
AMBIANCE
The restaurant is smaller than I expected. Apparently there’s a patio upstairs/​outside that was being renovated at the time, but is supposed to open up again in July 2016. Very classy and intimate atmosphere. You could dress down, but would feel out of place. Most people I saw were wearing dress shirts and cocktail dresses. The lighting is very dark so you might get sleepy if you order a lot of wine. They also sell the artwork on the walls, but they’re crazy expensive so I don’t know who would buy them.
FOOD
We got the Pasta Tasting for $ 55/​person. With the tastings, everyone at the table must order the same tasting menu so you can’t get a Pasta Tasting and your partner get a Chef’s Tasting ($ 75/​person) at the same time. But if only one of you wants to do the wine pairing, that’s fine.
We got the Foie Gras $ 25 to start and it was SOO GOOD. Slightly smoky but very fatty and melty. You need to eat it with everything, including the berry compote and vinegar jelly to get the full flavor effect.
The pasta is AMAZING. They make the pasta fresh every day and you can definitely taste it. Everything is very well balanced and the flavors are on point. One of the best pasta restaurants I’ve ever been to, and I LOVE pasta. Yes, each ‘course’ of the tasting is on the smaller side, but I feel like they still give you a decent amount of food. I was definitely full by the time we left.
The wine pairings perfectly complemented the pasta. We were told that each wine course would be 2oz, but they gave us more than that, more like 3 or 4 oz. By the time my bf finished his meal, he was pretty drunk LOL. The good thing is that they gave me a complimentary glass of Moscato dessert wine with my dessert so we would both have a glass. I’ve had my fair share of white and dessert wines, and let me tell you, that Moscato was the most delicious wine I’ve ever had. I don’t really drink wine anymore but I downed that glass like nobody’s business.
Since they’re renovating the patio area, they were giving out complementary desserts to everyone until July 2016. Go get your free desserts! We got a free scoop of delicious pistachio ice cream: D
The only bummer was that they charge $ 1/​person for water, still or sparkling.
My favorites: Mezza Luna, Lobster Risotto, Foie Gras, Almond Cake, Pistachio Ice Cream.
SERVICE
Our server was very knowledgeable and attentive. He knew the dishes inside out and explained them thoroughly before each course. The courses were spaced out very well and came out at the perfect time. We only waited about 5 mins in between each course which was good, because we needed time to digest anyways.
OVERALL
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Yes, the dishes are expensive but this is a fancy restaurant. Our bill came out to Save this place for a pasta lover’s special occasion and they’ll love you forever! I definitely want to check out the DineLB specials sometime, but from what I saw, it’s 3 courses for $ 50 while the regular pasta tasting is 5 courses for $ 55…

I’ve eaten here but this review was for the bar — it is first class! Christian (the usual bartender) clearly is a properly trained bar tender, as we were sitting at the bar and got to view his technique in his drink preparation. They carry very good wine by the glass (my wine snob wife will testify to) and ½ price drinks happy hour is da bomb! They even had the hockey game on the tv (bonus!) to help the smaller place have a vibe. With a proper espresso machine, with a good, not large but sufficient array of cocktail liquors I’m sure they can make most of the drinks you desire.

If I’d written a review after my first visit to Michael’s on Naples, it would have been ⁴⁄₅ stars — attentive service, amazing food, etc. Valentine’s Day for the pre-​fixe at $ 95 each, however? Wah-​wahhhh (sad trombones).
The wines selected for the pairing (another $ 40) were great, but almost everything else was just good enough to not send back. After coffee, a coctail and tip, you’re in the neighborhood of $ 400 for two — enough that you should walk out on a cloud.
This is at 2 stars because I’m averaging two visits, but the pre-​fixe is definitely a one star experience — and I hate to say that about a place that I really enjoyed the first time out. Based on the conversations we had with other guests that night, there are going to be a few more low ratings trickling in.
They’ll probably get one more chance, but definitely not for a pre-​fixe menu evening.

Do not come here for Valentine’s Day… They over booked, so we had to wait forever and the food came so slowly. When the food came out… It was not that great.
To the management, if you’re going to have a Valentine’s day event don’t ruin it with long waits and poor tasting foods. As a consumer, We’re trying to impress our loved ones and trying to have a special night.
Don’t waste your time here during Valentine’s day. Over booked and poor tasting food.

I want to give this place a negative star if I have an option for that.
First, wait was ridiculous. We made a reservation at 8 pm and waited more that 30 minutes to be seated.
Second, it took us more than 2 hours to finish our meal. I thought they literally went to catch fish and cow to cook for us.
Third, food was just okay. Nothing impressive. Long wait was definitely meaningless.
Lastly, manager (I didn’t catch his name) better changes his attitude. He better be humble to listen to customer’s comments to improve the quality of service.
I do not recommend this restaurant at all! Do not come to this place.

Michael’s was suggested to us by a long-​time Long Beach local as a dinner option. Given the positive ratings and numerous accolades touted at the entrance and on the website, I had high expectations. Unfortunately, I felt like there were a lot of theatrics and just a very average experience overall for the price point.
I had the Speck e Buffala pizzette. The food was generally good all around, but I don’t feel the high prices were justified. I’ve had equally good pizzas for far less. But maybe you get to charge a premium if you call them «pizzette» instead?
On the plus side, the service was attentive and extremely patient while we struggled to reach wine selection consensus at the table. That said, the ambience felt less high-​dining and more rich-​SoCal-​making-​a-​show. I think Michael’s would make a great Housewives of Orange County location.
At the end, even our Long Beach local’s take was that it wasn’t as good as she remembered. Maybe we caught them on an off-​night. Even then, I feel there are plenty of equally good Italian options in the area that won’t require half your paycheck.

I met up with Tora M for a little Dine LA din-​din. This was my first one so I was glad to be coming here. My schedule has been pretty erratic so it was NICE to have time to get away and dine with a cool non-​psycho Unilocaler.
This place is located in the LB on Naples island and I have past by it several times as I used to live just over the bridge in Belmont Shore and would run past this place every morning. FINALLY I was going to try them. We set a time and met up and I was SUPER SURPRISED that they were not packed out with the EXCELLENT Dine LA price point.
We sat down stairs but they have a BEAUTIFUL top floor that is covered and a prefect place for a small gathering or private event. It’s open and has its own bar, small lounge area and some tables and chairs. VERY NICE!
Tora had arrived before me and had already eye-​spied a YUMMY drink called Viola Profona which had artisanal rum, fresh lime, blackberry mint shrub, and agave nectar. She let me try it and when our server came to take my drink order I hardly let her finish before I was ordering the same drink. This place serves all kind of cocktails and has a GOOD WINE selection as well. SOOO GOOD!
We perused the menu and as a SUPER NICE SURPRISE the chef had two bite sized treats sent over which had some goat cheese and jam and something else. I really can’t remember but it was YUMMY!
The Dine LA menu had several courses to select from and all were three courses. I ordered the lobster Risotto con Aragosta which came with carnaroli rice with Maine lobster, corn, and Calabrian chili. That was just the first course. For my second course I ordered the Ippoglosso which was seared Alaskan halibut, roasted summer squash, fregola sarda and tomato jam which didn’t taste ANYTHING like tomato’s. Woohoo!
Tora ordered the Agnello con Melanzane, which was an antipasti and consisted of heirloom tomatoes, burrata, Taggiasca olives and croutons for her first dish and for her main entre she ordered the Coniglio which was Andouille sausage stuffed, speck wrapped, Devil’s Gulch rabbit roulade with nectarine mostarda, chickpeas, and fave beans
How do restaurants make food sound so YUMMY! I’m drooling just remembering. We both loved our dishes course one and two. SUPER YUMMY!
For dessert we both chose the Stone Fruit Crostata with mascarpone and walnuts. It was a bit on the dry side with the crust but it was NICE and buttery. I liked the nutty flavor and the cream that came with it but the crust did not hit the mark for either of us.
I would TOTALLY come back for lunch or dinner. I was informed that Dine LA menu sometimes changes so what you enjoy during Dine LA may not be part of the normal menu, which for me is ok because if I like the food it stands the reason I can just try something else and enjoy it as well!
I definitely have to try to make room and time in my schedule for more of these Dine wherever weeks around the city. You REALLY can’t beat the prices and the amount of food you are getting. Plus it’s a PREFECT way to try and place without breaking the bank.

I was looking forward to a nice high quality meal. After reading they make their own pasta and mozzarella and have an herb garden, I really expected savory dishes.
Let me start with the bread & olive oil, definitely not fresh bread, the olive oil was light in color & taste. The salads our table ordered were good. I liked the smoked flavor from the roasted carrots in the beet salad. Our tables main entrées were are real let down. The lasagna was just a stack of spinach noodles, not much in between them. The Micheals special was really bland. Where’s the fresh herbs? The pasta wasn’t all that great either. Ravioli di fungi was good but the brown butter sauce was so salty I drank one & half glasses of water before I finished. Then the deserts, the cannoli was more like a puff pastry. Noone at the table liked the fluffy whipped cream filling in them. The almond torte was delicious though. I just expected more complexed flavores from their dishes. I only got layered flavors in the salad. The main meals were really bland.
The servers were ok. Not very attentive though. We also found it annoying to have bright lights shined in our faces from the other tables because the lighting is too dim & everyone whips out there phones flashlights to read the menu. We definitely wont be returning, its not worth the prices for food lacking personality and an unpleasent environment.

I heard great things about this place and had high expectations. Made reservations for Tues at 6:30pm for party of 5 for dinner with coworkers and was promptly seated. There’s valet parking for $ 4 which I would recommend since there was a sign stating any cars parked in the neighboring lots would be towed.
Overall, the experience was not so great.
Service was OK… the waitress was friendly and smiled, but it felt like the food & desserts were coming out a tad bit late. Many times I had to flag someone down because something we needed was not given or we were ready to order.
I will elaborate more below…
Pros:
The best part of the night was the pasta. We ordered the pork sausage pasta and lobster risotto to share, and both were very good. My boss had ordered the scallop risotto and that was delicious too… scallops were huge and cooked perfectly.
Cons:
Presentation — lacking in many of the dishes. The fig burrata was very small. The traditional cold cut appetizer looked and tasted like something from the grocery store.
Food itself — we ordered the 36oz. ribeye to share. Waitress did not ask how we wanted it cooked, so I asked her after she took everyone’s order and she said «we usually just cook it medium rare.» I’ve never really heard of a restaurant that cooks it a certain way without asking or telling the customer, but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt so fair enough. The huge piece of meat comes out, and they have a guy in a suit cut it for us which was nice since it saved us the work. However, it was not medium rare. It was well done. The waitress should have picked up on that detail, and the guy cutting it should have too. What would top notch service be to me? As soon as they realized it was over cooked, admit to the mistake, send it back to the kitchen, and bring out a new steak that’s medium rare. The steak ended up being dry and chewy… not very good and not worth $ 140.
Details — would have liked the waitress and bussers to pay attention to details a little more. We ordered the 2 aforementioned pasta dishes to share which we told to the waitress, but when they came out they were placed in the middle of the table with no spoons. Also, I was drinking still water and they mixed it with sparkling without asking.
Wine — they have an expansive wine list. However, I didn’t like the wine that was recommended to us. I asked the waitress for recommendations, and she promptly brought over the sommelier. I showed him a pic of a delicious wine I had last week at Spaghettini and said something similar in taste (med-​full body) but a bit lower in price. He tried to upsell me a bottle that was $ 150…fair enough, I know he’s in the job to make sales. I said half that price please and he recommended a $ 60 bottle wine… ordered it… and it not very good. It was a lighter body and had a watery after taste.
The restaurant is a bit on the smaller side and you feel crammed at times, but it has a dim light setting and can make for a romantic evening. My main beef (no pun) is with the way the steak was cooked and presented. And regarding the details I write about… I hope I don’t come across as overly critical, but when the total bill is $ 476 before tip… this place left a lot to be desired.
I may give them a 2^nd chance just for the pasta… but everything else on the menu was underwhelming.

I am incredibly disappointed with my experience at Michael’s last night.
I should preface this review by stating that I have eaten here many times and have always enjoyed myself tremendously. The food, while not always amazing, is thoughtfully prepared and consistently tasty. Until yesterday, I had only eaten in the main dining area.
My boyfriend and I are both business owners and have insane schedules during the winter months. We can go weeks without seeing each other. We made a reservation days in advance for Monday night at 7. I was incredibly excited for our dinner. We hadn’t been out to eat in months and I just wanted to relax, be taken care of and to be lavished in tastiness.
When we arrived at Michael’s, it had just started to drizzle outside. I was visibly cold when I entered the restaurant, as I was shivering. The hostesses seemed to be confused about where to put us. They whispered amongst themselves and one of them asked us to follow her upstairs. Initially, I was excited to dine upstairs, but when they stuffed us at an incredibly tiny table (far left), on the edge of the overhang, I was a little irritated. I had on a long, ankle length sweater and it got SOAKED from the wet mat beneath us and from the waitress trampling it. (She was apologetic and brought me napkins to sop up the water)
As I mentioned before, we were on the edge of the overhang. Because of the wind, my hair was drizzled upon for a large portion of the meal. When we left, I had a completely moist head and felt sniffly.
I have to be completely honest… The food was not that good. I’m not sure how much the atmosphere affected our experience. I suppose it’s possible that because we were uncomfortable, the food did not have its usual appeal and tasted quite average.
I also feel like the service downstairs is in a different league. Downstairs, the waitstaff is held to a high standard as far as etiquette is concerned and is also incredibly educated, knowledgable and seemingly passionate about the food and wine. I eat that sh! t up. Anyone who has ever eaten at an upscale or fine dining establishment, knows that excellent service elevates a meal. Our server on the second floor, while polite, seemed to be very amateur and not nearly as impeccably trained. Is this intentional? Is the top floor supposed to be more laid back and casual? If so, that should be reflected in the price.
So to summarize, I feel completely shafted. I had a completely different experience from what I was anticipating. We were stuffed in a corner, received mediocre food and service that we could have received on 2^nd street for a hundred and fifty bucks cheaper. Seriously, Michaels! If someone is spending 200 $ on dinner, they shouldn’t have to sit in the rain. They shouldn’t have to worry about their garments getting wet.
I am very sorry to say that you have likely lost me as a customer. As of right now, all of the good experiences I’ve had here seem to be outweighed by this incredibly uncomfortable and subpar experience.

This place was rated 4^th best restaurant in the Los Angeles county’s Zagat guide, so I thought I’d come in and check them out.
My overall take was that I didn’t think they were bad at all, nor did I think they were fabulous either. They have a nice massive wine selection. Probably one of the largest I’ve ever seen with bottles ranging from $ 25ish to 700! Also, the waitress explained how the chef likes getting local ingredients which was pretty nice. If I could give them a half a star I would give them 3 ½ stars I think.
–The butternut squash soup was piping hot, and real good. That I enjoyed.
— The calamari was mixed with spices and olive oil and served on top of the toasted bread triangles. All I could really taste was the calamari flavor itself and the olive oil, so it was somewhat on the blandish side.
–The Beet and goat cheese salad was good… not over-​the-​top, but good.
–my entrée was a mushroom ravioli and some kind of a nice tasting sauce that wasn’t over-​the-​top great — but it was good.
With a little trepidation, I would come here again because the menu was rather large enough, so I could find some other items on the menu to experience.
If your a Long Beach local, come in and check them out see what you think.

Michael’s on Naples is not just any other upscale italian joint. It is not just a place that happens to be on the highly acclaimed Zagat list. It is not just amazing… Michael’s is home and family. It is safe to say Michael Dean and chef David Coleman are an incredible duo that keep pushing culinary boundaries while remanning true to local ingredients. This place isn’t just hype folks the food really is that good and heres why…
Ambiance: Laid back fancy without being too pretentious. Total score: ⁵⁄₅.
Service: If I could write a love letter to Michael Dean on how amazing Massimo, Kevin, Steig, Coleman and the whole team is I would because these people always work at 110% and love what they do and what the restaurant represents. Total score: ⁵⁄₅
Price: Let’s be real folks… you know this place is fancy so don’t expect me to say it is a money deal. however it is a deal for the level and quality of food you are getting. Total score: ⁵⁄₅
What was ordered:
Intermezzos $free: perfectly charred rustic bread with goat cheese mouse and artichoke.
Barbabietole $ 16: Roasted beet and carrot salad with Laura Chenel goat cheese, hazelnuts, farro and watercress.
Mezzaluna D’Anatra $ 17: Half moon shaped pasta stuffed with braised Liberty Farm duck neck and Ricotta, shallots, and pistachios. THE BEST!!! Such a rich yet savory sauce.
Capesante In Padella $ 33: Speck wrapped diver scallops with pumpkin risotto and bacon lardons. Light and perfect.
Rabbit stuffed with rabbit sausage (special of the day/​market price): Amazingly prepared rabbit sausage stuffed into rabbit placed on grilled polenta and greens.
linguini with Truffle (special of the day/​market price): House made linguini under a perfectly poached quail egg with shaved truffles. MMMMMmmmmm truffles…
This place is top notch and the go-​to restaurant for any special occasion or just for some amazingly killer food. If you want to save some $$ drop in for their great happy hour and live music on the rooftop.

This place is just ok. I came here for my best friends dinner post simple wedding at the courthouse. There were 22 people. She asked for a table for 24. They told her they’ll set out 20 & add more if needed, but when the last 2 people came, they only added two chairs and not a much needed table.
I ordered the spinach lasagna in bolognese sauce. I think it had too much pasta and not enough meat. The pasta seemed a bit overlooked. My boyfriend had the mushroom ravioli. It was just ok as well. Had a strong wine taste in it though. A bit much for us.
This placed just seemed way overpriced for the extremely small portions. Plus, the taste didn’t wow me. I wouldn’t come back here. There are plenty of other better tasting Italian spots around.
The best part about it was the service.

Dine L.A. #5…another beautiful SoCal day on Naples Isle with Ryan P. Michael’s has a stellar reputation for several things: they make their own pastas and mozzarella daily, they grow their own herbs in their rooftop garden, the sausages are handcrafted by Chef David Coleman, they source local and organic produce, they use responsibly grown livestock and they use sustainable fish.
Their Vero still water is a bargain at $ 1 per person and unlimited. Warm bread and a complimentary appetizer followed. Cocktail anyone? Ryan & I both chose the Viola Profonda $ 11– artisanal rum, fresh lime, blackberry mint shrub and agave nectar. Beautiful and delicious!
We took full advantage of the three course Dine L.A. Menu ($ 50 each). Ryan P. ordered the lobster risotto to start and the Alaskan Halibut with summer squash as her main dish. For me, the antipasti– Agnello con Melanzane: Devil’s Gulch lamb crepinette with eggplant caponata and for the secondi– Coniglio: Andouille sausage stuffed, Speck wrapped Devil’s Gulch rabbit roulade. We both loved our dishes. Complex, tasty, prettily plated and plentiful.
For dessert we both chose the Stone Fruit Crostata with mascarpone and walnuts. This was the only disappointment of the evening– it was way too dry.
Service was nicely paced and pleasantly delivered. There’s an enticing upstairs semi-​outdoor lounge area that I’d like to go back and visit.