This restaurant, Napoli, has been in business for many years, and after tasting their glorious food, you can understand why; it’s just that good.
Napoli Italian Restaurant has a lot of loyal customers, since it opened in 1994. Owner, Santokh Singh Bhatti really thinks his success is because they haven’t changed anything for many years. He says, “I really don’t mess with an already proven good thing.” His reputation speaks for itself. He came to San Bernardino in 1992 when he opened a convenience store, but in 1994, with very little money, he managed to open Napoli Italian Restaurant, and the rest is history. Many regular customers have been enjoying Napoli since its inception, they come for dinner every week. Santokh is also a Chef; his cooking education came from spending his early teenage years cooking in Wiesbaden, Germany restaurants. He worked his way up from dishwasher to Chef. Even though Italian cooking is very different from German cooking, he honed his European cooking skills there. (Fun fact: And for you, Bollywood fans, Santokh could be superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s stand-in, he really looks so much like him.)
Here’s What I Triied:
Appetizers:
Calamari, nicely breaded and very fresh; a good way to start my meal.
Bruschetta alla Napoletana, homemade toasted bread topped with fresh mozzarella di bufala, diced tomato, fresh basil, oregano, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. These are so darn tasty, packed with garlic and basil; just wonderful.
Salad:
Napoli’s Caesar Salad with Prawns crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a special Caesar dressing, topped with grilled prawns, pine nuts, fresh tomatoes, and homemade croutons. I always want to try a good Caesar salad and they really make a very delicious and special salad. The prawns are super flavorful and tender, and the pine nuts are a great added touch.
Salmon Oreganato, salmon seasoned with blended herbs and grilled, served on a bed of spring mix salad with artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, tomatoes, onions, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and balsamic vinaigrette. They give you lots of salmon and the herbs really take this salad over the top in a very good way.
Pasta:
Ravioli di Portobello, portobello mushroom ravioli with fresh tomatoes and wild mushrooms, in a cream sauce. I just loved this ravioli; it is comfort food at its best; take my word for it and just try it.
Seafood Capellini with Lobster Sauce, angel hair pasta and seafood. There are plenty of scallops, shrimp, and salmon in this delicious pasta. The lobster sauce is mellow and smooth, just a terrific pasta dish.
Fettuccine Alfredo, fettuccine pasta with homemade creamy alfredo with shrimp. I just loved this rendition of a very classic Italian staple. Wow is all I can say.
Spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, with sautéed mushrooms and meatballs. If you like a very deep and rich Italian red sauce, then this is the dish for you.
Meats:
Chicken Parmigiana, lightly fried parmesan-breaded chicken with homemade marinara sauce and melted Italian cheese. The chicken is very succulent, and the blending of the sauces and cheese is just divine.
Veal Marsala, veal with sautéed mushrooms and marsala wine. I loved this dish; it’s got that sweet kick from the wine and the mushrooms are sliced nice and thin; it is one of my favorites.
Pizza:
Napoli’s Meat Lovers, Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni with marinara and mozzarella cheese. This pizza was jam-packed with every Italian meat that you would want on a pizza, and the crust was perfect.
Side Order:
Garlic Bread, they put lots of herbs on this garlic bread, which adds an extra flavor profile.
Dessert:
Tiramisu, beautiful and light; just the best way to end my glorious meal.
I also tried a few fantastic wines that paired so great with my dinner; they have a very good wine list. Remember, reds with meat and whites with seafood.
My server, Rafael, came from one of my all-time favorite places in Beverly Hills, Chaya Brasserie. A place I used to frequent for many years. He wanted to move to Palm Springs, but in 2018, he somehow was brought to the Loma Linda area. He is so happy that his circumstances led him here. He was very charismatic and really guided me through my amazing tasting.
What can I say about Napoli that hasn’t already been said? It truly is a find in this rural area. Fine Italian cuisine at its best! It has all the bells and whistles and will make your taste buds soar. Regular customers, Kerry, Laurie, and Timothy told me how much they love the food at Napoli and come here all the time. You can come here as a destination dinner, or when you’re enroute to the desert; make this your first stop for lunch or dinner and you too will be so happy your stomach is full and satiated.
Napoli Italian Restaurant
24960 Redlands Blvd.
Loma Linda, CA
92354
(909) -796-3770
HOURS – SUN, MON, TUE, WED, THUR, FRI, SAT
11:00 AM – 9:30 PM