Capone's is no more
I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Capone's is now closed. I got the tip from Legal Chick that there are two large trailers in front of the building, ladders inside, the lights were off, and I just called the number, and it has been disconnected.
I (originally anonymous, but you might recognize my posting style in the above link, and certainly my complaints about Paolo's), called it: "I can see them closing within the year. They're just too expensive for what they are: An expensive gimmick restaurant across from the Simplot plant."
It's a shame, since the food was actually decent, and they are a locally owned. But again, it goes to show that local owners do not always listen. If you are going to spend that kind of money, you'll go to Sanders, or even The Toasted Frog, which took up that #2 fancy spot in our restaurant market.
Now, when is that Olive Garden coming?
EDIT: Thanks to GrandForksGuy for pointing out that this could all be the result of a fire they sustained earlier in the month. If this is just a temporary closure, then I wish them luck when they reopen. I also wish them luck in finding the Italian food niche that we all hoped they would fill, but haven't so far.
I'm still sticking by my prediction of them closing unless they make significant changes.
27 comments:
You do know there was a fire at Capone's a couple of weeks ago, right? Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't be a bit suprised if they had truly closed up shop, but I was giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that the trailers involved cleanup from the fire. Most days that I have went by the restaurant, there have been a few cars in the back. I just assumed that they were cleaning up.
Actually I didn't know that there was a fire, but since the phones are disconnected I'd say that they are kaput. I guess we'll see...
Capone's? What was that?
Okay, I can infer by your comments that it was on Gateway, so I'm guessing it was in the old Fire Island/Green Mill building.
Went out of business, you say? Amazing. With no advertising (that I ever saw) and one of the worst locations in town, I can't imagine that they went out of business.
As someone who eats out pretty much every day of the week, if I never heard of them, they didn't stand much of a chance. I likely drove by the building a dozen times and never even realized it was open.
grandforksguy, Capones is closed temporarily due to the fire. They will be opening up soon. So eat that. Grand Forks Gal
Well for all of your information which is a bit shotty to say the least. My mom owns the restaurant and I would like to say that we are not closed but in the process of rebuilding after a kitchen fire. So don't be d-bags and bash it without knowing the whole truth or for not even eating there. And if you did....thanks...
Well for all of your information which is a bit shotty to say the least. My mom owns the restaurant and I would like to say that we are not closed but in the process of rebuilding after a kitchen fire. So don't be d-bags and bash it without knowing the whole truth or for not even eating there. And if you did....thanks...
1. This is not a news service, but rather a personal blog. I'll post whatever I want to post, and I'll research as much or as little as I want.
2. Calling me a d-bag, which I can only assume you mean to "douchebag," is not going to win you any friends around here.
3. I ate there at least 3 times that I can remember, but will never again (see #2 above). Thanks to your clever use of name calling, I'll make sure I tell everyone I know not to eat there either. Good work. Your mom must be proud.
4. Maybe you should tell your mom to lower her prices, serve Italian food (is she trying to run a mafia-style speakeasy or not? Somehow I don't think Al Capone ate much mango chutney or whatever is being served these days), and get some good house wine, not that stuff that tasted like it was brewed in a bathtub. Or was that all part of the speakeasy charade?
Wait how old are you like 7? Can you drink Alcohol little guy? Is it past your bed time?
who are you talking to?
DRINK ALCOHOL!!! ALCOHOL!!!!!!!! WOOO WOOOO!!!!! FRAT PARTY! ALCOHOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!
Blame Legal Chick for the sho[dd]y research. She lives around the corner from Capone's and simply drew the only conclusion apparent to the dining community. It's no one's job but Capone's to get out the word that it's making a comeback.
And I didn't need to be called a "d-bag" to affirm my resolve not to revisit Capone's after I was served vegetable soup with rice (listed as pasta e fagioli, which the waiter could not pronounce) and I listened to the waiter describe a cannoli as "an Italian-style crepe stuffed with cream cheese." For an over-priced prix fixe, you better be ready to impress and Capones just couldn't cut it.
Legal Chick
Please tell me teh tommy-gun wasn't lost in the fire!!! ;-0
Don't worry the Tommy gun is ok.
Legal Chick, well put, as always.
One question, however. You mean you actually expected pasta in your pasta e fagioli? How demanding!
I'll admit that I chuckled to myself as well when the waiter used the same "Italian-style crepe stuffed with cream cheese" description.
Do yourselves a favor, Capone's daughter and Mom, and don't bother re-opening that ridiculous excuse for a restaurant. Your parking lot will be as empty as it is now. I had the unfortunate experience of eating there/ getting ripped off one time after Marilyn Hagerty sang your praises in the Herald. She must have been smoking something that day!
Why the obsession with the Olive Garden????? Its NOT that good, just more frozen/prepackaged chain food. Just what we need, another chain!
I agree with Jeremy. Go to Hugos, purchase some stouffers lasagna and frozen bread sticks. light a candel, and pretend you're at the Olive Garden or any other cheezey ccorporate sweatshop that can afford to spend a billion dollars on Tv ads aimed toward the gulliable taste-impaired public.
I guess it's a good thing I don't eat the pasta at Olive Garden. They have good soup and pizza, however. And my kid likes it, which is more important than a lot of other considerations.
I forgot to mention that the coffee they serve at Olive Garden (from S&D Roasters) is better than any coffee you can buy in Hugo's. That goes for any stale, store-version of Starbucks as well (which is different than the coffeeshop version).
18 comments? Wow, I hadn't checked this thread out for a while.
I got such a kick out of the owner's daughter's comments. Do you really think acting like what you refer to as a "d-bag" is going to win you any new customers? Your mother should be trying as hard as she can to get people to eat at her overpriced restaurant that has a questionable menu and an even more questionable "theme". Then again, she didn't worry about that in the past so I doubt she'll worry about any of that in the future. Having her daughter berate potential customers is a great way of getting out to the community just how great of a business formula you guys have going...
BTW, is anybody else troubled by that whole "Even Batman eats at Capone's!" sign? What does that mean anyways? Is that really the kind of sign you would expect to see advertising the most expensive restaurant in town???
Maybe she likes Batman....
Suliminal advertising?
Bats eat skeeters...right?
I bet if Coffee Guy were served Mango Chutney at the Olive Garden he'd think it was the second coming, but God forbid a local person have an original thought. Just a guess
Sorry, I wouldn't.
With that out of the way, I'll go on record as stating that I don't even like 90% of the food I've tasted at Olive Garden. However, they do a few things well (pizza, soup, salad, and coffee). That's enough for me to choose that over Capone's any day of the week, especially since I do most of my dining with my kid, who likes the pizza and atmosphere as well.
And if by "original thought" you mean conflating two incongruous styles, resulting in a sub-par dining experience, then yes, I agree.
I prefer the peach chutney and Ramano's Macaroni Grill. Grand Forkers are just being too pickey. What are we upset about? We got a Red Lobster!
Olive Garden sucks, yes. But, it's way worse to pine for the *&%$ hole! Isolation is the pits.
Capones was an excellent restaurant. I'd rather pay those prices and eat a meal that I know has been homemade... not something frozen and reheated like the majority of most Grand Forks restaurants.
Most residents in Grand Forks are quick to criticize anything, especially if it is not mainstream.
The owner was trying to introduce something new to the area. It was obviously something that needed some improvements. Especially a more professional wait staff and a better location. I can't complain a bit about the food and the idea of someplace where you can eat a full course meal and drinks in one price. At least there's not a shock like you'd get eating some place with bad food like Ground Round.
There are too few places open here in Grand Forks that are not chain restaurants with healthy options. And different from the rest.
And as far as what happened to Capones, yes there was a fire. And from what I understand the owners of the restaurant was tired of fires happening in the building that was leased to them.
I hope to see them re-open in the downtown area... if you have a location that has good parking. Grand Forks is cold for about 9 months of the year. Not fun to go walk 3 blocks in bitter cold winds to go eat.
Capones also did advertise. I seen advertisements everywhere except on t.v.
I'm so tired of this small town mentality. Everyone's quick to judge, not liking change but complain that we're not up to par with other cities and towns.
Maybe we should try to support our local citizens that want to do something positive.
Accually, I hate to burst your bubble, but Capone's was doing well, and had a lot of business booked months in advance. It closed due to a fire and they are in the process of re-opening. You can tell your "Legal Chick" to check her facts.
I loved Capone's and went there more than once. It had a great menu and the food and service was way above average. I can't wait for their return.
And by the way, it was stated by members of the Grand Forks city council that our town isn't sophisticated enough for an Olive Garden. In other words, please hold your breath.
"I'm so tired of this small town mentality."
Dear Lord, have I lost my big city bias already?
"Maybe we should try to support our local citizens that want to do something positive."
Tell me again how speaking in an over-exaggerated Italian-American accent is a positive thing? With an ancestry chock full of people with last names such as Janicelli, Fera, and Gallo, I'd really like to know.
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