Kelly and I had a lunch date this month at Katies Pizzeria. Jason and I went to Katie's a couple of years ago and we did not have a good experience. In fact, it was the worst service I have ever experienced at at restuarant complete with a bratty hostess who rolled her eyes at Jason and stomped off, a table that was so small Jason couldn't fit his knees under it, and an overcrowded (small) dining room with oblivious patrons sipping cocktails while leaning on the back of Jason's chair. Needless to say, we did not go back. But when Kelly mentioned it, I was willing to give it another try because the pizza was good and I hoped that they had worked out some glitches in the service.
This experience was much better. During the lunch hour, the restaurant was no where near as crowded and I was happy to see that the little table we had sat at was no where to be found and neither was the obnoxious hostess. Our waitress was pleasant, although she did almost spill a dish of olive oil all over me, and the atmosphere was homey with big tables and reminded me of being in someone's dining room. The pizza at Katie's is not your standard pan tossed or St. Louis style thin crust, but somewhere in between. It's more traditional Naples style with a unique offering of toppings.
Kelly and I both took advantage of the lunch special: a salad and mini pizza. Kelly had the Roasted Beet Salad (field greens, apples, walnuts, gorgonzola, roasted beets with honey mustard vinagrette) and the Roasted Chicken Pizza (chicken, cipolini onions, garlic, goat cheese, and escarole). She raved about both. I tried a piece of her pizza and agreed that it was delicious. Tons of flavor without being too heavy. I had the Katie's Caprese Salad (heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pepperoncini's and balsamic vinagrette) and the Asaparagus and Procuitto and Fontina Pizza. I enjoyed both. The salad was fresh with yellow and red tomatoes and plenty of yummy mozzarella. I would never have put asaparagus on pizza, but it worked well with the procuitto. The lunch special was a great deal and provided just the right amount of food.
I'm glad I gave Katie's a second chance. The food is really worth it and it appears that the service has improved greatly.
