iMonelli

one of the better restaurants in Lafayette that people often forget about. Brian is a very talented chef and his menu items never disappoint. Most of his staff have been there for over 20 yrs. Great success story how some things are meant to happen. Brian needed a job in college, was hired as a busboy and dishwasher, then at age 22, he bought the restaurant. I eat at iMonelli 2-3 times per year, and always say that I need to come back more often.

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Brian is a very talented chef and his menu items never disappoint

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No doubt about it. We had him cater our wedding and it was fantastic.

As for iMonelli, for some reason, it does often get left off of lists of best in Laf.

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As for iMonelli, for some reason, it does often get left off of lists of best in Laf.

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It feels super dated, and not just from an aesthetic perspective, but the whole experience. I'm not one to complain about slow service in general because I enjoy the social aspect of dining out but the service was absurdly slow last time I went.

Excellent veal dishes.

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holy hell they need to update that place


Why? Food is great! They are plenty busy. One of the best examples of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

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Because it is broke, and they don't fix it.

Ate there 2 weeks ago. Food is very good. Service very good. Ambiance good. Pricing also good.

But before you sit down, take a look at your chairs and notice the torn upholstery (dim lighting helps to hide this), and tell me if this is acceptable in a restaurant of this caliber.

This is not to be equated with romanticizing an old mafia hangout.

Spending a little money on updating a few things like this would help to enhance the experience of one of Lafayette's locally owned gems.