Loose Noodle Pasta House

I really like this place. If you're looking for true haute cuisine this may not be your spot but if you're looking for somewhere that has reliable service and good food at very reasonable prices, you're going to like the Loose Noodle. more

We were greeted with an enthusiastic smile and promptly escorted to our table. We brought our own special bottle of wine (our son is a Napa Valley wine maker) and they brought two glasses without question or hesitation. During our travels in Italy I developed a fondness for ravioli, so I ordered the Ravioli and Shrimp ($14) and my wife (she’s Italian) ordered the Pasta and Shrimp ($11). She requested different pasta than normally served with this dish which was substituted without question (or charge). The entrees were well presented and excellent. Very flavorful, reminding us of our trips to Southern Italy and the wonderful cuisine found along the Amalfi Coast. We took our time enjoying every delicious bite along with the wine our son had blended especially for us. What a wonderful evening! Both of our servers were young and very pleasant, sharing the experiences they encountered while `coming to America’. After dinner they offered us complimentary deserts of our choice and we shared a glass of port. Though we arrived rather late and stayed much later, we were never rushed and were encouraged to just relax and enjoy. It was a fabulous, romantic evening! I would not hesitate to return to the Loose Noodle again and again. - Ciao! Pros: Good Food, Reasonable Prices, Friendly Staff Cons: No Outdoor Seating more

This used to be a wonderful quality eatery, but it has changed hands several times and now is average at best. Prices are still reasonable, but service and food quality are poor. Those were the days... Go to Vito's or Il Fornio for a better experience. more

My wife aren't familiar with Monterey, so we checked out the Loose Noodle because it was in this discount guidebook we had. We were drawn in partly by their advertisement that all meals come with Ciabatta bread.\r \r We go in and were impressed by the decor - it seemed fancy with good tablecloths and nice wine glasses atop each table.\r \r We look at the menu and again it says that all meals come with Ciabatta bread. But when the waiter served us bread, it wasn't Ciabatta bread. Rather, it was some sort of cheap french bread. Now what was weird is that some other patrons had the good Ciabatta bread. \r \r As I looked around, my wife and I realized that there was a pattern here - if you looked like you were wealthy (well-dressed, business people, etc.) then you got the good bread. If you looked like us (casual, touristy, etc.) you got the bad bread.\r \r We tested our theory with three new patrons and it worked. The couple with the child who dressed like they shop at Ross - bad bread. The fifty-somethings who came in with a swagger - good bread. The young professionals on their lunch break - good bread.\r \r In addition, the power shut off three times, and the server got our order wrong. These other things would have been ok had we not felt judged because of the way we looked. Pros: Nice initial decor; close to the action in Downtown Monterey Cons: poor food, poor service more