I stumbled into dimly lit Arnie's and knew right away this was not going to be a good experience. For a place that gets so much publicity, and has plenty of history, I expected much more.

The inside of Arnie's is dominated by warm colors like red and burgundy

Nothing attracted my eyes. Burgundy and brown, with low-lit lights on the wooden walls, gave it a funeral look. The table was very low class. The waitress opened napkins in the shapes of diamonds as soon as she came over. When she placed my water on the diamond shaped napkin, the napkin sucked up all the dripping water from my glass.

As the common cliche goes, "Never judge a book by its cover," so I decided to keep an open mind. We waited 15 minutes to be served even though the restaurant was almost empty. The waitress, who reminded me of my grandmother back home, brought out what looked like Price Chopper sliced bread. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw bread that looked like it was pulled out the bag and slapped onto the dish. It was cold, tasteless, and my butter tore its way across the bread instead of smearing softly. We were also given packaged cheese bread sticks that were extremely hard.

The menu lacked diversity. The selection was poor. It took me over 20 minutes to figure out what I wanted, and what I was willing to pay for after my first bite of the cold bread. Every item on the menu seemed to be breaded, parmigian, or some sort of veal.

The meals seem appealing, but the bread looks appalling

Some of the dishes available are the boneless 12 oz New York Strip Steak for $15.95, Liver with Bacon & Onions for $12.95, Pork Chops with Apple Sauce for $13.50, Fried Ham with Pineapple for $12.50, and Veal and Peppers for $15.95. The prices on the menu were fairly inexpensive ranging from $10.95 to $15.95.

I chose to go with the Pan Fried Chicken Breast Italian Style, a dish cooked with olive oil and Italian spices. I had a choice of either a potato, vegetable, or spaghetti with tomato sauce on the side. I went with the spaghetti. I should have chosen differently because the spaghetti was incredibly plain. The sauce didn't excite me. My mouth didn't water and there were no hints of sun-dried tomatoes or peppers to make my eyes light up after savoring the meal.

After my meal, I glanced at the desert menu and it was either coffee, hot chocolate, or ice cream. At that point, I knew it was time to get the check.

When the waitress came over with the check and asked, "How was everything," I couldn't hurt her feelings, so I forced a smile and said, "It was good." I looked over at my friend, and knew he felt the same.

Decorative antiques help to inspire a nostalgic atmosphere

I don't know where my experience went sour since I am an Italian cuisine fanatic. Maybe it was the poor, depressing decor and lack of color. The music, waitress, and crowd were no fun. I guess they cater to the older generation. If you're young like myself, and you want to spend your hard earned cash on someplace worthwhile, turn away from Arnie's and head elsewhere.

Did you have a different experience at Arnie's? Tell us about it!

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