Coney Island Bar

Spring. Beautiful, lovely spring. I've missed you. It's so warm that I've been leaving my windows open at night and the ones in my jeep cracked.  And as great as the occasional breeze feels when it graces my legs (both of which, by the way, have long awaited shorts-weather), this unfortunately means that the house and the car are starting to fall victim to dust.

So, in the spirit not only of spring, but also of spring cleaning, I grabbed this review, which I'd begun who-knows-how-long ago, out of the pile, gave it a good shake, and cleaned up for publication.

The Coney Island is a family tradition. So much so, in fact, that my family doesn't call it Coney Island, but rather "Galletti's," after the Italian family who opened it so many years ago. My first actual memory of the place was on my 5th birthday.  My family had been invited to dinner for someone else's birthday that night, and the restaurant was closed for the private party.  I don't remember dinner, and I don't remember who was there.  But I do remember that for dessert, I was served a gigantic (to me at the time) cream puff. It was the most decadent thing my little self had ever tasted.  The light pastry stuffed with delicate creamy custard- it was something that I felt special eating. From that point on, I was under the notion that the Coney Island had made the cream puffs especially for my birthday.

You can still find that the Coney Island has delicious cream puffs for dessert on banquet dinners.  But on the day-to-day, you can find me either eating The Mess- an enchilada topped with beans and salad, a Roast Beef Sandwich (on Spaghetti Tuesday it is made with roast beef cooked in spaghetti sauce- finger-licking good, if not the most easy to eat), or the spaghetti itself, which comes with either a red sauce or a pesto sauce. My only complaint, being the pasta snob that I am, is that the noodles always seem to be a touch over-cooked.

Sodas come in cans because, hell, they always have, and the beers are cheap. Walking through the doors you see not only the young and new, but you see tradition- the older generations of this great city and state, or those to whom such tradition was passed.

The Coney Island, or Galletti's, as I call it due to ease of reference with my family, truly holds a special place in my heart.  As sure as spring returns each year, I will be back time and time again to this historic Reno restaurant.

We've been going to the Coney for years, and it feels so much like home, it's hard to pinpoint what's so great about it. In a few words, it's the atmosphere, the people, the vibe, and of course, the simple and delicious food. I love the place. I'll never stop going. And the garlic soup rocks--wish they made it daily.

Coney Island is a step back in time.  A family owned/operated old-time restaurant/bar.  The Italian entrees are great.  The salad and polenta are outstanding.  The Wednesday night dinners vary each week.