At Del Monico Spaghetti House, your plate comes with a side of bibs

We’ve all been the victim of a large, messy meal at a restaurant. Sometimes the burger is just too sloppy to hold with one hand or the baby back ribs are literally falling off the bone…and into your lap. In my case, I’m more “chopstick-challenged” than I want to admit.

Now, imagine this happens to you and upon returning to the restaurant, the server ties a bib around your neck. Some may consider this offensive, but at Del Monico Spaghetti House, this was the norm.

Bib Origins

In the October 7, 1947 printing of the The Stroller, Sigman Byrd provides some backstory for the bibs. The practice allegedly began after Mr. Vincent Navarr, Sr, owner of Del Monico Spaghetti House, grew tired of seeing his customers stain their clothes.”

The restaurant was founded in 1930 by Vincent Navarro, Sr and was a big hit for Italian fine dining. Byrd describes Del Monico’s as, “an Old-World sort of place where the customer is considered the honored guest of an honorable host.

The pasta at Del Monico Spaghetti House was 40-inches long. While Mr. Navarro briefly considered cutting it for his customers’ convenience, he decided not to. He told Mr. Byrd that while, “Some of them know how to roll spaghetti on the fork with a soup spoon,” the majority did not.

Below you can see the “spoon trick” Vincent Navarro, Sr. is referring to

Mr. Navarro’s son, Vincent Navarro, Jr, took it upon himself to order 150 bibs in various colors to match the clothing of their guests. The waitresses were then instructed to tie the bibs around the neck of every customer who was unaware of the “spoon trick.” His father initially feared the bibs to be a PR disaster, but they were actually a hit.

Four Decades of Happily-bibbed Customers

As for what happened to Del Monico’s, Vincent Navarro, Jr eventually took over the business in the late 50’s. According to several articles in the 1962 and 1963 issues of the Houston Chronicle, they eventually relocated to 3925 Westheimer after serving Downtown for 30 years.

Vincent Navarro, Jr ran the business until 1971, when the Westheimer location closed.

A March 1971 Houston Post article briefly mentioned the closing:

“This would be a good weekend for all you fans of Del Monico Italian Restaurant to go by and say hello and good bye for a while to owner Vincent Navarro. Sunday is the last day that Del Monicos will be open at the present Westheiimer location. However Vince tells me that he is looking for a new location to open very soon.”
— Vince Gargotta // March 12, 1971 // Houston Post

As far as the original 1804 Louisiana location is concerned, a parking garage has occupied the location since 1970.