What makes good Italian food and a great Italian restaurant? This just what I think.
Italy has a wonderful tradition of fine food items. Italian food’s importance to Italian culture can not overstated. It is one of the central elements, and why shouldn’t it be? Think about Italy’s geography for a second:
It runs a long shot from north to south. Therefore, is an efficient wide array of skyrocketing seasons and soil types. This means a rich diversity of ingredients for food.
It is a peninsula, meaning is nearly surrounded with sea but also connected to terrific Eurasian land mass. There is an abundance of fresh seafood and foreign ingredients from neighboring lands.
It sits between Europe and Africa in the Mediterranean. All Mediterranean cultures have excellent food traditions from North Africa to Lebanon and Israel, France, Greece, Spain and, of course, Toscana.
When you regarding noodles and pasta, you probably consider Italy, but those wonderful inventions came to Italy from China thanks to Marco Polo. It reveals a lot about Italian food culture that something so basic became together with Italy even although it did not originate there.
Anyway, food is a key element of Italian culture. Therefore, the food is regarded as important part belonging to the restaurant. Of course, a great Italian restaurant will possess a great wine list, a clean and chic decor, and wonderful service, but a positive Italian restaurant are certain to get by on great food alone, whether or not they have a crummy wine list, poor service, and a dingy decoration schemes.
By the way, if you leave an “Italian” restaurant hungry, it’s far from authentic. A white tablecloth and high bill do rather than a great bistro acquire. Frankly, I can’t stand those fancy Italian restaurants in Manhattan that impose $400 for a morsel that makes you want to stop for a slice of pizza in route home. A great Italian ristorante will leave you full, not stuffed, but full.
The second aspect of a great Italian restaurant is the service. The service will be warm and professional, but is not overly friendly. After the orders are taken and the meal gets rolling, true should be nearly invisible. Run — don’t walk — from any Italian restaurant where the waitperson address the table like this:
“How you guys doin’ today?” when ladies are seated at the table. This is most un-Italian . An Italian would never call a woman “guy.” There is spaghetti-and-meatballs-type places, the waiter might say, “How is everyone tonite?” The won’t tarry with small talk in the white-tablecloth places, not the good ones, however. It is all about the meal at the same time comfort.
The third aspect of any great Italian restaurant could be the ambiance. I don’t know what it is, but Italians appear like able to have a wonderful atmosphere anywhere. I’ve eaten at places in strip malls in suburbia of Denver — as un-romantic a setting as tend to be : — that come close to great. An actually outstanding Italian restaurant will just have a certain feeling from the instant you walk in the door, a warmth and maybe a glow that can’t sometimes be described.
So the priorities are food first, service second, and a ambiance third. If all three are met, you can see a great Italian eating venue.
Ciro & Sal’s
4 Kiley Ct, Provincetown, MA 02657
(508) 487-6444