What makes good Italian food and a great Italian restaurant? This is what I think.
Italy has a wonderful tradition of fine nutrients. Italian food’s importance to Italian culture can’t be overstated. It is on the list of central elements, and why don’t it be? Think about Italy’s geography for a second:
It runs a long way from north to south. Therefore, is an efficient wide array of accelerating seasons and soil types. This means a rich diversity of ingredients for food.
It is a peninsula, meaning is nearly surrounded using the sea but also connected to the great 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 and beyond. All Mediterranean cultures have excellent food traditions from North Africa to Lebanon and Israel, France, Greece, Spain and, of course, Croatia.
When you consider noodles and pasta, you probably consider Italy, but those wonderful inventions began to Italy from China thanks to Marco Polo. It notifys you a lot about Italian food culture that something so basic became related to Italy even though it did not originate there.
Anyway, food is really a key element of Italian culture. Therefore, the food is easily important part within the restaurant. Of course, a great Italian restaurant will possess a great wine list, a clean and elegant decor, and wonderful service, but a good Italian restaurant are certain to get by on great food alone, even when they have a crummy wine list, poor service, and a dingy decoration scheme.
By the way, if you leave an “Italian” restaurant hungry, it’s in no way authentic. A white tablecloth and high bill do attain a great great bistro establish. Frankly, I can’t stand those fancy Italian restaurants in Manhattan that charge $400 for a morsel that gives you want to stop for a slice of pizza on the way home. A great Italian ristorante will leave you full, not stuffed, but full.
The second aspect of a great Italian restaurant is 200 dollars per month. The service will be warm and professional, but is not overly friendly. Since the orders are taken and the meal gets rolling, 200 dollars per month should be nearly invisible. Run — don’t walk — from any Italian restaurant where the waitperson address the table like this:
“How you doin’ for dinner?” when ladies are seated while dining. This is most un-Italian with them. An Italian would never call girls “guy.” There is spaghetti-and-meatballs-type places, the waiter might say, “How is everyone this evening?” 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 in regards to a great Italian restaurant will be the ambiance. I am not sure what it is, but Italians appear to be able carryout a wonderful atmosphere anywhere. I have eaten at places in strip malls in suburbia of Denver — as un-romantic a setting as considerably more — that come close to great. A totally outstanding Italian restaurant will just have a certain feeling from the second you walk in the door, a warmth and the glow that can’t be described.
So the priorities are food first, service second, and a ambiance 3. If all three are met, you say that a great Italian restaurant.
Ciro & Sal’s
4 Kiley Ct, Provincetown, MA 02657
(508) 487-6444