As a full-blood Italian, I usually turn up my nose at the chain restaurants that boast tradition and authentic Italian cuisine. To me, chain Italian restaurants were always reserved for times when I was traveling across the country for basketball and the group was too large for any local restaurant to accommodate. On Staten Island, I can basically split our local, family-owned restaurants into two categories: Italian and Other. Italians are about 1/3 of the population on Staten Island, so it's easy to see how the restaurants that meet such tastes are dominant. I am also proud to say that there exists no Olive Garden, Carrabba's, or Bertucci's, a restaurant that appears to be very popular here in New England, on my beloved island.
Last night, I had my first run-in with this New England commodity, Bertucci's, a restaurant that seemed to be loved and well-regarded by most of the basketball team. Given the circumstances, I was skeptical. I would never approach a restaurant like this on my own, but given I was in the care of my coach, I had no say in the matter.
While perusing the menu, I pondered my options. Pizza was out of the question. Nothing in my time here at Smith has met my criteria for a respectable slice. I settled on a pasta dish, because in my mind, it is very hard to mess up pasta. I was pleasantly surprised with what I ordered, Lobster and Basil with Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli. Having never had lobster before, it struck me as very similar to shrimp. I could taste no discernible difference. The light tomato cream sauce was very different from the sauce my mom makes from scratch at home. Most definitely because there is no cream included in my mother's recipe. It was a pleasant difference, not something that repulsed me. I enjoyed the basil that was added to the dish because it gave the sauce some body and texture that I am so familiar with at home, for my mom's sauce is on the chunkier side. The smoked mozzarella ravioli was perhaps the best part, for it reminded me the most of the Sunday dinners I would have at home: raviolis, home-made sauce, and homemade meatballs.
Despite the good experience I had last night, I am unsure if I enjoyed my meal because it was genuinely delicious, or because I am so deprived of Italian cooking here at school that I was desperate for anything close. I suppose I will just have to wait for spring break: the next time I'll be able to enjoy an Italian sunday dinner.
3 comments:
I have always wondered how Italians felt about the Italian chain restaurants, and the fact that you almost seem unimpressed by them is not completely surprising. After all, once you've had the "real thing," impressions do nothing but piss you off.
I'm happy that your pasta was somewhat satisfying too! Not to burst your bubble though, but sometimes any food is better than Smith food. And as for your lobster, if it tasted remotely like shrimp, it wasn't very good lobster.
We've talked about this sort of conflict in my Italian class; my professor does not go out to Italian restaurants because they are just not authentic! When you know the real deal, any replication is simply out of the question.
It's a good thing you weren't completely repulsed by the meal though! If it's a matter of taste, at least you enjoyed it somewhat. I personally like Bertucci's, although I have not been very often.
I totally agree with any food being better than Smith food. At this point, Smith makes even the worst meal taste amazing!
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