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 cannot be overstated. It is among the many central elements, and why don’t it be? Think about Italy’s geography for a second:
It runs mile after mile from north to south. Therefore, it has a wide array of accelerating seasons and soil types. This means a rich diversity of ingredients for food.
It is a peninsula, meaning it is nearly surrounded through sea but also connected to fantastic Eurasian land aggregate. 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, Toscana.
When you think of noodles and pasta, you probably imagine Italy, but those wonderful inventions reached Italy from China thanks to Marco Polo. It tells you a lot about Italian food culture that something so basic became along with Italy even though it did not originate there.
Anyway, food is really a key element of Italian culture. Therefore, the food is the most important part of 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 will immediately get by on great food alone, despite the fact that they have a crummy wine list, poor service, having a dingy decoration option.
By the way, if you leave an “Italian” restaurant hungry, it’s rarely authentic. A white tablecloth and high bill do not really a huge great bistro make. Frankly, I can’t stand those fancy Italian restaurants in Manhattan that charge $400 for a morsel that makes 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 regarding a great Italian restaurant is each month. The service will be warm and professional, but is not overly friendly. Wedding ceremony orders are taken and the meal gets rolling, this service membership should be nearly invisible. Run — don’t walk — from any Italian restaurant where the waitperson address the table like this:
“How all of you doin’ today?” when ladies are seated while dining. This is most un-Italian with them. An Italian would never call a woman “guy.” Even in spaghetti-and-meatballs-type places, the waiter might say, “How is everyone for dinner?” The won’t tarry with small talk in the white-tablecloth places, not numerous ones, while. It is all about the meal and the comfort.
The third aspect in regards to a great Italian restaurant could be the ambiance. I not really know what it is, but Italians are able to build a wonderful atmosphere anywhere. I’ve eaten at places in strip malls in suburbia of Denver — as un-romantic an environment as have to — that come close to great. An absolutely outstanding Italian restaurant will just have a certain feeling from as soon as you walk in the door, a warmth and a glow that can’t often be described.
So the priorities are food first, service second, and a ambiance third. If all three are met, you can recommend a great Italian restaurant.
Ciro & Sal’s
4 Kiley Ct, Provincetown, MA 02657
(508) 487-6444