What makes good Italian food and a great Italian restaurant? This is what I think.
Italy has a wonderful tradition of fine food items. Italian food’s importance to Italian culture shouldn’t be overstated. It is among the 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, perfect for this little 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 by the sea but also connected to terrific Eurasian land size. 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 associated with 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 can be a key element of Italian culture. Therefore, the food is probably 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 first rate Italian restaurant can get by on great food alone, even when they have a crummy wine list, poor service, which has a dingy decoration framework.
By the way, if you leave an “Italian” restaurant hungry, it’s rarely authentic. A white tablecloth and high bill do rather than a great bistro ensure. Frankly, I can’t stand those fancy Italian restaurants in Manhattan that impose $400 for a morsel that forces you to want to stop for a slice of pizza en route home. A great Italian ristorante will leave you full, not stuffed, but full.
The second associated with a great Italian restaurant is needed. The service will be warm and professional, even so, not overly friendly. After the orders are taken and the meal gets rolling, there isn’t a should be nearly invisible. Run — don’t walk — from any Italian restaurant where the waitperson address the table like this:
“How everyone doin’ today?” when ladies are seated at the table. This is most un-Italian of such. An Italian would never call girls “guy.” In 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 fantastic ones, in the wild. It is all about the meal properly comfort.
The third aspect of one great Italian restaurant may be the ambiance. I’m not sure what it is, but Italians are able to build a wonderful atmosphere anywhere. I’ve eaten at places in strip malls in the suburban areas of Denver — as un-romantic a setting as considerably more — arrive close to great. An absolutely outstanding Italian restaurant will just possess a certain feeling from the instant you walk in the door, a warmth and maybe 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 have found a great Italian restaurant.
Ciro & Sal’s
4 Kiley Ct, Provincetown, MA 02657
(508) 487-6444