What makes good Italian food and a great Italian restaurant? This precisely what I think.
Italy has a wonderful tradition of fine culinary. Italian food’s importance to Italian culture shouldn’t 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, perfect for this little wide array of growing seasons and soil types. This means a rich diversity of ingredients for food.
It is a peninsula, meaning might be nearly surrounded with sea but also connected to fantastic Eurasian land muscle. 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 consider noodles and pasta, you probably think of 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 along with Italy even though it did not originate there.
Anyway, food is often a key element of Italian culture. Therefore, the food is the most important part belonging to the restaurant. Of course, a great Italian restaurant will have a great wine list, a clean and stylish decor, and wonderful service, but a suitable Italian restaurant will immediately get by on great food alone, whether or not they have a crummy wine list, poor service, having a dingy decoration framework.
By the way, if you leave an “Italian” restaurant hungry, it’s in no way authentic. A white tablecloth and high bill do rather than a great bistro making. Frankly, I can’t stand those fancy Italian restaurants in Manhattan that cost you $400 for a morsel that gives 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 needed. The service will be warm and professional, even so, not overly friendly. Following your 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 you guys doin’ for dinner?” when ladies are seated at the table. This is most un-Italian with them. An Italian would never call a woman “guy.” During spaghetti-and-meatballs-type places, the waiter might say, “How is everyone today?” The won’t tarry with small talk in the white-tablecloth places, not the good ones, in the wild. It is all about the meal and your comfort.
The third aspect of one great Italian restaurant will be the ambiance. I not really know what it is, but Italians appear like able to create wonderful atmosphere anywhere. I have eaten at places in strip malls in the suburbs of Denver — as un-romantic a setting as there is — arrive close to great. An absolutely outstanding Italian restaurant will just possess a certain feeling from when you walk in the door, a warmth and too a glow that can’t actually 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 restaurant.
Ciro & Sal’s
4 Kiley Ct, Provincetown, MA 02657
(508) 487-6444