This weekend, we had the chance to go to a New York styled Italian place for a couple of plates of pasta. We got a little more than we bargained for with the little kids running around and the loud atmosphere. It was the type of place that one would go to after a baseball game – not the type that you would go to for a sweet candlelight dinner.
Most Italian restaurants that we’ve been to don’t even attempt to raise the bar on their food. It was just generic pasta, kind of like the generic Mexican food that you’ll find in places. Drown some noodles out with some sauce, and you’ve got it made. There was nothing to speak of about the place. Even though the service staff had some love, the chefs in the kitchen were content to slop noodles along with sauce onto a plate.
When you purchase equipment like a pasta cooker, though you still have the choice on whether you want to take the care necessary to really stand out. You have the choice about whether to use frozen food, and you have the choice about whether to make your own noodles or simply buy them by the ton at a Restaurant Depot or a Costco. That’s one of the biggest decision makers that any Italian restaurant owner has to make, and most of the time the easiest route is chosen.
