The Makings of Good Italian Restaurants
Dining out can be a pleasurable experience even if the food is only so-so.
As long as you are surrounded with good friends, you hardly need a four-star experience to have a good time.
On the other hand, a quality dining experience can take it to another level.
So, what do you look for when you want really great Italian restaurants? Is it enough that the server brings everything out in a timely fashion and doesn't hover while you're trying to have a conversation? Is it enough that the food is adequate? Or, do you want something more? Read on for some of the traits that might raise such a place above the average.
Good Service Italian restaurants can't be anything but average if they don't have good service.
The key of any dining experience is to have a staff of servers dedicated to making each customer's dinner a good one.
Yes, even the best server in the world can't do much if the food is awful, but a lot can be forgiven when the service is exemplary.
One of the worst mistakes that an eatery can make is to overburden their wait staff.
A server with too many tables to attend cannot possibly give each table the attention they need.
Of course, there is such a thing as a server who overcompensates.
Hovering is almost as bad as when a server disappears altogether.
The Wine List Italian restaurants aren't complete without a wine list that they can be proud of.
If you don't drink wine, this won't mean much to you, but it is nevertheless an important component.
Unfortunately, a lot of places put a great deal of pricing emphasis on their alcohol, including the wine.
This sometimes leads to markups that would embarrass a movie theater manager.
Slyly, they often hide the brands so that you don't know exactly how much you're being overcharged unless you're an experienced connoisseur.
At least some degree of thought and creativity should be put into the list, and there should be suggestions when it comes to pairing different wines with the entrees.
Food The wine list can be impeccable and the service unimpeachable, but if the food is terrible, Italian restaurants aren't going to get many positive reviews.
There are many places to dine out, even in smaller towns.
Some people just want something fast and cheap so that they don't have to make dinner at home.
Most people who go to a sit down establishment, however, want a bit more for their money.
And part of that should include at least a nod to authentic food from Italy, which is all it takes to separate a good place from the chains of the world.
As long as you are surrounded with good friends, you hardly need a four-star experience to have a good time.
On the other hand, a quality dining experience can take it to another level.
So, what do you look for when you want really great Italian restaurants? Is it enough that the server brings everything out in a timely fashion and doesn't hover while you're trying to have a conversation? Is it enough that the food is adequate? Or, do you want something more? Read on for some of the traits that might raise such a place above the average.
Good Service Italian restaurants can't be anything but average if they don't have good service.
The key of any dining experience is to have a staff of servers dedicated to making each customer's dinner a good one.
Yes, even the best server in the world can't do much if the food is awful, but a lot can be forgiven when the service is exemplary.
One of the worst mistakes that an eatery can make is to overburden their wait staff.
A server with too many tables to attend cannot possibly give each table the attention they need.
Of course, there is such a thing as a server who overcompensates.
Hovering is almost as bad as when a server disappears altogether.
The Wine List Italian restaurants aren't complete without a wine list that they can be proud of.
If you don't drink wine, this won't mean much to you, but it is nevertheless an important component.
Unfortunately, a lot of places put a great deal of pricing emphasis on their alcohol, including the wine.
This sometimes leads to markups that would embarrass a movie theater manager.
Slyly, they often hide the brands so that you don't know exactly how much you're being overcharged unless you're an experienced connoisseur.
At least some degree of thought and creativity should be put into the list, and there should be suggestions when it comes to pairing different wines with the entrees.
Food The wine list can be impeccable and the service unimpeachable, but if the food is terrible, Italian restaurants aren't going to get many positive reviews.
There are many places to dine out, even in smaller towns.
Some people just want something fast and cheap so that they don't have to make dinner at home.
Most people who go to a sit down establishment, however, want a bit more for their money.
And part of that should include at least a nod to authentic food from Italy, which is all it takes to separate a good place from the chains of the world.
