Things that shouldn't piss you off, but do. - Page 1100 - Other Topics Forum - Discuss Pop Culture, Arts and Entertainment

I moved from New Rochelle, NY which is half Italian, half Jewish and 15% w/e and we had the BEST Italian food that you can find anywhere. Then I moved to Phoenix, AZ where the chefs who get a 'D' at Italian Chef school get sent bec nobody knows the difference. When I first got here I'd ask for recommendations, go visit the place, it'd be terrible, ask again, terrible again, until I learned to do this:

'Does anybody know a good Italian restaurant?'
'Try 'Vitto's', it's fantastic!'
'Where are you from, originally?'
'Wisconsin.'
'I should give you a slap.'

What you say might be true 20 years ago but I am not so sure now. Your example of Phoenix is home to Pizzeria Bianco, one of the earliest US restaurants to get DOC approval.

If I wanted old country Italian, I would be just as likely to get it from a knowledgeable midwesterner as a 4th generation Italian New Yorker who bleeds "sunday gravy".

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05-09-2017 , 01:45 AM

#27478

Howard Beale

Formerly red

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 22,190

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoeba

IDK what your experience w/ Italian restaurants is but I can tell you 100% that one of many family run places in the Bronx would be a smash hit here in Phoenix if they could bring their current recipes. That might be a problem because they can do their shopping in the mostly nearby Belmont section of the Bronx and those ingredients might simply be unavailable here.

Hold on. I see you use 'gravy' so you must know something about it.

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05-09-2017 , 02:42 AM

#27479

Dominic

Tripod

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 74,270

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoeba

this post

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05-09-2017 , 03:22 AM

#27480

Bighurt52235

I was born to eat hamburgers

Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 24,218

Obv an explanation of sunday gravy is needed.

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05-09-2017 , 04:22 AM

#27481

I_AM_EVIL

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 13,267

Gravy is what real Italians call tomato sauce.

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05-09-2017 , 06:11 AM

#27482

Minimalist

veteran

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,510

Yes, because everyone knows the only "real Italians" are in the New York area, and not in Italy.

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05-09-2017 , 06:30 AM

#27483

King_of_NYC

betting he never calls me again

Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 4,348

confirmed

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05-09-2017 , 07:41 AM

#27484

bahbahmickey

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 15,269

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minimalist

Yes, because everyone knows the only "real Italians" are in the New York area, and not in Italy.

The Italian food I had in Italy wasn't as good as the Italian food I was used to at home... And I live in the Midwest. Not enough sauces.

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05-09-2017 , 09:24 AM

#27485

problemeliminator

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 9,467

Quote:

Originally Posted by bahbahmickey

The Italian food I had in Italy wasn't as good as the Italian food I was used to at home... And I live in the Midwest. Not enough sauces.

This may be peak bahbah.

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05-09-2017 , 09:32 AM

#27486

Johnny Truant

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Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 8,058

Quote:

Originally Posted by bahbahmickey

The Italian food I had in Italy wasn't as good as the Italian food I was used to at home... And I live in the Midwest. Not enough bread sticks.

fixed?

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05-09-2017 , 09:49 AM

#27487

amoeba

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Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 20,431

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Beale

My point is you've grown up and lived in New York for so long that you hold a special spot for that category of red sauce Italian.

I could take you to Osteria Francescana
http://www.theworlds50best.com/The-L...ancescana.html
(#1 last year)
and you probably wouldnt like it very much and make a proclamation that guys who live in TX dont know Italian food.

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05-09-2017 , 10:21 AM

#27488

MyrnaFTW

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 7,564

I live in little Italy and I can't even go to 90% of the Italian joints here. I go to other places on the island and even better yet north Jersey and Atlantic city blows it out the water. I don't think I ever have Italian when outside the tri state( not counting Vegas ) unless it's at someone's home . I sound like a massive snob there

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

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05-09-2017 , 11:10 AM

#27489

xxxxxkkkk

Guest

Posts: n/a

People who used non standard fonts in their email address, especially the cartoon one. Extra anger if they have some kind of decorative wallpaper.

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05-09-2017 , 11:36 AM

#27490

Rapini

ragging

Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 13,096

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyrnaFTW

Where do you recommend for Italian in Atlantic City?

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05-09-2017 , 11:48 AM

#27491

MyrnaFTW

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Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 7,564

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rapini

Where do you recommend for Italian in Atlantic City?

do a little research yourself,, but
cafe 2825 , girasole and chezfvola are A++

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05-09-2017 , 11:52 AM

#27492

Rapini

ragging

Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 13,096

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyrnaFTW

do a little research yourself,, but
cafe 2825 , girasole and chezfvola are A++

Thanks!

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05-09-2017 , 12:03 PM

#27493

MyrnaFTW

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 7,564

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rapini

Thanks!

girasole,s lunch special is really cool if you want to try , getting into chef vola on a weekend can be super hard if you dont know them , and cafe 2825 is closed on sundays, but an absolute zoo on fridays/saturdays . the veal parm at chef vola is amazing.

https://mygirasole.com/pages/l-u-n-c-h-15

http://www.nj.com/jerseysbest/2016/0...estaurant.html

Last edited by MyrnaFTW; 05-09-2017 at 12:11 PM.

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05-09-2017 , 12:37 PM

#27494

Howard Beale

Formerly red

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 22,190

There's an Italian place in my town that at least is run by an Italian woman and most of the food is decent esp the mussels marinara. First time there we found our Italian electrician, asked how the food was, and he answered: 'At least the sauce isn't ketchup.'

I also like Caneletto at The Venetian. The Zuppa di Pesce is excellent.

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05-09-2017 , 12:51 PM

#27495

problemeliminator

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 9,467

It pisses me off that I've probably tried tons of food and drinks and decided I didn't like them, when in reality i just had a bad one. Imagine having a McDonalds burger and concluding that hamburgers were ****.

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05-09-2017 , 12:54 PM

#27496

amoeba

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Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 20,431

Thats especially true of items like raw oysters where a bad one can be really bad and cause an eater to swear them off forever.

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05-09-2017 , 02:35 PM

#27497

Johnny Truant

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Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 8,058

The first sushi my dad gave me to try was uni, which I promptly threw up on the table. I didn't try any sushi again for years due to that.

I just tried uni again last week...it is still a taste I do not wish to muscle through to acquisition. I didn't throw up but I will never try it again.

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05-09-2017 , 03:32 PM

#27498

MyrnaFTW

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Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 7,564

Quote:

Originally Posted by problemeliminator

Always gotta do a third try. I tried sushi for the first time when I was 8 then again at 14 , at 18 I started loving it. Same went for me with Turkish coffee , anticuchos , cau cau (different ages of course ) , did not like at first , but love now

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05-09-2017 , 03:40 PM

#27499

amoeba

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 20,431

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Truant

Uni is my favorite item at a sushi bar.i think it helps if you really like shrimp/crawfish heads, lobster coral, crab tomalley. If you dont like any of the things I listed, you wont like uni.