Lamentable Italian

For some time I’ve known that I held this position. Its basis is rooted in a combination of several factors – a belief in authenticity, a belief in substance over style and a belief in eating GOOD food. My patience was this week brought to the tipping point and I can hold my tongue no longer.

How are there so many awful High Street Italian restaurants?
In the past seven days, I have had the misfortune of enforced visits to both Prezzo and Strada. Whilst both evenings were very enjoyable overall, the food was quite frankly awful. An ‘Oak Roasted’ Salmon salad at Prezzo consisted of a dry Salmon fillet, skin removed and cooked several weeks before it made it to my plate. The other salad elements were fine, but I doubt they dry their own tomatoes and it isn’t that difficult to extract the middle from an Avocado. Even worse is the appearance of flagrantly inauthentic dishes – Burger and chips or ‘Italian Nachos’ anyone? Which part of a nacho is Italian? And Aldo Zilli, tut tut. You may well have a mortgage to pay but why have you sold your soul and put your name to a series of Prezzo’s pizzas? A good pizza is a thing of wonder; magically the simple ingredients when combined become far more than the sum of their parts. I can’t see that these offerings are any more than basil tinged gluttony – rocket wrapped in prosciutto, really?!

The Pizza Rustica I was served at Strada later in the week was no better; so drenched was it in Mozzarella I was surprised the waitress had the strength to carry it to my table. After cooling for thirty seconds, the whole thing became no more than an indistinguishable mass of sodden gloop. I think I still may be digesting the few mouthfuls which I managed. Apparently there was an Artichoke Heart in there somewhere but I’d be the wrong person to ask…..

I think I understand wheat happened here; some business savvy types hit on our love of carbs early on and saw an exploitable gap in the market. With this I have no problem but if you’re going to do something, why not do it well? My one visit to Jamie’s Italian confirmed that the simple and fresh elements can be brought together and provide us the wonderful flavours the Italians are famous for, at similar prices. Carluccio’s – slightly pretentious as it may be – offers wonderful tastes of Italy. What I experienced on Tuesday and Thursday nights….that isn’t Italian. Never trust a menu which wants to offer you ‘lighter alternatives’ or boasts the low-calorie counts of a flatbread pizza.

True Italian food lies at the forefront of the ingredient lead cookery revolution. I urge you not to settle for these mediocre charlatans. We can do better! Leave behind the Pizza Expresses of this world. Hell, stay at home! Austerity measures….make your own bloody pizza! -> http://bit.ly/r3pAD2

And relax. Ahh……I certainly feel better for that.

Normal service will now resume.

BoF.

Tags: Aldo Zilli, Carluccio’s, Jamie Oliver, Prezzo, Strada