I've spent over a month in Italy....

[fusnik11]

over the span of my life, most recently a week about 3 months ago, and have never had a tasty dish.

I've enjoyed some cheese pizza with marinara sauce, have loved gelato, have enjoyed some corner deli sandwiches, but have never truly enjoyed a sit down meal.

I have tried all the recommendations of guide books, locals, hoteliers, people who have been there before and have never experienced anything as good as Olive Garden, and I detest the OG.

I've eaten in the North, Central and Southern. The closest meal to anything good was in the shitty city of Naples, and a meal of Calamari in Venice.

What gives those that have also traveled and have lived there?

[il Padrino Ute]

Can I ask why you don't like Italian food? What is it that you don't find delicious?

The time spent on my mission has made me something of an Italian food snob. I've only found one place in Salt Lake that I would say is authentic; everything else has been "Americanized" by excessive amounts of sauce or ingredients.

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

Can I ask why you don't like Italian food? What is it that you don't find delicious?

The time spent on my mission has made me something of an Italian food snob. I've only found one place in Salt Lake that I would say is authentic; everything else has been "Americanized" by excessive amounts of sauce or ingredients.

I love American Italian food. I can't think of anything better than Olive Oil or Balsamic Vinegar as far as food enhancement is concerned. I love, absolutely love Caputo's. The salads are so full of flavor explosion it's almost orgasmic. The fusion of tastes is incredible.

[TheSizzle36]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

I love, absolutely love Caputo's. The salads are so full of flavor explosion it's almost orgasmic. The fusion of tastes is incredible.

Who doesn't love Caputo's though? There is rarely a thread that mentions good food in SLC, especially deli or Italian that doesn't mention Caputo's.

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by TheSizzle36

Who doesn't love Caputo's though? There is rarely a thread that mentions good food in SLC, especially deli or Italian that doesn't mention Caputo's.

True, true.

Next time you take your wife there, get one Italian Sausage Sub, and a Tri-Salad Sampler, with anti-pasti, pesto and bread salads. Return and tell me how it went. I'm sure two hours after consumption your mouth will still be buzzing.

[TheSizzle36]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

True, true.

Next time you take your wife there, get one Italian Sausage Sub, and a Tri-Salad Sampler, with anti-pasti, pesto and bread salads. Return and tell me how it went. I'm sure two hours after consumption your mouth will still be buzzing.

I will definitely try the Italian Sausage Sub. I've been impressed with the Pork Loin and Meatball, but I'm always game to try something new. In fact, maybe I'll eat there for lunch tomorrow.

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by TheSizzle36

I will definitely try the Italian Sausage Sub. I've been impressed with the Pork Loin and Meatball, but I'm always game to try something new. In fact, maybe I'll eat there for lunch tomorrow.

Look for the white board when you come in as I don't think Italian Sausage is a sub that is always on the menu.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

I love American Italian food. I can't think of anything better than Olive Oil or Balsamic Vinegar as far as food enhancement is concerned. I love, absolutely love Caputo's. The salads are so full of flavor explosion it's almost orgasmic. The fusion of tastes is incredible.

So you love everything smothered in bad sauce?

As far as your comment about loving olive oil as a food enhancement, this leads me to question what part of Italy you've visited, as that is all they use over there.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree about Italian cuisine. In general, the food in Italy - especially pasta dishes - is so superior to what can be found here. There are a good number of quality restaurants in New York, a few in Chicago and in other major cities there are a few as well, but they are the ones that serve authentic dishes.

I enjoy the sandwiches from Caputo's but have yet to eat anything else they serve. I'll give it a try and report back.

[FarrahWaters]

A little off-topic, but maybe Il Pad can enlighten me about something. I've heard it's blasphemous to grate parmesan on any seafood pasta dish. Is that true?

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by FarrahWaters

A little off-topic, but maybe Il Pad can enlighten me about something. I've heard it's blasphemous to grate parmesan on any seafood pasta dish. Is that true?

In Sicily and the toe and heel it is but I can't say for certain in the rest of Italy.

The reason?

Because they think you would be using the cheese to cover up the flavor of the seafood.

Italians believe that the food itself is what makes it worth eating.