Posts tagged: pasta

Italian Foodventures in Chicago

I’ve long criticized the fact that it’s hard to find good Italian food in Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia. The best I’ve found–excluding the Italian sub scene, which is for another post–is at La Piazza, next to the Braddock Road metro stop in Alexandria, and Alberto’s on Barracks Row.

Because the Italian food in D.C. is famously below par, I sought out Italian food on my business trip to Chicago last weekend. I ate three different Italian restaurants and wanted to share some brief thoughts about those restaurants here.

On Thursday night, I had dinner at Vivere, one of the three “Italian Village Restaurants” that boasts the largest wine selection in the entire city. I started with a small Caesar salad and my entree was the oh-so-delicious Linguini con Gamberi e Pomodori Secchi, which featured linguine, sauteed shrimp, toasted garlic, extra virgin olive oil, chili flakes, and Sicilian sun-dried tomatoes. In our group of 8, three people ordered this and if you could taste it, you would understand why. Read more »

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categories All Things Restaurant | Katie | datetime March 20, 2009 3:19 pm | comments Comments (4)

Favazza’s Inspired Sunday Dinner

Sole Piccata 002

Venture into an American city that is new to you and you will more than likely encounter ethnic neighborhoods with distinctive cultures all their own. As new waves of immigrant groups replace the ones that come before, the neighborhoods develop a whole new character, and the food takes on a whole new flavor.

“The Hill” in St. Louis, MO bucks the trend. Since the days Italian immigrants first settled in St. Louis, The Hill has been the center of the community. To this day, there are many restaurants, delis, churches, and businesses that speak with a distinct Italian accent.
Katie’s family is a part of this proud tradition. Favazza’s restaurant has been a Hill mainstay for more than 30 years, and it continues to serve some of the best Italian-American dishes in town. Katie is justifiably proud of this history, and she’ll readily admit to missing it when she’s in Washington.

In that spirit, tonight’s Foodventure is a tribute to Favazza’s on the Hill. Meat-free Lent calls for a fish dish, and Katie instantly suggested sole piccata, sauted sole or other firm, white, fish topped with a lemon butter sauce. I am familiar with chicken and veal piccata, but this technique with fish was new to me. Read more »

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categories Projects | Frank | datetime March 8, 2009 8:17 pm | comments Comments Off

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