The Sicilian Ristorante: Authentic Italian?

 

“No dish in history has as many variations, colors, motifs, tastes, textures and subtleties as a dish of pasta.”
― Marc Vetri, Mastering Pasta: The Art and Practice of Handmade Pasta, Gnocchi, and Risotto 


Anyone who knows me well knows that I would do pretty much anything for an exquisitely crafted chicken fettucine alfredo with extra cream and parmesan. The richness of the cream sauce with the subtle hint of nutmeg, the slight nuttiness of the parmesan and the moist nuggets of chicken buried within the al dente folds of well seasoned pasta is not an experience to be missed. But that is only one dish out of a hundred variations and concoctions. 

There is nothing quite as romantic as Italian food- Paris might have dibs on the language of love, but Italians express their love through pasta. For this very reason, it has been my intention to visit the Sicilian Ristorante for almost three months now. Almost everyday I pass by Shirvan Plaza staring wistfully at the frosted doors emblazoned with their logo, wondering about the treasures hidden within and when might I have an opportunity to sample these long awaited jewels of culinary rapture.


Pushing past the tastefully frosted doors and entering into a softly lit waiting room with two love seats occupied by a couple holding hands and giggling is surely a good omen. I was pleasantly greeted by the hostess and my spouse and I were seated at a table in the main dining area. Taking in the decor was also quite an inspiring experience. The backdrop consisted of a replica of what I can only assume is an actual Sicilian village with their cute window boxes and painted shutters. It is not conventionally what one would expect, but a most welcome change nonetheless. In the main area there are also window boxes with shutters attached to continue the main theme throughout the rest of the dining area.

We were shown a wine and spirit menu that was quite a decent length. First of all I could not believe that my name was on the menu... I swear I was feeling myself with my name there 'LIAN' Being so taken aback like YES!!! This is a sign that all my pasta fantasies were about to come through! Unfortunately when I turned the menu, I realised that it was part of the main print spelling out the name of the restaurant- 'SICILIAN" Well. After that bubble burst it just went downhill from there.

After our server left us with the wine menu she took legit almost fifteen minutes to return to take our drink order. In the main room on a quiet Sunday evening with maybe eight tables I think that was excessive, especially since all the other table had already been served and we were the only newcomers. But I digress. Perusing through the wine menu was not fun. Do I take a red or white? Sweet or Dry? What year? What brand? It would have been helpful to have some guidance especially since I am not a professional wine taster nor did I have the guidance of an entree to influence my choice.

After finally settling on a 'safe option' in the form of a glass of the 'house red' our server said "Feel free to serve yourselves" Buffet style? Really? Well an interesting concept to be sure for the future of Tobago's Italian restaurants. But try everything at least once right? This is the menu for the night as follows: 

• Spaghetti in Pink Sauce     
• Mushroom Risotto
• Steamed Veggies
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Pork Ribs
• Grilled Shrimp Skewers
• Fresh Salad
• Meat Pizza
• Veggie Pizza

I kid you not. Four of these options don't even classify as Italian food. I don't even think pizza should be on this restaurant menu because it is not a family oriented atmosphere and I don't know anybody who want to go out for a night on the town and eat pizza... But maybe that's just me. Let me dissect this menu for you in detail so I could show you why this is most definitely NOT an authentic 'Sicilian Restaurant' .

Spaghetti in Pink Sauce: Is this meant to be bolognese? I can't review this because I didnt come to a fancy restaurant to eat Spaghetti in sauce- which I can already make at home. And not from a jar. I mean the whole roasting the tomatoes and pureeing them with basil and oregano and leaving it to simmer for 45 minutes. But to be fair I heard it was good. (From a less discerning palette than mine)

Mushroom Risotto: Huh. Well. Where do I start? I have eaten a chicken risotto before, plus I attempted to play "Giada at home". This risotto was DRY. Not creamy in the least. Not moist. Not anything that remotely resembles a traditional risotto. The mushrooms were okay but then it had sun dried tomatoes in it. Maybe they forgot to re-hydrate them in olive oil or something. It's intense tangyness would have been tempered if it had been re-hydrated. Maybe I'm just too picky but that risotto: FAIL

Chicken Cacciatore: If it didn't have a menu card I might have thought I was eating baked chicken. Cooked in real tomatoes instead of bbq sauce. Although its one redeeming quality was that it was moist. It would totally pass as a good baked chicken to go with a nice square of macaroni pie. Chicken Cacciatore: FAIL

Pork Ribs: Perhaps I'm being too critical but in my opinion, BBQ Pork Ribs have no place in an Italian Restaurant. Maybe if it complemented the menu selection. But  it didn't. I didn't come all this way to eat barbeque. Pork Ribs: FAIL

Grilled Shrimp Skewers: It is the height of blasphemy to overcook shrimp. The height. Words cannot express the intense disappoint of biting in the a delectable looking morsel of seafood- only to find out that it is rubbery. Sacrilege! Grilled Shrimp Skewers: FAIL

Fresh Salad: I didn't have any. I preferred to eat the steamed veggies (Which weren't half bad) because when I see fresh salad in an Italian restaurant I expect to see maybe a fresh caprese salad or even an antipasto if you wanted to be really off the chart. Seriously? Bring out the mozarella and tomatoes. Where's the basil? The balsamic vinegar? Non-Italian Fresh Salad: FAIL

Dessert: This cannot even be classified as a dessertt menu because they only had one option: Strawberry cheesecake. Where's the gelato? The tiramisu? At least it was a baked cheesecake. It was decent enough I suppose, but a fitting end to that disaster of a meal.

Sacre Bleu!!! Is it too much to ask for? The holy grail of Italian food is the trinity of Lasagna, Bolognese and Alfredo. Did I come on a bad night? Is my bad mojo coming back to haunt me? Is the universe punishing me by withholding pasta? Just kidding. But seriously, I judge all Italian restaurants on how well the make these three things, which are considered to be the foundation of Italian cuisine. If you cant make these, what can you really cook?

Suffice it to say, I was disappointed. I would have preferred a set menu with consistent options, even if they wanted to have the buffet style service with its varied menu. I would have preferred a server who could have recommended a good wine (Upon further consultation I learned that a Pinot Noir would have been an acceptable choice of wine for this menu selection). I would have liked my dining experience to mirror the illusion that the decor provided. But- così è la vita...



But on a lighter note, here's an easy recipe for a diy healthy and delicious caprese salad!

Ingredients

• 3 vine-ripe tomatoes, 1/4-inch thick slices 
•  1 pound fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch thick slices
• 20 to 30 leaves (about 1 bunch) fresh basil
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Coarse salt and pepper

Directions

• Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each, on a large, shallow platter. 
• Drizzle the salad with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Watch how to make this recipe at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/caprese-salad-recipe.html?oc=linkback