What do you order when you go out for Italian?

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (uf)

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 03:29:30 GMT

I'm a huge fan of Braciole and if there is Rigatoni Bolognese, it's mine.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (ynotryme)

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 00:06:54 GMT

depends on how good the red sauce is. If I like it, I usually order veal parmiagiana with cappellini. I also like cappellini D'olio. That's an olive oil, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes sauce. Plus an appetizer of clams casino. And Tortoni for desert.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (pmrkr2)

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 23:48:24 GMT

baked clams
eggplant or veal parm

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (PepperPhil)

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 22:45:20 GMT

Start out with Anti Pasto Tray, follow up with ravioli covered with maranari sauce, Spumoni for dessert

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (pinetree)

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 12:03:03 GMT

I always ask the waiter what the specials are, or what the chef makes best, and order that. There aren't any places in New England that I'm aware of that make the Basilicata type specialties I like ~ like ciambatta (a fried potato, egg and veggie pie that my dad makes). One of my favorite Italian restuarants is the Venetian in Torrington CT. This is a classic Italian-American restaurant.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (howard8)

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 11:19:11 GMT

There are way too many dishes I love and when it comes to
Italian, it depends how I feel.
Calamari is probably my number one appetizer, followed by
raw clams or oysters or a mussel dish with wine and garlic.
Risotto, usually a cheese or my favorite a porcini risotto.
Pasta, my first choice is a carbonara.
Osso bucco, thick veal chop, or veal parm for main entrees.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (improviser)

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 15:17:38 GMT

I usually order anything from mussels. I love to try new things so if we're going to a truly Italian place, I'll order whatever I've never heard of. But as my family is a boring, tried and true, Red Lobster and Olive Garden-going family, that doesn't happen too often.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (mollydingle)

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:21:41 GMT

I usually start with insalata caprese, followed by chicken marsala or shrimp francese. I'm not a big fan of dessert, but I may occasionally have a gelato or a limoncello.
Hubby will have soup, usually minestrone, and chicken parm with a side of meatballs...

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (doggydaddy)

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:38:32 GMT

Risotto.

I am kind of a snot/snob about Italian food as I can cook all the favorite dishes listed here at home by myself. Even my own choice is a frequent dinner for me at home. With that in mind, it has been a very long time since I have stepped into an Italian restaurant. I would order something such as veal or a pasta with mixed seafood if I did go. No chicken parmesan or meatballs for me please.
I suspect it is that there is a real difference between what I can find here and what is found in the Bay Area.

I would like to find a place around here that does carpaccio, or uses real prosciutto di Parma.
I love tiramisu, but I think that I can be picky and find fault with some versions of that too.

mark

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (Ashphalt)

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 10:38:15 GMT

Depends entirely on the restaurant. If it's an old-fashioned family style spaghetti house I might do a lasagna or manicotti, or even a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. If the place does a lot of fish I'm likely to order mussels marinara or fra diavolo or something with calimari. If it's a more upscale but traditional menu definitely something with veal. And if it's good Northern Italian or Tuscan I'm leaning toward the special of the day, frequently something grilled.

I guess I don't think of Italian restaurant as one thing.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (V960)

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 10:27:52 GMT

app-fried calimari
main-scampi

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (SassyGritsAL)

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:54:36 GMT

Chicken Marsala for me as I'm not a big fan of red sauce.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (ernieson)

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:07:14 GMT

Not authenic anything, but my favorite- Fettucine Primavera

Fetuucine in cream sauce with as many vegetables as fettucine - must include lots of roasted red peppers and some onions, peas, mushrooms, zucchini and yellow squash

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (the grillman)

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 13:01:30 GMT

House salad with artichokes and olives, perhaps some anchovies. Or, in season, a good tomato salad with fresh mozzarella di bufalo.

I prefer pasta with a red or broth based sauce, to a cream sauce - too heavy. I admit to being way too fond of meatballs and italian sausage with my pasta. Lately I've been doing more chicken and veal dishes.

Good bread is always a plus

For dessert, good coffee and a biscotti is fine.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (Farfromhome)

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 04:11:09 GMT

For me, I'm always torn between chicken parm, or the lasagne. Places that make me happiest are mom and pop italian places that offer a dinner that has a small serving of both. And the ideal italian place offers a bread basket with italian bread and good olive oil for dipping, a salad with a good house-made dressing and to finish the meal off a cup of espresso with a biscotti. Meals like that make me think I've died and gone to heaven!!!

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (roossy90)

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 03:16:22 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by TheHotPepper.com

quote:
Originally posted by twinwillow

To start, clams oreganate, then, Veal parm of course with a side of Brocolli Rabe sauteed in EVOO with garlic and hot pepper flakes. Dessert; Biscuit Tortoni and an espresso.

Rachel Ray, is that you?

I didnt hear the YUM.....
Or DELISH.
(ugh).

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (TheHotPepper.com)

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:15:50 GMT

Osso bucco!
Veal pizzaiola!

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (enginecapt)

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:01:26 GMT

Melanzana parmigiana
Braciola
Potato-spinach gnocchi

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (TheHotPepper.com)

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 15:10:00 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by billyboy

I usually get chicken parmesan. I'm on a quest to find the perfect chicken parm. I've had many good ones and some bad ones that had cilnatro on them and were even grilled.

The good ones are at restaurants with pizza ovens. Not pizza joints, but sit down Italian restaurants that use their pizza ovens (wood, coal, whatever) for their baked dishes.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (TwoJays)

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 14:47:54 GMT

There's another thread somewhere (probably in the FFF forum) that discusses Mom & Pop Italian restaurants vs. Chains. In that thread, I noted that upon my first visit to a non-nonsense "red sauce" Italian Restaurant, I always order Chicken Parm, figuring if they can't get that staple done right, they're probably not worth visiting in the future. Thereafter, assuming they pass the test, I'll order almost any veal or chicken dish, or lasagna, depending on my mood and my hunger for red sauce.

John

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (AndreaB)

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 12:15:34 GMT

I usually order eggplant parm, or a dish with a marinara sauce and mussels or clams. And, let's not forget the necessity of a nice bottle of red wine!

Andrea

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (billyboy)

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 11:18:05 GMT

I usually get chicken parmesan. I'm on a quest to find the perfect chicken parm. I've had many good ones and some bad ones that had cilnatro on them and were even grilled. The second choice would be bruschetta/crostini from any place that makes it as their specialty.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (Trishkaidekaphobia)

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 14:54:08 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Pwingsx

I am a total sucker for veal piccata.

Or veal parmagiana. Especially when topped by freshly grated lemon peel. Mmmm mmmm mmmmm!

Ditto on the veal piccata! YUM!!! Sometimes, I order eggplant parmagiana (especially if I'm with one of my veggier-than-thou friends).

Gelato for dessert. Double YUM!!!

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (Pwingsx)

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 13:43:40 GMT

I am a total sucker for veal piccata.

Or veal parmagiana. Especially when topped by freshly grated lemon peel. Mmmm mmmm mmmmm!

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (PapaJoe8)

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 11:19:23 GMT

Mmmm, all of the above sounds great! Yes, even the liver.

Sometimes I start with some good fresh baked bread and a small plate of olive oil for dipping, along with a salid with some good fresh made house Italian dressing. Oh, and some calamari. Shoot, now I'm to full for dinner! Oh well, the entre will be good leftover.
Joe

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (Twinwillow)

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 00:40:07 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by TheHotPepper.com

quote:
Originally posted by twinwillow

To start, clams oreganate, then, Veal parm of course with a side of Brocolli Rabe sauteed in EVOO with garlic and hot pepper flakes. Dessert; Biscuit Tortoni and an espresso.

Rachel Ray, is that you?

I wish!

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (TheHotPepper.com)

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 00:37:37 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by twinwillow

To start, clams oreganate, then, Veal parm of course with a side of Brocolli Rabe sauteed in EVOO with garlic and hot pepper flakes. Dessert; Biscuit Tortoni and an espresso.

Rachel Ray, is that you?

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (Twinwillow)

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 00:19:17 GMT

To start, clams oreganate, then, Veal parm of course with a side of Brocolli Rabe sauteed in EVOO with garlic and hot pepper flakes. Dessert; Biscuit Tortoni and an espresso.

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (ann peeples)

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 00:01:03 GMT

Linguini with clam sauce-or eggplant parmesan

RE: What do you order when you go out for Italian? (TheHotPepper.com)

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 23:56:08 GMT

You made me order chicken parm and linguini tonight.