Soo, I just got back from Europe, and I gotta say... I really miss the Italian food. The pizza in Rome was ridiculous, and the fresh pasta everywhere was equally as good. And of course the coffee... oh the coffee....

So, are there any places around here that I can get a taste of what I had in Italy? I've never had anything like the square Pizza slices in Rome. And I rarely see fresh pasta for sale (I'd love some fresh gnocchi).

6/14/2007 10:35:55 AM

http://www.carlocasalinga.net/

6/14/2007 10:48:33 AM

I think the TWW consensus is The Olive Garden.

6/14/2007 10:48:33 AM

I hope you're kidding.

6/14/2007 10:49:38 AM

they have square pizza slices at CiCi's

6/14/2007 10:58:47 AM

Quote :

"The Olive Garden"

6/14/2007 11:00:54 AM

I don't know about "authentic," but Carrabba's Italian Grill is damn good to me. I'll stack their marinated steak and chicken up against any meat in The Triangle--I go to the one in Cary.

http://www.carrabbas.com/

6/14/2007 11:01:36 AM

Well, there are a lot of good Italian places out here... Olive Garden, Carrabbas, Macaroni Grill. The problem is that it's all Americanized "Italian" food. While it's good, it's not really Italian.

I'm looking for something more traditional and authentic.

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 11:09 AM. Reason : ]

6/14/2007 11:08:53 AM

there's a place between chapel hill and durham.....Pulcenella's i think....authentic to the point that they had a cute Italian girl working there as the waitress....very small, but very good too.

6/14/2007 11:10:02 AM

go to conti's on blount st downtown, outskirts of historic oakwood...buy your own and take home to cook. IIRC they also had food that you could buy and eat there much like a (shit! it's not a trattoria, it's not a casalinga, it's not a ristorante, it's a _______________ *grrr* the buffet style kind...their version of "fast food")

other than that i'm gonna say the place in cameron village (can't remember the name, by the ABC store), and bella monica's pizza/flatbread.

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 11:21 AM. Reason : ]

6/14/2007 11:20:13 AM

^
Piccola Italia is the one at Cameron Village...pretty good stuff

http://triangle.citysearch.com/profile/11407842/raleigh_nc/piccola_italia.html

i've been to Vic's Ristorante Italiano...not too shabby

http://vicsitalianrestaurant.com/
http://triangle.citysearch.com/profile/6177009/raleigh_nc/vic_s_ristorante_italiano.html

amedeo's is there for the state nostalgia, but i don't really love it like some people do
http://triangle.citysearch.com/review/6183130

6/14/2007 11:55:03 AM

that little tiny place in downtown cary used to be, amedeos is what it used to be called, im not sure now

and suprisingly, maggianos little italy. i have some close family friends that are italian and they say thats the closest to home made they could ever get.

6/14/2007 11:56:50 AM

^^ Amedeo's is fucking awful. I ate at the Piccola Italia in Cameron Village once--and got sick as a dog. And I don't know anything about your third one.


[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 12:00 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2007 11:58:40 AM

I was in Italy like 7 years ago and have NEVER found food as good Sorry! I freaking loved that square pizza. It was all soft and yummy.

6/14/2007 12:23:57 PM

BUT DID THEY HAVE GOOD BBQ IN ITALY?

6/14/2007 12:27:52 PM

There's a place called Toscas in downtown Durham (in the warehouse district). It is of the best and most authentic Italian food restaurants I have tasted since I got back from Europe (my trip was 7 years ago). It is, however, on the pricey side.

6/14/2007 12:33:22 PM

Quote :

"Vic's Ristorante Italiano"

damn good food and some to most dishes are authentic
I've also been to Italy and can compare Vic's to the food I had there

The prices are very reasonable (especially during lunch).

The enviroment is nice because it's in the City Market. Go on a nice day so you can sit outside.

I've been to some of the best/highest rated Italian places in Raleigh (according to Citysearch) like Casalinga, Cafe Luna, Carabas, and Bella Monica. However, Vic's is still my favorite.

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 12:45 PM. Reason : yo]

6/14/2007 12:42:39 PM

Quote :

"I hope you're kidding."

the fact that you weren't sure is scary.

Olive garden =

6/14/2007 12:47:30 PM

You never know on TWW :/

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 12:54 PM. Reason : ]

6/14/2007 12:53:40 PM

It is hard to take you seriously when you use "authentic italian food" and "pizza" in the same sentence.

6/14/2007 12:55:10 PM

Pizza in Rome and pizza in the US is not the same thing. But I could care less about arguing how "authentic" or "traditional" it is. It's damn good, and that's all that matters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_pizza

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 1:04 PM. Reason : ]

6/14/2007 1:00:42 PM

haha this is another thread where know it all food snobs hate on things


OMFG AMEDEOS SUCKS BALLS :MAD:

6/14/2007 1:01:59 PM

^^Yes, I know of pizza's origins, although it is generally associated more with Italian-American cuisine. If you are discussing traditional Italian pizza I assume you mean Neopolitan, but different regions have different styles. What region are you looking for?

6/14/2007 1:08:02 PM

^^fag...Amedeos doesnt suck because its OMG NOT AUTHENTIC. Its bad because the food is really just piss poor quality by any standard.


Go to Conti's Italian market downtown and talk to the people there. They have a lot of real italian shit, and a lot of imported foods that u havent seen anywhere else (ive looked).

What kind of italian food are you looking for specifically? The italian cuisine is vastly different from region to region.

6/14/2007 1:13:20 PM

Quote :

"Amedeo's is fucking awful. I ate at the Piccola Italia in Cameron Village once--and got sick as a dog. And I don't know anything about your third one."

I've been eating at Piccola Italia for 7 yrs and haven't had any problems. Your incident was either a fluke, or you got sick off something else. Food there is fantastic, and reasonably priced.

Good Italian food? How about Little Italy?

6/14/2007 1:14:09 PM

518 makes its own pasta, the food isn't traditional italian, but you can buy their pasta and try to make stuff at home

6/14/2007 1:15:06 PM

piccola, cheese tortellini with alfredo sauce every time

6/14/2007 1:19:47 PM

^^^ I'm willing to give them another try.

Quote :

"haha this is another thread where know it all food snobs hate on things OMFG AMEDEOS SUCKS BALLS :MAD:"

pwrstrkdf250

You're all right with me, man, but MetalRed is right. Amedeo's is ass--I had to eat there just last month for a banquet and the food was damn near inedible.

I swear I ain't no food snob.

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 1:23 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2007 1:23:19 PM

it's fucking pasta with sauce and meat and cheese


who gives a shit


it's not that bad... not my fav place either, but I don't hate on them

6/14/2007 1:25:39 PM

MetalRed was I right in remembering/thinking that Conti's also has a small buffet that you can order pizza by the slice or other pasta dishes? or did I seriously make all that up? I'm 80% sure they had pizza slices, but the pasta may have been imagined.

And unfortunately they do not carry Pocket Coffee in the winter. If you had any while there, you know that's the delicious chocolate treat with liquid espresso in the center.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I'm also gonna suggest this website http://www.buonitalia.com

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 1:56 PM. Reason : user tag, durrrrr]

6/14/2007 1:56:09 PM

I agree that amadeos is awful. I havent been there yet where i've loved what I was eating, it was always pretty boring and overpriced.
The last time I went there I was jonesing for mexican, but this other girl was all about how wonderful amadeo's is....

Ok, I take that back, I did like their waffle fries

6/14/2007 2:07:09 PM

markgoal: Specifically, I really liked gnocchi, pesto, and the square, crunchy crusted take-out pizza that is found all over Rome. I liked the unique toppings like zucchini flower, potatoes, etc. The mushrooms were off the charts. Pesto is easy to find, but I haven't bought any yet. Most of the gnocchi you find at stores is not really gnocchi. And I've never been able to find anything like the pizza out there.

I went by Conti a few minutes ago and they did have some ready-made food, however it all looked like it had been sitting there for days. Sad I'll try again later. They had gnocchi, but it was frozen. They had some fake gnocchi too, which was a bit disturbing. Everything was a bit on the expensive side, but I imagine that's how it will be everywhere.

6/14/2007 3:14:19 PM

Amedeos pizzas are ok. Better than Pizza Hut or any of the major chains, but not on the level with Mellow Mushroom, Capital Creations, etc. It's hard to fuck up dough, meat, tomato sauce, and melted cheese. I'm not brave enough to try the other entrees.

Cinellis is good. They have several locations in the area. There is one on Six Forks Rd. at the "Celebration" shopping center. The first time I went there I thought it would blow just because it was in a shopping center, but I was pleasantly surprised.

6/14/2007 3:34:56 PM

check out Nina's in north raleigh. one of my favorites in the area. great place to take a date.

http://triangle.citysearch.com/profile/11360335/raleigh_nc/nina_s_italian_ristorante.html

6/14/2007 3:43:25 PM

http://triangle.citysearch.com/profile/6183121/raleigh_nc/guarino_s_italian_restaurant.html

Guarino's in Cary off Buck Jones Road. Great place...not many people seem to know about it.

6/14/2007 4:00:58 PM

gnocchi with pesto was freakin delicious. i've seen some at world market.

6/14/2007 4:28:47 PM

^ you can make it yourself it isn't that hard, you can make pasta at home to, then all you need is a good recipe, The pizza your kinda screwed if your looking in raleigh, there is some place in Knightdale that is supposed to have "real" italian pizza, but i can't remember the name

6/14/2007 5:05:34 PM

Quote :

"How about Little Italy?"

FTW, but the one time i was lucky enough to eat there, the bill split evenly between 4 of us was around $200

6/14/2007 5:15:29 PM

Quote :

"....very small, but very good too."

the cute girl, or the restaurant?



anyone ate at Finelli's Cafe in Greenville?

6/14/2007 7:25:16 PM

Pulcinellas is where its at.

6/14/2007 7:35:36 PM

Quote :

"BUT DID THEY HAVE GOOD BBQ IN ITALY?"

I BET THEY HAVE THAT KETCHUP-BASED SHIT






Biaggi's in Cary isn't bad



Assagio's on Millbrook is the worst shit I've ever had anywhere

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 7:46 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2007 7:44:42 PM

Vic's in city market and casalinga on capital blvd, though ive gotta say im partial to Vics, the food is better and the atmosphere isn't nearly as stuffy.

6/14/2007 8:25:47 PM

I'm a huge Bella Monica fan. They have a great all-Italian wine list and they have a "feel" that's different from just about every place in Raleigh. Where as places like Olive Garden and 518 West try to make you feel like you're in the Mediterranean with decor and music, BM makes you feel like you're at somebody's home (preferably an Italian home I suppose, I wouldn't know), but they do it with chill music, bright colors, and a very welcoming staff which to me is more important. Also their portion sizes are very generous.

Conti's is an Italian deli of sorts. You would probably appreciate that place more than most people taht go in there. Check it out.

6/14/2007 8:36:26 PM

Quote :

"FTW, but the one time i was lucky enough to eat there, the bill split evenly between 4 of us was around $200"

That isn't that expensive for NYC. Also were you drinking wine? And you just need to look around a little bit. There are plenty of places in Little Italy with entrees for around $13-15.

6/14/2007 9:06:27 PM

olive garden FTW!!!!!

6/15/2007 4:20:24 AM

^^^ I totally forgot about Bella Monica. It's really really good and very resonably priced for the quality of food that you get. I think the one time we splurged and got an appetizer, 2 entrees and a dessert plus 2 glasses of wine, it was around $70.

6/15/2007 10:41:31 AM

^^^ yeah wine was what made it so expensive

plus it was my first (and only) time in new york so i didnt really know where to find the best bargain

6/15/2007 3:12:46 PM

I went by Da Vinci's today and bought some gnocchi and pesto. The lady that made the gnocchi is from Rome. Now I just have to figure out how to prepare it!

6/15/2007 3:27:19 PM

Quote :

"Guarino's in Cary off Buck Jones Road. Great place...not many people seem to know about it. "

I think that place closed a couple of years ago...sadly.

6/15/2007 4:14:59 PM

this thread got me craving pasta, so i ordered the penne ala vodka at the point the other night...and that shit was fucking excellent

6/17/2007 7:14:10 PM