Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals

It’s been a while since I last regaled details of a meal not cooked at home, so because I received some lovely feedback last year, and because the weather has got me in such a slump that I can find nothing else to write about, bear with me while I tell you about the Italian restaurant in town that The Italians eat at.

A couple of weekends back, we were having coffee with friends, while the girls were getting their play-date on, and my Swedish friend told us that they had been very surprised the day before by a chance meal taken at an Italian restaurant near the centre of town.

Now, Anton has a large contingency of Italians at their office, and they are unsurprisingly quite a naturally foodie-keen group of people. I don’t think one of them has not expressed some comment or other based on the wonders of food at some point, and it is because of them that Anton said he’d heard about this particular restaurant. According to the Italians, it is the closest-to-real-Italian food you’re going to find that’s not actually in Italy, (while still in Strasbourg, obviously).

So our friends had their daughter with them that Saturday, and I’m sure you know that eating out with kids in tow makes for a very different experience to dinner sans les enfants. And this is one of the reasons that our friends recommended Le Pescara, because not only had the staff at the restaurant treated her 6 year old daughter with a suitable level of maturity, but the little princess had eaten the entire pizza that had been ordered for her (which is apparently unusual for her- she has a small appetite.)

So that’s where we headed the following weekend for a Saturday lunch. Le Pescara can be found off Place Gutenberg, down an alley choc-a-bloc with a variety of other pubs and restaurants.  In winter, there was no sign of pavement tables, and the indoor atmosphere was of sophisticated class.  There were banquettes along one wall, 2-seater tables set up along the pavement-side windows (which were beautifully big, airy and light), and a couple of round tables for bigger groups interspersed where they fit best.  The walls were mostly brick, and the ceiling showcased the typical beams of an old building built in the centre of town.  The space that wasn’t bricked, or darkened beams, was white paint, set upon with large black and white pictures.  The lighting was clean and new, and the entire atmosphere was so far from the clichéd family-run Chianti-bottled, rustic, chequered table-clothed pizzeria found across the world. It was almost as if it wasn’t actually an Italian restaurant.

All that said I found the entire experience quite an anti-climax. There had been too much hype from various parties. While the waiters were not impatient with children at the table (a common occurrence in France), they certainly were not everything made out to be. They gave us incorrect beers, and it begs the question- are our French accents so bad they didn’t understand us, or is it so unusual to drink a pint of beer, that they assumed we’d drink small beers?

All four of us ordered a pizza, the selection of which was very typically Italian- there was not one iota of chicken or mince or BBQ spare ribs to be found as a topping ;-). I went so far as to order vegetarian, and I’m pretty sure that there were artichokes listed as a topping. (Man, where would I be without artichokes in my life?). I didn’t get any artichokes on the pizza, but wasn’t in the mood to try fight that point. Besides, I didn’t have a menu to hand to confirm my suspicions, so I let it slide. (And now, as I write this, I have sourced the menu on-line, and it’s as clear as day, artichokes are listed. Damn you, Internet.) Yes, the pizza itself did taste pretty good, but I have eaten pizzas just as good at various other places, that are not in Italy.

Perhaps it was because our expectation was too high. Perhaps because it’s not actually difficult to get my kids to eat pizza. Perhaps the deepest side of winter is not ideal to be eating pizza. Perhaps because we went in knowing we were going to eat a quick pizza, and head on out. Perhaps all of these are the reason I was a little bit disappointed, but the moment you sit and have a bottle of wine, anti-pasta, and a have-to-try Tiramisu, you go from spending 50€ to 90€, and for a Saturday lunch, and that is just a little steep for us, so we missed out on the full experience.

I’m not saying I that I don’t recommend it. In a different life, one where we don’t have children, one where we can sit for hours eating and drinking because you can finance it, and the waiters are not rushing to get your asses off their seats so that they can shut their doors at 3pm, or late evening dinner with a large group of gorgeous flirty friends, or even an intimate cosy dinner with your date, idly sharing that Tiramisu at a corner table, I will definitely tell you GO FOR IT. Take me with- or at least that person that I have forgotten existed. Book your table, work your way through from entrée to dessert, choose a Saltimbocca instead of a Quattro Staggione, tuck into a Risotto a Milanaise, with a side order of Salade Tomates Mozzarella. Perhaps it actually is the best Italian restaurant in Strasbourg.

This, however, begs the question- what is it about Italian cuisine that is so popular? Why is it our first port of call? Yes, there are the other favourites- Tarte Flambee is a typical Alsacienne dish, and the city is full of plenty places to dine on that.

We might have tried the slightly more exclusive Le Pescara this time, but last week we went back to Vapiano, and with my girls, it’s always a toss-up between Vapiano and Il Journal. I have also seen another Italian restaurant close to another friend’s apartment near the Cathedral, which I have been told is lovely. Then there is the Italian restaurant we ate at both nights we were in Paris last year… clearly, it’s a favourite with us.  Travelling in Italy this summer will certainly be a lot of fun.

Sigh.  I live in a French city full of so many exciting tastes, and dining experiences, but we simply can’t afford all the decadent dining experiences.  Maybe this is quite simply that part in our lives where it’s all about being a family unit.  However my hubby will tell me quite simply to go out and get a job.  I’m just not finding that as easy as it is to say it.

Anyway, I will leave you with that for now.  The weather today has been ever so slightly warmer than the last 4 weeks.  It even started snowing this morning, and I actually found it rather pleasant.  Is it possible the tide is turning?

Chat again soon, take care, with all my love.

Xxx