Pasta Stravagante: A Review

   Yesterday, I found myself in the mood for some good Italian eats and, having had a certain restaurant recommended to me by a good friend, I decided to head downtown the the newly opened Pasta Stravagante. Pasta Stravagante, Italian for "extravagant pasta", is seated in the perfect neighborhood. Arriving at 17:30 on an early summer night set the mood very well. The setting sun cast an orange glow upon the bricks adorning the face of the pasta eatery, as well as a beautiful reflection on the river situated behind the restaurant. As soon as I walked through the door, I was assaulted with many first impressions and, as those are the most important, I took my time to soak it all in. For a downtown, just-opened restaurant, the decor wasn't bad. The obvious vegetable paintings were hung on the wall; tomato, celery, onion... all done in a classical oil-painting style. This, along with ceramic chef statuettes, gave the place a decidedly American feel, as no eatery in Italy would be caught dead with such decorations on display. But decoration isn't everything. People come here to eat, after all, not to sit and stare at a porcelain chef wielding whisk and mixing bowl.
  
   After being shown to my seat, (I chose an indoor table, although outside tables overlooking the river were available.) I proceeded to examine the menu. It was chiefly composed of pasta, but this came as no surprise, nor was it amiss. Raviolis, tortellinis, macaronis, fettuchinis, and of course spaghettis dominated the pages, in coordination with a monster amount of sauces and ingredients. White sauces, red sauces, light sauces, heavy sauces; all were present. Shrimp, chicken, beef, and pork each took their places among the dishes as well. A good amount of kid's meals were included in the restaurant's available fare, too. Drinks were served in good number, to include wine, soda, beer, and assorted umbrella beverages. A Coca-Cola sat on the table as I scoured the menu once more in an attempt to find which dish would give me the best feel as to how this eatery's food was to be rated. The waiter recommended to me the Italian Sausage Fettuchini with Cream Sauce, but I ended up choosing the simple, yet seemingly elegant, Spaghetti with Red Meat Sauce. One thing that was certainly in Pasta Stravagante's favor was the English menu. Instead following in the footsteps of Olive Garden and others with an Italian menu that makes you feel stupid and uncultured while ordering, Pasta Stravagante gave straightforward, English titles to their dishes. How many times, I lament, have a been at a restaurant, ordered and then have the waiter correct my pronunciation? Not a good way to go. Pasta Stravagante managed to keep things simple, and rightfully so.

   While waiting for my food, I sat back and looked around the room. While I was doing so, strains of Frank Sinatra reached my ears. I payed more attention and, sure enough, I was hearing "Luck Be A Lady" emanating from a speaker in the corner of the ceiling. As time passed, other similar favorites sweetened the airwaves, including the well-known "Lazy Mary" sung by the even better-known Lou Monte of said fame. This particular song got me smiling and reminiscing. But I wasn't left to myself for long, as a steaming plate of pasta was placed before me. A generous pile of spaghetti, combined with a staggering amount of red meat sauce, threatened to collapse the table. The waiter served me a helping of freshly-grated Parmesan before departing to the next table. Not wasting any time, I grabbed a fork and dug in. The pasta was well cooked, with an excellent texture that spoke of its quality. The sauce, however, was what lent the dish its perfection. A tomatoey flavor mixed with that of Chardonnay and meat and an unknown assortment of seasonings. Beyond this, the flavor became increasingly difficult to describe and much easier to wolf down.

   I soon became full, and was left with enough on my plate to warrant a leftovers container. Quite satisfied, I moved on to pay my not overly large bill, grab an after-dinner mint, and step outside, full and happy. Pasta Stravagante did not fail to deliver, food-wise. Over-all, they gave me a very good experience. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good pasta dinner. It's worth it.