Italian dining (ingredient, grill, mushrooms, pizza)
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I'll go to a mom and pop (or, grandma and grandpa ) place before I'll consider a chain Italian restaurant. Some of the best are in small towns with good-sized Italian populations -- Steubenville, Ohio, for instance.
In an area like that I would go, but I hate going to a private place and pay more and get bad service, horrible decor and questionable food.
The bad decor is half the fun! The best restaurants pay attention to the food, not the decor. IMO.
As long as it's clean, the decor is ok. My point was that there are a lot of small restaurants that aren't very good. I don't have a way of knowing what their standards are unless someone else has recommended them to me. In this case, or if I see during busy times that they have quite a following, i would try them.
I guess I worded the title incorrectly and should have stated "chain". I was merely wondering if folks had been to both and which they preferred over the other. It's almost a given that a mom/pop type wins over both
JC is not all that bad, never been to OG and don't want to. I hear all the time about how a restaurant here or there is or is not "authentic" Most ethnic foods vary from region to region and if it isn't just like what you grew up on it's easy to put it down and say "that's not authentic". Most ethnic restaurant recipes are based on old regional family recipes and vary tremendously in taste , ingredients and cooking style.
I don't think we have Canno's in the east, in northern NJ I prefer some of the many little mom & pop holes in the wall for good, everyday Italian style cooking.
there are a couple of Carino's in NJ - closest to me being Bridgewater. Never ate there, and agree 100% about the mom & pop places.....
When I visited New York City I asked a cop where the best italian food was in the City and he directed me to Carmines on west 44th street. When we walked in there were performers on Broadway who took your name and told us to wait. When our names came up they sang out. There was a nice bar there and I remember the pasta was fresh, plentiful and the biggest pasta plates and portions I had ever seen. It was crowded but hey this is New York!
When I visited New York City I asked a cop where the best italian food was in the City and he directed me to Carmines on west 44th street. When we walked in there were performers on Broadway who took your name and told us to wait. When our names came up they sang out. There was a nice bar there and I remember the pasta was fresh, plentiful and the biggest pasta plates and portions I had ever seen. It was crowded but hey this is New York!
I was going to mention Carmine's. Great place, absolutely obscene amounts of food and C*H*E*A*P. Highly recommend to those coming to NYC.
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) place before I'll consider a chain Italian restaurant. Some of the best are in small towns with good-sized Italian populations -- Steubenville, Ohio, for instance.
