Rant: You will feel like you are in Italy…
Author: WIBIA | Filed under: Announcements/News
I just don’t get it. I live in the middle of Indiana and about five minutes from my house, there are farms with pigs, corn, etc. Would a restaurant owner think that their doors are a magical wormhole than sends me to the streets of Rome? Trust me, it is not working.
I thought about this as I was at “BRAVO Cucinia Italiano” for lunch the other day with some co-workers and I took a pic of the restroom door. Look, it is not cute, amusing or convincing to do things like this. No need to add your plastic grapes, fake non-load bearing columns, cheesy stucco, ridiculous menus, etc. It doesn’t make me feel that I am having lunch in Italy. You are right next to The Dress Barn in a strip mall. Enough said. The funny thing is, I don’t dislike (or love) Bravo’s food. Sorry for picking on you Bravo…
So, this is an open plea to stop all this nonsense. It is outdated and I can’t think of one person that really likes this and in fact, it is laughable. It seems like Italian restaurants are the worst at doing this. I have never been to a Thai/Chinese/Mexican restaurant that has two names for the bathroom. I know that I didn’t even touch on the Rainforest Café’s of the world. That would be too easy.
If you are looking for a theme for your restaurant, how about this? Good food.
Does this annoy anyone else?
-wibia
No, every restaraunt does something to have theme, especially mexican and italian restaraunts. You would be writing a different post if an italian restaurant looked like a Chili’s, Applebees, or TGIFs. People go to those places because they like the atmosphere just as much as they like the food. Could they have better food? Yes. Do they need to change their atmosphere to accomplish better food? No
At least Bravo put “Men” on the door, I was somewhere where they didnt do that and I was confused.
Ok, let me clarify. There is a theme to every restaurant…Applebees is obviously the Neighborhood Bar and Grill type of market. Mexican restaurants will have certain things on their walls etc.… Point being, lose the cheesiness of it. I don’t need to be greeted by “Hey Amigo’s, how are you?” at a chain Mexican place. If you speak the language, fair enough.
Menus seem to be really bad at cheese ball restaurants. For instance…something like:
Pasta Michelangelo: Our delicious blend of 5 cheese sauce tossed with chicken, sun dried tomatoes and peas served with fettuccine noodles.
Why call it “Pasta Michelangelo?” Lame.
What’s really irritating you? It’s not the Italian restaurant, is it? LOL (I’m being all therapist on you.) Cause really, if you go to Moe’s, all their burritos and such are named so many crazy things I can’t even figure out how to pronounce them. I don’t think it’s just an Italian restaurant issue.
BUT at Bravo’s, they probably have to do it so you feel fancy enough to pay their crazy prices. And I’m not really a fan of their food, either. I’ve tried it a couple times, always been disappointed. In fact, their non Italian fare is better than the Italian. Which doesn’t bode well for an ITALIAN restaurant. Give me Macaroni Grill anyday!
I agree with the article 100% – just improve the food & skip the “novelty” look.
@Nathan. Fair question. Did you read my Moe’s review? I stomped on the names and caught a little backlash. If not, type Moe’s in the search box, the discussion is worth the read.
Very good point that maybe they are just trying to dress up their menu/names/presentation so you don’t actually notice that you paid $12 for an average piece of lasagna. Ha ha, I love when people recommend things that are not in the wheelhouse. You should really try the steak at Bonefish?!? I have to beg the question, was it better than you thought…or was it actually a good steak?!
I used to like Macaroni Grill (about 5 years ago) but after reading Eat This/Not That …they are possible one of the unhealthiest chain restaurants out there. I know this may shock you, but we watch nutrition as much as we can, so we have no reservations stuffing our face with all the other junk you see on here.
Btw, I like your blog..we use a lot of Method stuff at our house.
@Alrui….best comment of 2010 so far!
Ahh- you complain about the little things that contribute to ambiance, but then note that you (or maybe it was another reviewer on this site) look for certain things in the the interior of a taqueria (a soccer game on tv, guys standing around with their pants falling down, etc.) I think different people see different things as signs of quality, and that these elements are not in place to appeal to you, but to perhaps a less seasoned or distinguishing diner.
And different things come across in different ways – I’m bothered by french restaurants in the U.S. that include butter with their bread (which is not done in France). But then again, I was also annoyed in France when I couldn’t get butter with my bread.
Also, I acknowledge your comments, both about the taqueria and Bravo are meant to be humorous.
I don’t know Bravo, but I do like learning a little Italian while in the ladies’ room at Macaroni Grill – we eat there, perhaps, twice a year, but the service is always good and the food is delicious. Perhaps not authentic Italian [My grandmother and MIL are true italian cooks] but it is nice, nonetheless.
You sure do seem cranky about this – I figure as long as I can find the ladies’ room, regardless of the signage, I am good to “go”…get it? LOL – it is supposed to make you smile.
We, unfortunately, live in area that is nothing but chain restaurants – there is not one local establishment here for nicer dining – if we want something along those lines we have to drive over and hour to DC or the closer in suburbs and that is sad. So when we do go out [rare] for a nicer dinner we pick one of the chains and could care less about the decor – we concentrate on who we are dining with and the food.
@Erik, nice memory, it was me with the Taqueria list. It actually makes me think that people are reading. I took my mom to a taqueria once and I checked off a few items on my list (really loud music, unidentifiable cuts of meat, we were a minority there, etc..) and she was totally out of her comfort zone. Not a good meal for her, a great meal for me.
Great French analogy. I agree with you.
Glad that you “get it,” all in good humor. I really don’t get that upset about this, more like…trying to wrap my head around it…Life is too short.
I have to agree with the OP… but then, I get annoyed by the artifice of people reflexively using chopsticks at Chinese restaurants, so I guess it doesn’t take much.
I agree. I live about 400 miles from the coast. yet except for a few, well one, place, all the calabash seafood places have nets, model boats, floats, etc.. But the one that dont has the best seafood. and they are doing well. better in fact than the others. they drive their fish in three times a week, fresh, not frozen like the others. Its like this, I will take the kids or visitors to this area to a place like grove park, biltmore estate, or moutain themed resturtaunts etc.. and thats ok. We have a great place, high on the majestic blue ridge parkway, standing room only, serving “authuntic mountain fare like fried chicken an rainbow trout. But thats not where I go. follow the locals. ambience be damed. I can always plug in a dvd, later. and save some money, to boot.
anyway, wherever you are, its nice to try somthing different. But if you are like me, there are some things I dislike that I am supposed to love. I like roasted chicken, not fried, never cared for trout, or other freshwater fish, and will only eat cornbread if I am about to starve. dont like bourbon, or other corn whiskey, nor sweet cold tea. not saying Id turn it down ( the bourbon, that is , I’d still rather drink water than sweet tea) so I may not be the best reference. ask most scotts how they best like hagis, and my bet would be most would say off my plate, please.