*RESTAURANT CLOSED*
I’m always apt to judge any Italian place, but at least I don’t claim that nothing compares to my mother’s cooking. I can compare anything to my mother’s cooking. If anything, my defeatism stems from my history of, well, eating Italian food. Knowing it, cooking it, practically bleeding it. Yes, it’s a confirmation of the most static identity I have, unless you count Chinese- but that’s a spirit I’ve had to earn through prayer, study, even kung fu. But that part of my soul is much more fluid. Other than that, my palate is a little exhausted, a little unstimulated around Italian cuisine. Anyway, my otherwise dim view, combined with a hopeless coin toss had me clinched and choosing Eataliano Panini & Pasta Ristorante, one of many spots popping up in town offering familiar Italian fare that’s a little more accessible than the fancy joints I’ve grown up and politely eaten at. Not to say there’s anything debasing about Eataliano’s eatery. On the contrary, its space is clean, conventional, not hackneyed and ethnically stereotyped. Sharp tile flooring, minimalist tables and sleek chairs decorate a dining space also lit up by a nostalgic photograph of a chipper old Italian man that panoramically envelopes the walls. Then again, have you ever met an unhappy old Italian man? Aside from me? But aside from me, Eataliano leaves little to be unhappy about. Sandwiches, pastas, salads, all the usual informal Italian entrees one would expect, with a little variety now and then. Yes, things on the menu do change. My visit had a vegetarian lasagna I jumped at, but before that, the eggplant parmesan: battered and fried eggplant sandwiched in a Kaiser roll with roasted red peppers, tomato sauce, and provolone cheese. The price had me itching to spend more, gaga at how much I got for how much I actually had to spend. But don’t worry, if you’re a big spender, feel free to load up on special toppings, combos, or sides like olives, which I liked the idea of. Why? I don’t know why, I suspect it was because I really like olives and the idea of having a fistful of them. Speaking of fistfuls, my eggplant parmesan was a satiable size; a sandwich bigger than both of my gnarly kung fu fists put together. Its sauce was sharp and bright, not acidic in the least, with earthy herbs and a peppery heat that pleasingly filled the back of my mouth. The roasted red peppers were sweet and soft with a little tang. But it was the slices of tender fried eggplant that wowed me. Lightly battered in panko crumbs, it was just enough to absorb any flavor surrounding it, though each slice could have been enough on its own. So much so, I found myself peeling out slices and eating them all by themselves. Even the crumbly Kaiser’s density was matched by the thickness of the fried aubergine.
I’m always apt to judge any Italian place, but at least I don’t claim that nothing compares to my mother’s cooking. I can compare anything to my mother’s cooking. If anything, my defeatism stems from my history of, well, eating Italian food. Knowing it, cooking it, practically bleeding it. Yes, it’s a confirmation of the most static identity I have, unless you count Chinese- but that’s a spirit I’ve had to earn through prayer, study, even kung fu. But that part of my soul is much more fluid. Other than that, my palate is a little exhausted, a little unstimulated around Italian cuisine. Anyway, my otherwise dim view, combined with a hopeless coin toss had me clinched and choosing Eataliano Panini & Pasta Ristorante, one of many spots popping up in town offering familiar Italian fare that’s a little more accessible than the fancy joints I’ve grown up and politely eaten at. Not to say there’s anything debasing about Eataliano’s eatery. On the contrary, its space is clean, conventional, not hackneyed and ethnically stereotyped. Sharp tile flooring, minimalist tables and sleek chairs decorate a dining space also lit up by a nostalgic photograph of a chipper old Italian man that panoramically envelopes the walls. Then again, have you ever met an unhappy old Italian man? Aside from me? But aside from me, Eataliano leaves little to be unhappy about. Sandwiches, pastas, salads, all the usual informal Italian entrees one would expect, with a little variety now and then. Yes, things on the menu do change. My visit had a vegetarian lasagna I jumped at, but before that, the eggplant parmesan: battered and fried eggplant sandwiched in a Kaiser roll with roasted red peppers, tomato sauce, and provolone cheese. The price had me itching to spend more, gaga at how much I got for how much I actually had to spend. But don’t worry, if you’re a big spender, feel free to load up on special toppings, combos, or sides like olives, which I liked the idea of. Why? I don’t know why, I suspect it was because I really like olives and the idea of having a fistful of them. Speaking of fistfuls, my eggplant parmesan was a satiable size; a sandwich bigger than both of my gnarly kung fu fists put together. Its sauce was sharp and bright, not acidic in the least, with earthy herbs and a peppery heat that pleasingly filled the back of my mouth. The roasted red peppers were sweet and soft with a little tang. But it was the slices of tender fried eggplant that wowed me. Lightly battered in panko crumbs, it was just enough to absorb any flavor surrounding it, though each slice could have been enough on its own. So much so, I found myself peeling out slices and eating them all by themselves. Even the crumbly Kaiser’s density was matched by the thickness of the fried aubergine.
My vegetarian lasagna, a special of the day, was layered
with multiple vegetables and cheeses, creamy ricotta standing out the most
among the dish’s thin, white sauce. Hardy, savoury, and rich knobs of carrot,
broccoli, and cauliflower, as well as slices of onions and zucchini made for
good variety, though I would have preferred thin slices of the edible plants
instead. Even so, it wasn’t too disheartening, and the entre not heavy enough
to weigh me down.
Yes, I don’t know what it is, I may be particularly jaded
and spoiled by my own efforts to eat, but Eataliano certainly humbled me when
it came to my own roots.
Eataliano Panini & Pasta Ristorante
255 King Street North
Waterloo, ON N2J 4V2
Waterloo, ON N2J 4V2
(519) 208-9000
Mon- Sat: 11-9
Sun: 11-8.
ANY PAYMENT
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