Is the ITALIAN food in your region REALLY GOOD?

[carrie1626]

I live between Milwaukee and Chicago. The Italian food here in this region is really, really good. I remember when I was a kid and going on family vacations ( station-wagon w/o air!!) and eating out often and my parents always saying that nobody made PIZZA better than our hometown. And once in awhile the subject comes up that the Italian food that people have tried elsewhere just isn't as good as "at home".


I love going to TONY"S and don't go there expecting the same kind of flavor/food I get at home. I love the atmosphere and the ambience,



btw I'm not Italian, not even a drop

 

[nytimez]

generally speaking, for most people, the foods you loved growing up will never be as good anywhere else.

 

[verticalchaos]

Oh in NYC considering the best Italian places are owned and run by immigrants, it is DELICIOUS!!! The littler, more hole-in-the-wall a place is, the better the food will be.

 

[carrie1626]

PP.....absolutely!! But we've all had great food when we've traveled,too!

I should have titled this "What were your expectations when you ate at TONY's"
I'm always amazed at the critical reviews they get. Forget the "$$ for what I got" ....that"s everywhere in WDW.

And Six Flags
And the State Fair
And the Renassaince Faire
And the Zoo

 

[DISNEY1975]

Yes!

North End, Boston!!!! Makes the Jersey Shore look Irish!

http://www.northendboston.com/

 

[williamson_ja]

There is NO Italian food where I live. I know that probably sounds outrageous, but true. We live in a very little town of about 300 people. The next town is about 25 miles away and has about 40,000 people... also no Italian food there. The closest Italian food is a 3 hour drive. lol. The problem is that it's my favorite cuisine. We try to eat some Italian every time we travel for that reason.

 

[jenjersnap]

Is Macaroni Grill considered good Italian?

Actually, we used to have one wonderful Italian joint but they closed a couple years ago.

(Bostonian PP, we vacationed in Boston last month and I caused us to nearly miss our plane home because I insisted on "just one more" lobster tail and cannoli from BOTH Mike's and Modern ... not to mention the actual restaurants. The North End is my idea of heaven)

 

[Toole Time in Disney]

I'm half Italian and grew up in Chicago so I have had some VERY good Italian. However, I don't think Chicago deep dish pizza is all that great. Its just to much for me. We now live in Southern Indiana just north of Louisville KY and I have found some very good local places with Italian food. However, I have yet to find a real Canolli like I can get at Naples Bakery YUMMMM I have had some that have come close but whenever I go back I have to get one. My dad used to bring me down an entire box every time he came to visit us but I had to put a stop to that cause I would just eat them all!!!

 

[Pakey]

We've got nothing here that is close to tasting like the food we ate in Italy. My family is Italian (my grandparents immigrated) but even my family's food is very different than Italian food in Italy.

 

[parlay]

We have LOTs of great Italian restaurants within our town and surrounding areas (we are near Philly). I think that is why I haven't been impressed by any of the "Italian" restaurants in WDW. BUT there are so many other great places to eat in WDW, I just save my Italian craving for when I'm home.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Out here near Sacramento there is a restaurant called Il Fornaio and that food is awesome (in fact I just got back from there) its pricey but they have monthly regional festivals and its good (This month is Toscana).

When im in Ottawa there is a section in Ottawa that has great italian food again made by immigrants yum yum yum

 

[kate_wdw]

Deleted

 

[Main Street Matilda]

I live in NJ and, although we have a wide variety of Italian restaurants, it is easy to find a good one. There are enough people of Italian descent to ensure that there are good restaurants. Even better ... my mother's home cooking. Both she and my father were born in Italy!

 

[Tiger926]

So many authentic restaurants in our city, as it's a very ethnic population who makes dishes by hand - incredible ingredients and much care and attention put into most of the restaurants in our city.

There are no great Italian restaurants in WDW - there are some that are tolerable, and that's about it. Tutto Italia is just yuck, IMHO!

Tiger

 

[j&j620]

Yes, there's a huge Italian population in Philadelphia so there are tons of great Italian restaurants (especially in South Philadelphia).

100% agree!

There's a pretty substantial Italian population in Wilmington, DE, too. Growing up, I was the only one of my friends who wasn't Italian! I got invited to some amazing family celebrations with incredible food, though!

 

[yoeleven]

Oh in NYC considering the best Italian places are owned and run by immigrants, it is DELICIOUS!!! The littler, more hole-in-the-wall a place is, the better the food will be.

Growing up in NY and NJ, you get spoiled on Italian food. Nothing else ever tastes as good.

 

[Mamu]

Not to be Vainglorious but the Italian Food at my House is the best in the World.

 

[guitarob]

Another Philly guy here... We have so much good Italian food around here that "Olive Garden" and "Macaroni Grill" are swear-words. There are so many little hole in the wall little Italian places that sometimes it's hard to choose. Not to mention that the wife and I are both pretty excellent Italian cooks in our own right (I'm Italian, she's Polish, but has picked it up very well, and easily surpassed me).

For that reason, we stay away from Italian food when we go to WDW, because it's something we're completly inundated with around here, and feel that we should try the different things Disney has to offer as opposed to something that we can get any time we want it.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Short answer for here in S. Central Pa.--no.

I look forward to Macaroni Grill.

 

[Poohbear123]

I hate the area I live in, as its Jamaican this and Haitian that, and KFC/BK/MCD....Uggghhhh I do have a Chilis but its sub par compared to others in farther areas...I have 2 Italilan resteraunts I frequent...Tony's... which is owned by a Jewish guy, not that there is anything wrong with that...and Antonio's in Miramar Fl. which is owned and operated by a REAL ITALIAN Family and they treat us like Family too! They're Pizza is not so great, but the Lasagne and Spaghetti dishes are Excellent! They opened another resteraunt further north and its run by the Kids and Grandkids!