The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur
May 13 - Valbona
Under the umbrellas in front of Julie's Café in Este with the castle faintly in the background. It seems like all the restaurants move outside during warm weather, truly a civilized idea!
The local snack bar was sort of a bar (including a pool table) with a food program reminiscent of a convenience store. It was about the only thing open last night and we were too tired to search any farther. Dinner was pre-packaged (adequate but obviously not memorable), a convenience sort of calzone filled with spinach and cheese ... and a cold beer.
The Buitoni company makes and markets more than two dozen different pasta dishes in heat and serve packs. They even provide the little green plastic holder for service. All in all, a pretty neat idea. Notice the two merchandising posters hanging from the counter on the left side of the photo above -- they are both for Buitoni products. The photo above is of Margene's Spaghetti Carbonara. I had Penne all'arrabiatta.
Just the investment in packaging would make the Buitoni approach more than a typical operator could handle, but it the underlying idea might still have some application. Bars with a licensing requirement to offer some sort of food service could be a market for an ambitious Italian restaurant that would package up small portions of pasta that could be easily reheated.
The wines of the Veneto include Valpolicella, Amarone and Soave -- all well-known in the US. The local wines from the Colli Euganei area tend to be frizzante (slightly effervescent). Last night we shared a bottle of Marzemino, a light red. This would be an easy sell to someone who wanted White Zinfandel. They also have a frizzante white that we didn't get to try. Maybe Wednesday.
© 2003 Restaurant Doctor
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