Taaffe Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 Having heard good things, I went with 3 people last night. A very disappointing and bland bolognese with watery sauce, friend had the primavera, also bland with undercooked large chunks of the tough part of asparagus. Have to say Cafe Mediterraneo is the best by far maybe because the chef/owner is Roman. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canmex87 Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 We had the same experience. I agree that Cafe Mediterraneo is far superior and in our opinion the best Italian food restaurant in the Lakeside area. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 anyone who peddles boxed pasta cooked in advance deserves your ire! Trattoria in San Antonio, Alex pasta in Ajijic and the two italian restaurants in La Canacinta all make their own pasta and do the best job possible. I went to the place named above and felt both my mother and grandma rolling in their graves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 This will start a war, I'm sure, but I'm willing to bet there is no one here who could even tell the difference in a blind test. Furthermore, boxed and dried pasta is much preferred over fresh for a variety of reasons. "Fresh" is a misconception and mostly a marketing ploy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHILLIN Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 The difference is the texture and high quality ingredients such as farm fresh eggs, durum flour that is also fresh, not been on the slow boat to Italy from Canada and Northern U.S. There is some hard wheat grown in North Mexico - but it is not the same at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 Oh, definitely, buy the imported stuff. But with the dry, a slow boat is not an issue, and I have read lots and lots over the years (because I don't just know this) about the quality of good, dried pasta. In particular, the sauce determines the shape and thickness of the pasta that should be used, and dry is better for most heavier sauces. But the big thing is, I think, something I alluded to but did not detail: dry means you can get this stuff from overseas without worrying about the freshness. And eggs are usually fresh, as is the flour, when it's made. I would say that it still "boils" down to my point: no one can tell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringohombre Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 And where is Cafe Mediterraneo please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taaffe Posted February 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 It’s in riberas across from zona fitness on the mountain side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsie Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 Here's there FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Mediterráneo-Caffé-e-Cucina-1675803732698098/?fref=ts They are open Tuesday to Saturday - 12.30 PM to 9 PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slainte39 Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 My family, which includes some vegan/vegetarians and eat a lot of pasta, think that Pasta Trenta is simply awful and will never go there again. Café Mediterraneo is much better in their opinion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 CM is OK, but I would pass a lot better getting there So I'd go to any one of the ones I mentioned, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slainte39 Posted February 10, 2020 Report Share Posted February 10, 2020 5 hours ago, HarryB said: anyone who peddles boxed pasta cooked in advance deserves your ire! Trattoria in San Antonio, Alex pasta in Ajijic and the two italian restaurants in La Canacinta all make their own pasta and do the best job possible. I went to the place named above and felt both my mother and grandma rolling in their graves! I know one Italian restaurant in La Canacinta, Osteriia, what is the other one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 next to Ancla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 Jitomate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Bizco Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 22 hours ago, ComputerGuy said: This will start a war, I'm sure, but I'm willing to bet there is no one here who could even tell the difference in a blind test. Furthermore, boxed and dried pasta is much preferred over fresh for a variety of reasons. "Fresh" is a misconception and mostly a marketing ploy. Hard pasta is used with olive oil based sauces, while soft pasta is used for butter/cream based sauces. One is not better than the other. (see Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan, the Julia Child of Italian cuisine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 My family is from Naples ---Always fresh made pasta---always red sauce. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 5 hours ago, El Bizco said: Hard pasta is used with olive oil based sauces, while soft pasta is used for butter/cream based sauces. One is not better than the other. (see Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan, the Julia Child of Italian cuisine) That is a generalization. That is a preference, it would seem, of opinions. But half of that may be correct. I go back to what I said: I challenge anyone to identify the difference in a blind taste test. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafterbr Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 I enjoy the homemade pasta at Mediterraneo but think it is a little over priced. I enjoy a salad with my pasta and can't understand why Italian restaurants Lakeside don't do this. The Olive Garden chain in the states is known for their big bowls of salad that goes with the pasta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Bizco Posted February 12, 2020 Report Share Posted February 12, 2020 2 hours ago, ComputerGuy said: That is a generalization. That is a preference, it would seem, of opinions. No, not really. I know you like to cook. Please do read about this in the reference cited. If you can not access it, CG, let me know and I will PM you the salient info. I am interested to know what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted February 12, 2020 Report Share Posted February 12, 2020 I disagree. But I won't be reading that. I have read more than enough articles from experts on both sides, over the years. One more article isn't going to change what I articulated, especially since I know the science behind it. I appreciate the offer, though, sincerely. And I am sure there are others who will find it interesting. Now, if you were to disagree that exposing more surface area when chopping fresh garlic for your pasta does not lead to more flavour, then I would happily argue that with you on a different level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Greenwood Posted February 14, 2020 Report Share Posted February 14, 2020 Bizco....if only it was so simple......firstly there are over 200 shapes of Italian pasta ,the majority of which are seldom made fresh or by hand . Hazans book is probably over thirty years old ,in those days Italian cuisine was totally regional....obviously no longer . Offhand I can bring to mind about fifty pasta sauces many of which have become interchangeable with both hard and soft pastas . “ These days “ generalizations would exclude many of the most iconic Italian pasta dishes . Soft pastas with ragus... hard pastas with creamy buttery sauces . Sorry but in my working experience I have seldom seen two Italian chefs agree on almost anything.. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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