Comments on: La Strada Palo Alto http://www.italyinsf.com/2008/02/29/la-strada-palo-alto/ Nourish Your Inner Italian Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:12:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eric http://www.italyinsf.com/2008/02/29/la-strada-palo-alto/comment-page-1/#comment-963 Eric Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:02:43 +0000 http://www.italyinsf.com/?p=6#comment-963 I'm a La Strada regular and appreciate this restaurant greatly. Having lived in France, I'm quite used to owner/chef restaurants. They are the rule in Europe. Sadly in the USA, it is very difficult to find an owner/chef on the premises. Restaurants are set-up by Executive Chefs and Managing Partners with MBAs and systems are put in place. There is no artisan culture. La Strada is a departure from that. Donato is an artisan/owner on site. The food is authentic which is a double-edged sword for the restaurants. Donato loves and appreciates Northern Italian cuisine. He exudes it. He is never heavy-handed with ingredients and flavors. Customers expecting "Italian" food are often disappointed simply because they either don't know it or have a typical American palate, i.e. more is better. La Strada's food is fresh, pure and seasonal. I would recommend anyone to talk to Donato and let him know what they like. He also knows his wines. I’m a La Strada regular and appreciate this restaurant greatly. Having lived in France, I’m quite used to owner/chef restaurants. They are the rule in Europe. Sadly in the USA, it is very difficult to find an owner/chef on the premises. Restaurants are set-up by Executive Chefs and Managing Partners with MBAs and systems are put in place. There is no artisan culture. La Strada is a departure from that. Donato is an artisan/owner on site.

The food is authentic which is a double-edged sword for the restaurants. Donato loves and appreciates Northern Italian cuisine. He exudes it. He is never heavy-handed with ingredients and flavors. Customers expecting “Italian” food are often disappointed simply because they either don’t know it or have a typical American palate, i.e. more is better.
La Strada’s food is fresh, pure and seasonal. I would recommend anyone to talk to Donato and let him know what they like. He also knows his wines.

]]> By: Pasta al Dente, Risotto all’Onda | Italy In SF http://www.italyinsf.com/2008/02/29/la-strada-palo-alto/comment-page-1/#comment-94 Pasta al Dente, Risotto all’Onda | Italy In SF Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:46:38 +0000 http://www.italyinsf.com/?p=6#comment-94 [...] the Bay Area, you will find stunning risottos at La Strada in Palo Alto and Beretta in San Francisco. If you want to make your own- a full step-by-step [...] [...] the Bay Area, you will find stunning risottos at La Strada in Palo Alto and Beretta in San Francisco. If you want to make your own- a full step-by-step [...]

]]> By: Pasta?, Palo Alto | Italy In SF http://www.italyinsf.com/2008/02/29/la-strada-palo-alto/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Pasta?, Palo Alto | Italy In SF Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:06:57 +0000 http://www.italyinsf.com/?p=6#comment-58 [...] much fuzz, then Pasta? is a good destination. Located on University Avenue, across the street from La Strada and around the corner from Vero, it manages to create for itself a very different menu that either [...] [...] much fuzz, then Pasta? is a good destination. Located on University Avenue, across the street from La Strada and around the corner from Vero, it manages to create for itself a very different menu that either [...]

]]> By: La Piadina, Romagna's Typical Flatbread | Italy In SF http://www.italyinsf.com/2008/02/29/la-strada-palo-alto/comment-page-1/#comment-47 La Piadina, Romagna's Typical Flatbread | Italy In SF Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:03:55 +0000 http://www.italyinsf.com/?p=6#comment-47 [...] Not really an Italian joint, Tomatina has piadina on its menu for both lunch and dinner, while La Strada in Palo Alto makes a good piadina (although they use pizza dough instead of unleavened dough) for [...] [...] Not really an Italian joint, Tomatina has piadina on its menu for both lunch and dinner, while La Strada in Palo Alto makes a good piadina (although they use pizza dough instead of unleavened dough) for [...]

]]> By: The Grocery List: A.G. Ferrari | Italy In SF http://www.italyinsf.com/2008/02/29/la-strada-palo-alto/comment-page-1/#comment-26 The Grocery List: A.G. Ferrari | Italy In SF Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:32:55 +0000 http://www.italyinsf.com/?p=6#comment-26 [...] in the Bay Area by the hip restaurants that started including it in their menu as appetizers, like La Strada in Palo Alto) and robiola, a light mascarpone of sorts, used in diet versions of tiramisu’ [...] [...] in the Bay Area by the hip restaurants that started including it in their menu as appetizers, like La Strada in Palo Alto) and robiola, a light mascarpone of sorts, used in diet versions of tiramisu’ [...]

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