A bureau-wide announcement came out today about a gentleman's retirement luncheon. Being hungry as usual, I eyeballed the menu options. Lunch entree #6 was:
Pasta alla Veneziana
Filet of fish, gulf shrimp, bay scallops, lobster, penne rigatte & fussilli pasta sautéed in a light cream sauce garnished with fresh broccoli flowerettes
Yummy. Now, being an Alexandria, VA restaurant, I'm assuming those are [G]ulf (of Mexico) shrimp and (Chesapeake) [B]ay scallops. I doubt either of those specific ingredients is a characteristic element of traditional northern Italian cuisine. I don't think to myself, "Chesapeake Bay scallops!...mmm, Venice...{gurgle}."
With the global economy and all nowadays, it's possible. Still, I doubt this and think a more appropriate title would be "Pasta alla Veneziana - with a mid-Atlantic twist". On the other hand again, pretty much all ethnic food we know in the states is "Americanized". Chinese food as we know it isn't what they eat in China. The one exception is the exclusive restaurants of which are certainly out of this particular establishment's caliber. There the food is usually the real thing (or so those exclusive restaurants tell me).
If Taco Bell doesn't lie (or do they?), neither should these guys. They try and impress us by giving the order an Italian name, yet they’re using some all-American ingredients. It's a bit inconsistent.
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