By Sasha Moedt (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: March 19, 2014
Presto Cucina says, on the front of their menu, that they are the place to go to “enjoy the flavours of Italy in a warm and unpretentious setting.”
I would have thought the Old Spaghetti Factory was the place to go for that.
But by “unpretentious,” Presto Cucina, perhaps, means “self -serve.” You walk in and order at the front, fill up your own beverage at the beverage counter, then sit down and wait for your server to carry your food out for you. It sounds very chain-restaurant-esque, but the décor, music, and atmosphere are of a nice eatery. The walls are rustic red and yellow, the door frames are brick, and the art depicts Italian apartments and landscapes.
I found it annoying to order at the front, mostly because I’m the type to sit down and take my time with the menu. The restaurant was empty, but I imagine if it was busy you’d feel pressured to order like you do in a McDonald’s line-up.
The other downside is that you have to pay — and tip — immediately. How was I supposed to know if the service would be any good? If I did tip, would service be better? How much are you supposed to tip at an “unpretentious” restaurant, anyway?
The menu boasts antipasti, pizza, pasta, paninis, and dolci. I thought the pickings were a bit slim for the antipasti and pasta, but they had all the basics. We ended up ordering breadsticks ($7 breadsticks, so we expected them to be pretty good) and their spaghetti special that comes with with a glass of wine.
We poked our noses over at the gelato part of Presto Cucina for a moment before sitting down. The restaurant is split into two parts — the sit-down area for meals, and the gelato parlour, divided by a doorway. The gelato is presented in classic flavours: strawberry, lime, mango, peanut butter chocolate, papaya, and so on. There were about 16 flavours available. We decided to order some after our meal.
We chose our own seat, in a comfortable booth. Our server — a bit of a sullen woman — brought out our breadsticks first. The breadsticks came with a delicious marinara dip with shredded mozza cheese. The breadsticks were nice, with butter, garlic, basil, and just the right amount of crunch. They were good, but maybe not $7 good.
The spaghetti that followed was beautiful. Both the breadsticks and the spaghetti came on decorated dishes twice the size of your average dinner plate. The presentation of the spaghetti was lovely; the pasta was curled nicely in a heap, the meatballs lined up in the side with the garlic bread, and on top of a bed of cheese, a single olive.
Presto Cucina’s spaghetti definitely outdoes the Old Spaghetti Factory’s. The meatballs were actually Italian meatballs, spices and all. The sauce was more than just marinara, and I could see the flecks of fresh basil.
The portions were fairly good, even for the glass of wine, which was pretty full for a restaurant serving.
After the meal we headed back to the gelato. I’ve travelled across Italy, and tried gelato in Rome, Florence, Naples, Pisa, and Venice. Apparently it’s not hard to make, because Presto Cucina’s tastes pretty much the same as gelato I’ve had in Italy. We tried lime and papaya, because citrus and fruit are the best gelato flavours. Prices were surprisingly good; often gelato is overpriced. The lime was almost too tart, but the papaya was golden sweetness. It was a perfect finishing touch to the Italian meal.
Thumbs up to Presto Cucina for good food at decent prices. Remember not to leave out the gelato after your meal!
