Family History in Italy Compared with the ChateauRestaurant
In Italy the notion of family is important, and they focus more on being together. One main way that Italian families connect closely is with food and going out to eat in places such as restaurants. In Italy, restaurants are more alive with the long dinners that include three course meals and the best wine tasting one can imagine. Later, Italians migrated from Italy to the U.S.Since migrating, they have shown us what Italian culture is like,through their food products. We can now taste a little of authentic Italian courses, in small business run restaurant chains,including the Chateau. This is how Italian-American restaurants came to be.
History in Business in the Chateau Restaurant
According to John, our waiter, the history of the Chateau business first started in the year 1933. It started in Waltham,Massachusetts with a little family-owned restaurant. After they started, they became very popular. The popularity of the restaurant took over, so they expanded their restaurant building. They then had to create nine different locations. Throughout these restaurants, they share a commonly known Italian brand of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Most of the other brands that they use are more Italian American based. In this restaurant they are known to serve more people that are retirees, around the age of 65-70 years old. Here, the most famous dishes are Chicken Parmigiana and Toasted Ravioli, which are more of Italian American rather than directly from Italy. The chefs are trainedand went to culinary school, then they learn these specific Italian American dishes to make for the Chateau restaurant. With this restaurant chain, you can taste the same food even when at theirdifferent locations.
Pizza
According to the Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, pizza is a very well-known food in many places of the world, especially in Italy where it originated. There is history relating to pizza in Italy that can be different in the many places of Italy. The modern version of pizza was created in the 1880s. The encyclopedia also states it was created by Raphael Exposito, a pizza chef, and the dish was named Margarita pizza in honor of Queen Marguerite from Savoy. A Margarita pizza has dough, tomato sauce, cheese, and basil to create the famous pizza. This was the beginning of pizza starting to be a food, as well as the topping of tomatoes that gives it great flavor.
There are many comparisons to make about the food served by restaurants in Italy and the Chateau restaurant. The pizza that we compared from the Chateau to the Pizza we had in Italy was Margarita pizza. The Margarita pizza consisted of tomatoes, whole basil, cheese, and pepper at Chateau, whereas in Italy the pizza was thin crust, there was not a lot of grease, the basil was fresher, and the basil was cut up on the pizza.
Pasta
Pasta is a food that can be presented in many ways at restaurants since there are different kinds of pasta. Italy seems to know how to make people aware of how delicious their pasta dishes are. Pasta in Italy is very different from American pastabecause it is smoother, and they make it fresh there. There are many differences between the pasta in Italy and the Chateau, but both are very delicious in their own ways. There was a spaghetti and red sauce dish that was being compared. The Italian version was very smooth in texture compared to how it is for American Italian pasta. There were a couple of dishes that we were comparing, such as pasta and pizzas.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a very important ingredient for which Italy is known. In the Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, the authors explain that EVOO, which is known as extra virgin olive oil, is aspecific olive oil that is more expensive. EVOO is a high-end olive oil, expensive and fancy in the way that it is marketed to customers. Especially in Italy, olive oil gets used in an array of different table practices that people use to apply it to their food. The only product that Chateau uses from Italy is the EVOO olive oil.
History of Pastene, the Italian Food Product that Chateau Sold
Pastene is a well-known brand that the Chateau sells.Pastene was founded by Luigi Pastene who traveled to Boston from Italy in 1848 and started his family business here in the U.S. selling authentic Italian goods. Pastene flourished as a company starting in 1874. According to the Pastene website, “For over 145 years, Pastene has been bringing family and friends to the table with uncompromising quality and taste. Generation after generation, we help turn meals into memories with our wide selection of premium ingredients”. By selling and using this product, the Chateau makes sure customers experience a little bit of Italy right here in America.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a variety of comparisons that can be made between the food served in an authentic Italian restaurant such as the Chateau and restaurants in Italy. The Chateau and restaurants in Italy consistently promoted pizza, pasta, and olive oil. There are other famous dishes in Italy, but these three dishes were highlighted in Italy and the restaurant.Even though we had similar foods, they tasted different. Overall, the Margherita pizza at the Chateau had a lot of intense bold flavors and was very delicious, while the handmade pasta in Italy was very smooth, rich, and delicate. Both were winners in our books!