LaStrada: Best Italian restaurant nobody knows about

[epilonious]

This is probably one of the nicest cozy italian restaurants I've ever been to. It's also one of those places that people don't know very well, so it's perfect for comfy dates or finding a spot on the weekends when all the chains-that-are-not-chains (Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, Chili's) tend to fill up. The food is definitely better than the other places, and a tad cheaper too.

The problem is.... Geoff and I keep forgetting it exists (and, as you will see below, I have trouble calling it "LaStrada" instead of "LaFonte"... a fauxtalian eatery on Duke premesis that delivered on food-points). This really should be the place we take EVERYBODY. Friends, parents, Jamie-Chan's, Siblings... whenever they are in town and go "whereyawannagofordinner" we should just pipe up "LaStrada"! Unfortunately, we seem to forget about it and suggest a chain instead... I blame advertizing. I mean, logically, I think we should only forgo LaStrada if we've over-sampled italian or had gone to LaStrada too much that month.

Another fun side effect of LaStrada not being too well known is that it wont be jam-packed on days like valentines day.

The food there is good, it ranges from "authentic Italian" to "americanized Italian"... this basically means read the menu carefully, and if it doesn't look familiar or particularly appetizing, then don't get it. I loved the ravioli and the manicotti. The fish dishes are exquisite, and the exquisite lasagna is "cat-sized" as my friend Yang would say. I had a sort of bad experience with the seafood pasta which was in a "white wine sauce" which, to me, was pasta soup with really good bits of seafood you could nosh on. BelfryExpress had this dish however and loved it. So I dont think of this as the kitchen's fault as much as my own. I am just too much of a fan of tomato-and-cream-based sauces and get dissappointed when my Italian food isn't coated in them.

I hope I remember this the next time we have cool guests.

[araken]

The name of the restaurant's "La Strada". "La Fonte" was the Italian place near East Campus at Duke that delivered several different kinds of subs that all looked suspiciously like their Meatball Sub.

I'd also recommend La Strada's veal or chicken parm, but then, I recommend practically every place's veal or chicken parm...

[epilonious]

The name of the restaurant's "La Strada". "La Fonte" was the Italian place near East Campus at Duke that delivered several different kinds of subs that all looked suspiciously like their Meatball Sub.

I'd also recommend La Strada's veal or chicken parm, but then, I recommend practically every place's veal or chicken parm...

Updated the entry

I think I am way to susceptible to advertizing. I mean, LaFonte ads were ALL over campus demanding I get one of their meat-containing subs. Then I think: I think Plastic Jewelry is cool, I lust after small efficient hatchbacks, and I love squeaky dance music and old-school girl-rap. Not only am I susceptible to advertizing, but I retain a deep-seated desire for all the shit that was hocked to 20-somethings in the late 80's early 90's.

God help me.