Cam Guendner ’30
Contributing Writer
Italian food has been a staple of the American dining scene ever since the first Italian immigrants stepped foot on Ellis Island. But what makes it so special? Throughout our history, millions of immigrants have traveled from all over the world to America looking for the American dream. These newcomers carry two things: the clothes on their backs and beloved recipes from their homeland. The modern culinary landscape of America is built on the shoulders of those who brought their native food across the pond for all to enjoy. Although many arrived at the same time and used very similar ingredients in making the food that we enjoy, in terms of cuisine commodification, the Italian migrant community in particular have gained the upper hand in the past half century. This surge isn’t spurred by cultural or flavor supremacy; it’s merely the aura surrounding “high-end” dining and the diligent preparation of the food itself.
On any given day, one can make their way to Park Street and indulge in a variety of traditional Puerto Rican, Colombian or Peruvian dishes at a genuinely affordable price point. These dishes would be impossible for me to master in my own kitchen; the ingredients and complex techniques are foreign to me, so I opt to let the professionals do the cooking.
In contrast, if I drive ten blocks into West Hartford or even Franklin Avenue in the South End, I am still eating authentic food, yet I must sometimes apply for a small loan just to order an appetizer. Why is this so? I am eating less food for $80 more. Is this because my fettucini alfredo is served beside candlelight? I understand the lure of the elegant plate presentation and smooth jazz playing in the background, but those who look past this bourgeois facade can see the truth: small portions of pasta drawing strained parallels to their mother’s home-cooked dishes.
Pasta has been around since the dawn of time for two reasons: it’s easy to make and it’s cheap. It has been a staple of survival and was a favorite during the early arrival of poor Italian immigrants to America and during the Great Depression, It was a lifeline, a plentiful carb that would fill a family’s table and the stomachs of those who did not know when their next meal would be — but now, it is a delicacy. How can the world’s cheapest food also be the catalyst of the most expensive night on the town?
Pasta consists of two ingredients: flour and eggs. So why does it cost so much? It is in part due to labor costs. It can take over a day for some restaurants to make their authentic pasta “in house.” Some establishments rely on a single employee whose sole job is to continue dough production around the clock. It takes maybe an hour to prepare pasta in my household. I am not a professional chef of any sort, but if they want to cut down on prep time I’d suggest Treva in West Hartford send me a job application. Now this may not be true for every Italian restaurant, but if ‘high quality’ food continues to be associated with high prices and more restaurants attempt to maximize profit by utilizing this capitalistic consensus, soon enough restaurants will be striving to capture consumer surplus and, as a result, the standard chicken parm will be 30 dollars.
And it’s not just preparation, the uber expensive experience at Italian restaurants is driven by ambiance. Birthdays, baby showers, proposals, anniversaries and graduations are all on the long list of events that people like to celebrate at Italian restaurants. Though I would rather spend these milestones from the comfort of my own home, the American cuisine machine has forced our brains to believe we must eat spaghetti and meatballs when there is a significant occasion. It seems as if new Italian restaurants are popping up left and right, catering more to the corporate greed of the food industry and less to the local family-owned shops you see in Boston’s North End or NYC’s Little Italy.
I don’t mind a nice Italian meal every once in a while. I respect the hard working and talented chefs at these establishments. It is just mind-boggling that a food that was once a staple of the poor American population has grown to become one of the most expensive and opulent food options on the market. Perhaps I am fueled by deep-rooted Irish jealousy. The fact that the Irish immigrated in mass numbers 40 years before the Italians and somehow couldn’t find a way to penetrate the market and commercialize boiled cabbage and potatoes is disheartening. Italian food is undeniably delicious, but the exorbitant economics of modern Italian restaurants is paradoxical.