Wednesday, the management team of which I am a member went out to lunch as we frequently do; this time we chose La Strada in an effort to eat through East Fourth Street.
It was a cold, gray day in Cleveland (as it sometimes is) and by the time we got there (four blocks to East Fourth) and opened the doors, our frozen senses were assaulted by the warm smell of food. I couldn't tell if it was baking bread, roasting meat or what; it was only very clear that it involved food and fire.
The hostess was also our waitress (or maybe our waitress was also the hostess) but did not fill our glasses. The interior was dimly lit, there was a loud-ish rushing air noise and the table wobbled. These, however, were the only things that diminished the experience. Except for perhaps the prices. (I must confess I much prefer an $7-$9 business lunch (or even less)—call me cheap.) On the other hand, my water glass was never empty.
After hearing the specials and being sorely tempted by clams, I settled on the first item that caught my eye on the menu: Pesto Omar for $11 (lunch price). Described as an "errorless dish", it was simplicity defined and yet very pleasing. From La Dolce Vita (La Strada's sister restaurant) website: "a blend of fresh basil, walnuts and pine nuts, parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil..."
I am fascinated with the Italian ability to create pasta in a multitude of shapes, sizes, purposes, etc. Almost like watching an Eskimo name snow. The pasta chosen for this dish was perfectly matched for catching the pesto in its many crevasses.
Errorless. Perfection. Whichever, one won't get an argument out of me. It may not be fair to rate a restaurant by a single, simple dish, but La Strada gets the "come back with my wife" rating. Come to think of it, that's probably my highest rating. I'll let you know.
