Daniel Whitmire

Professor Arnold
UWRT 1101-051
30 September 2014
Restaurant Review
Here in Charlotte, as in most blooming cities, the wealthy live in hi-rise apartments, dine
unimaginatively, and tenaciously transform everything that conflicts with their lifestyle. Thats
why curiosities like Vapiano--lively, quixotic, and unpredictable---must be cherished all the
more. Vapiano, in uptown Charlotte, opened in late spring 2011 in a new space on North Tryon
Street. When I arrived for my first visit, in September, I noticed that the restaurant was
incredibly large with lots of hustle and bustle going about as the customers freely walked around
on the floor. Im not calling this a tip off, but it doesnt demonstrate seriousness of purpose,
either. The outdoor dining space still remains open for the moment, soon to be ravaged by the
pitiless winter that soon approaches. I peered over towards the bar area, and then to the main
dining area. There were ruby red leather seats that occupied the space around the bar for those
seeking more of a light dinner inclusive of alcohol and deserts while the other area consisted of
high tan stools and benches tucked underneath the tables. Though this isnt the Italian dcor like
I had experienced in Italy, it was comfortable and inviting. Upon approaching the hostess in the
foyer, I was handed a piece of plastic; which resembled a credit card in shape and size. From this
you can pay for your meal by swiping the card over the card reader at the different stations set
up, whether you want to dine on pasta, pizza, or perhaps a light salad garnished with meat of
your choice. The menu seemed to promise what we call American Italian food which means
something from everywhere, and these days, anywhere that has pasta with sauce. As I
approached the counter and chef on the side of the restaurant, which specializes in each dish, I
ordered the sausage and peppers rustica with a side Caesar salad. On a note about the pastas,
Vapiano has their own noodle room in which all of their noodles are hand made from scratch;
and when ordering pasta, you can choose the certain type of noodle that would go best your
sauce and other mixed in ingredients. My companion had gone to the pizza station in hopes of
obtaining a calzone. Once we received our meals from the independent chefs, we sat down at a
table of our choosing since there are no waiters to seat you, or bring out the cuisine. The pasta
was served in a moderate bowl showered in parsley and freshly grated Romano cheese. My
guests calzone stuffed with various meats and cheeses which was served on a platter dish that
looked rather daunting, perhaps best taken home, disassembled, and eaten in a civilized manner
with the accompanying marinara sauce. An odd, yet fascinating part of our time there was that
there was a garden of sorts in the middle of the restaurant, which harbored different herbs in pots
that the customers could pick off, and add to their entre. In all, the entres were spectacular.
Noodles, sauces, bread, and all other additional toppings such as the sausage and vegetables were
cooked in such a manner that neither Olive Garden nor Carrabbas could possibly compete. Even
with the ineligibility to drink wine, there was a substantial list of imported wines from Italy such
as Brunello to accompany each dish offered. As for the second and final course, I swiped my
card at the desert bar for a slice of cheesecake topped with a strawberry sauce, and a crme
brulee that was adorn with brown sugar and cinnamon on top. Both were completely out of this
world rich, but the cheesecake had the same problem that the calzone had; it was entirely too big.
Having said that Vapiano belongs to the genre of American Italian food, I think its a little more
fascinating and ambitious than that. It should be taken for what it is, an odd place with odd
proportion and odd service, but thankfully not ordinary at all.