# What is a "nice" restaurant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [October 11, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320 "2021-10-11T20:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320/302 "2021-10-27T01:53:58Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > … Rao’s in particular are way better than Prego or whatever. It’s been speculated that there’s an Aldi version of Rao’s, the ‘[Specially Selected Premium Marinara](https://www.aldi.us/en/products/pantry-essentials/sauces-salsa/detail/ps/p/specially-selected-premium-marinara-or-vodka-pasta/).’ I recently bought a jar but haven’t tried it yet and have never had the Rao’s but, for $2.89 @24oz, it was an easy buy. I do like the [Aldi Priano marinara](https://www.aldi.us/en/products/pantry-essentials/sauces-salsa/detail/ps/p/priano-gourmet-pasta-sauces-assorted-varieties/) which clocks in even more reasonable at $1.89, also 24oz. I happened to buy both last week Friday and the receipt was still on the counter, lol. Some good discussion about the Rao’s vs Aldi here: [https://old.reddit.com/r/aldi/comments/o22a9v/protip\_aldis\_specially\_selected\_marinara\_sauce\_is/](https://old.reddit.com/r/aldi/comments/o22a9v/protip_aldis_specially_selected_marinara_sauce_is/) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320/303 "2021-10-27T12:42:16Z")
While we’re on the subject of pasta sauce in a jar, I’ve found that Shakshuka sauce sold by Kroger under their Private Selection label is a good spicy tomato sauce (it has a base of smoked chile peppers). Also good for supplementing Mrs. J.'s excellent homemade sauce\* when I feel like a little extra spicy kick. > **[Product Unavailable - Kroger](https://www.kroger.com/p/private-selection-shakshuka-sauce/0001111004238)** > > Shop our quality products to add to your Shopping List or order online for Delivery or Pickup. \*but of course only with pasta I make myself shortly before dinner and served in earthenware bowls I personally hand-fired; ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320/304 "2021-10-27T12:59:10Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Shakshuka sauce Wow. I could see myself using this if I could find it locally. Shakshouka is something I like to make on a weekend morning and convenience plays a part. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320/305 "2021-10-27T13:12:57Z")
Probably the harissa that makes it have that flavor, or so I’m guessing from the ingredients; if you like it, you can buy harissa seasoning elsewhere (Penzeys, Spicewalla) and add it to whatever you want. I’m kind of indifferent toward fresh pasta vs. dried at home. I mean, we’ve got a pasta extruder gizmo, a noodle cutter, a big bag of Antimo Caputo Semola Semolina flour, and most of the time, some kind of fancy eggs. And honestly, after all that effort, while the fresh stuff is undeniably excellent, it falls in that Pareto princple territory where it’s better, but not better _enough_ that it’s worth the effort and the dirty dishes, versus just cracking a box of some reasonably high quality dried pasta. If I’m paying someone else though… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320/306 "2021-10-27T13:30:31Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > but of course only with pasta I make myself shortly before dinner and served in earthenware bowls I personally hand-fired I will be doing this soon, but I’ve had supply issues with parts for my home-made kiln. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320/307 "2021-10-27T13:55:07Z")
Fresh pasta also benefits from very simple sauces in relatively small amounts. Super high-quality pasta matters more in, say, a Carbonara that it does if your noodles are swimming in a spicy red sauce and accompanied by huge meatballs.\* \*should not be construed as criticism against saucy meatball dishes, which the editor would happily eat for three meals a day plus second breakfast. > [@kayaker](#): > > I will be doing this soon, but I’ve had supply issues with parts for my home-made kiln. My grove of heirloom ash trees has another ten years or so before I can start harvesting wood for use in the clay oven I built from instructions engraved on an ancient Mesopotamian tablet. Then and only then will I be ready to start making my own pasta. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320/308 "2021-10-27T14:02:20Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > I just can’t think of any places in London that are _primarily_ pizza restaurants and would count as “nice.” Lovely food, not even extremely cheap, but it wouldn’t be weird to turn up in a tracksuit or working clothes, the wine menu is basically ten items if that, it’s not unusual to see kids there, the napkins are probably paper, etc, etc. I can’t think of any in America if your criteria include “deep wine list”, especially if by “ten items” you mean by the glass. Even places that style themselves a “wine bar” often don’t have 10 glasses of wine available, at least on their online menus (and as a single guy with discriminating, though not highfalutin, tastes in wine, I don’t want to commit to a whole bottle myself even though I enjoy consuming that amount of good wine). ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320/309 "2021-10-27T16:01:36Z")
Not sure what you mean by “deep wine list.” 10 different wines would be three red, three white, three rose and a sparkling or champagne wine. It’s not a long wine list. I would genuinely be amazed if it was uncommon for a nice restaurant in the US to have less than that. I mean, it’s pretty basic. Even one of the main chains here (decent food and all but it’s more towards the budget end of the market), Pizza Express, has 16 types of wine. Some pizza places don’t sell any alcohol, of course, but they tend not to be the “nice” places. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-nice-restaurant/952320.md?page=15)