No matter the case, my wife and I were given a $20 gift certificate to The Ravioli Shop and tonight we had the chance to use it.
The store is bare-bones. It consists of a counter, a few refrigerators filled with the ravioli, sauces and ice cream and a few dry racks of various pasta related sauces and oils. So long as the product was good, I don't give a hoot what the shop looks like inside. Did you ever visit the old Leo's Bakery on Atlantic? Man, that place was a dump but the pies where fantastic!
Given the $20 gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket, I went straight to the top: the lobster ravioli. 30 ravioli per box. $20 per box. I picked up the marinara sauce and headed to the counter. Upon glancing at my choices, the cashier insisted I put the marinara back and go with their "famous" vodka sauce. Needless to say, that's just what I did. I love getting suggestions from people who serve/make food for a living and when someone cares enough to genuinely make a recommendation, I'm going to follow it.
So I grabbed the vodka sauce and proceeded to pay $2.30 cash for my soon-to-be meal. I rushed home and demanded to be involved in each step of the ravioli making process. These had to be done just as the cashier had said: "Drop 'em in boiling water, start the timer and remove after 8 minutes." Difficult, I know, but that's just what I did. You just don't, pardon my language, fuck with lobster. If the guy that inserts the lobster in the pasta says 8 minutes, don't leave it in there a goddamn minute more.
After 8 minutes of pensive waiting and occasional stirring, I gleefully poured the ravioli into the strainer and basked in the smell of cooked lobster steam. You know that smell. Almost sweet and buttery. These raviolis had it and I couldn't wait to dig in.
My wife spooned the vodka sauce over the ravioli and removed the garlic bread from the oven. The moment had arrived. $20 worth of lobster ravioli about to go down. First bite..
The sauce hit's my palette and I immediately deem it delicious. I sink my teeth into the luscious ravioli and hit lobster. Huh? I drop the next bite in. This is surprisingly dry for just coming out of a pot of water. I hate to say it, but I was disappointed. My expectations weren't met.
The lobster filling was very dry and not, well, lobstery. The sauce made the dish. Sure, I downed my entire plate. And, truthfully, it wasn't all that bad. Was it worth $20? Not in my mind. The flavor just didn't remind me of lobster.
But Jesse, you're shouting, there were certainly other ingredients in the ravioli that altered the taste of the lobster. I agree. But they didn't enhance the flavor or even allow it exist. In fact, those additives barely registered. Maybe my expectations were too high but when you pay $20 for a box of 30 ravioli, you should have high hopes. That's serious dough these days!
As I said earlier, I finished my meal and I enjoyed it. Was it ungodly delicious? No. The sauce was, indeed, very good and I would make a special stop for it. Would I go back for the ravioli? Sure! But I think I would go for a less ambitious selection.
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