A few months ago, I was asked to do menu development for a client. When I read the menu, the most egregious dish was a grilled chicken “carbonara” with a rosemary cream sauce. I didn’t have enough space in my eye sockets for a sufficient eyeroll.
When I relayed this crime to Anthony Pepe, chef at DeMarco’s Italian, he made an exaggerated stabbing motion to his heart.
“Why would they do that? Pasta carbonara is one of those Italian pastas perfect in its simplicity,” he said. “No negotiations. Just follow a few time-honored steps and you have a wonderful dish.”…