March-April 2018 Issue of Inside Northside Magazine

Comparison Number One. If Tony Angello’s were still around and served mussels, they wouldn’t be as good as Fausto’s, because of the saucy marinara’s contribution. Tony’s food was much admired because there were many straight New Orleans flavors on his menu. Things like gumbo and oysters Bienville, along with eggplant Tina, like lasagna, the eggplant replacing pasta.

Comparison Number Two: Pascal’s Manale has the best fancy oyster dishes (and great raw ones, too) in addition to its more famous barbecue shrimp. But Fausto’s has them beat on the veal and chicken dishes and on the predominantly pasta piles. Fausto’s wide spread of variety in those two areas is fascinating.

Best examples: veal saltimbocca and the irresistible arancini, which may be the best Sicilian dish of them all.

Comparison Number Three: Andrea’s takes this another step forward by having seafood and major steaks and chops, all of which are filleted or butchered in house. The funny thing is that the Italian basics—pasta and red sauce being the most familiar—are just okay at Andrea’s.

Comparison Number Four: Impastato’s has everybody beat in the serving of basic pasta. Its best shot is fettuccine Alfredo, the noodles for which are made in house with a thinness that results in a fantastic flavor release. Fausto’s fettuccine pasta is a little too thick for my tastes. They make up for that with their sauces and other pasta shapes, particularly dishes like cannelloni.

Comparison Number Five. Fausto’s is in a close tie with Vincent’s in the making of cannelloni. But then Vincent’s is a decidedly Sicilian-New Orleans Italian place, with dishes like crawfish bisque and blackened tuna. Which is my whole point.

Comparison Number Six is self- >> March-April 2018 53