Houstonist: Houstonist Bites: Raia's Italian Market

ward

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:28:05 -0600

@neverfull Fair enough. It's tough to tell the difference between a chef exercising their culinary creativity and shameless pandering. Certainly it could be a warning sign, but it's hard to tell for sure without talking to the chef or trying the dish.

neverfull

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:30:35 -0600

@ ward - i think the cajun items undermine the authenticity of the place. makes the kitchen seem like they would rather appeal to middle america (go the olive garden and macaroni grill route) than make it like grandma did in italy in the old world. maybe raia's grandma was an italian transplant that moved to louisiana. if that's the case, i'd like to know b/c maybe i'd actually order something they want to call a cajun pizza.

ward

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:47:45 -0600

The criticism of the cajun items seems a bit silly. Mufaletta ingredients are relatively Italian and it seems that would fit fine on the menu. The other two items are just different takes on Italian pizza and pasta. Judge whether the dishes fit in by taste, not by name. Sometimes seemingly incongruous items are a great addition to a menu.