Get your own food! It's delicious! :)

Tonight, we went to Vapiano. This is a fairly new restaurant in the theater district, and my parents were dying to take us there. It's SO much fun! The premise of the place is a bit unorthodox. When you walk in, you are handed a "credit card," which is how you pay for each piece of your meal. You sit wherever you'd like, and there are stations where you can pick up parts of your meal, such as salads, pastas, and pizzas. There's also a full bar, where you can pick your poison: wine, beer, AND cocktails. (I recommend the Sparkling Grapefruit Cocktail: Absolut Pears, Patron, Prosecco and cranberry juice.)

Now, I know you're saying...so, it's cafeteria-style? Yes, it IS cafeteria-style...but it's most definitely not cafeteria-style food! It's amazing!

The salads are large, and chock full of all the things the menu claims will be there, and when you ask for dressing...you get just enough. It's not over-dressed, over-tossed or over-saturated...it's JUST right! I had the Petite Mista salad, a small version of the option that boasts cherry tomatoes, radishes, mushrooms, arugula, carrots, red and green onions, zucchini, cucumbers, Mozzarella and Parmesan. Wow, when they say "petite," they don't mean it! My salad was a great size for a starter! I had the Arugula Mustard dressing, which was delicious.

We then approached the pasta counter, where there were two chefs, awaiting our requests. They could each make two dishes at a time, so my mom went to one and I went to the other. My pasta chef was a very pleasant young man who kept up conversation while making two meals in front of my eyes! Impressive! I had the Granchi de Fiume, which includes Crayfish, Lobster Sauce, and Fresh Vegetables. (have I mentioned that I'm a sucker for anything with lobster in it? - don't worry, you'll see!)   You are able to choose what type of pasta you want, and let me tell you...they are ALL fresh! I mentioned in an earlier post that I make fresh pasta, and prefer it to most dried...well, it's hard to find fresh pasta in a NORTH END restaurant, let alone a casual place such as this. The pasta is incredibly fresh, cooks quickly, and tastes delicious. The sauce was fantastic, and what I liked most about it: there was none left when I finished my plate. No soup-y sauce with little pieces of noodles swimming in it...the dish was sauced perfectly...just enough to flavor the noodles without any excess to drown the leftovers.



Each meal was served with a healthy portion of fresh, hot, just-out-of-the-oven bread, too! And not ONE thing on that menu is over $12.95...unless you count the Veuve Clicquot. When you are done with your meal, just head to the counter to cash out your "credit card" and get your bill.

What a fantastic low-key night out! Thanks Mom and Dad! :)

Vapiano's can be found at 191 Stuart Street, in Boston. For more locations, you can check their website at http://www.vapianointernational.com/vapiano/cms/. If you decide to try it, leave me a comment! Let me know what you had, and how you felt about it! Next time we go (and there will definitely be a next time) I will try someone else's recommendation!