Italian food allows you to indulge your senses in a symphony of flavors as the aroma of freshly baked focaccia dances through the air and the rich, velvety tomato slices tantalize your taste buds. Hyper-modern Italian food is highly repetitive, with nothing on the menu even slightly outstanding. The underwhelming minced meat and tomato sauce and the ignorance shown by many “Italian” restaurant owners pain me.

Salumeria Roscioli is unique, in a way, with numerous locally fostered ingredients that “[push] the parameters of tradition.” A menu with Japanese wine, Indian cocktails, and perhaps even Spanish anchovies. The connections built on this restaurant are also heavily emphasized, spreading unparalleled success throughout Italy and soon into The Big Apple.

Accessibility is imperative to any successful food chain, be it expanding internationally or locally. However, in this day and age, social media presence is also essential in developing any brand. I first learned about them in Beijing (that’s 5,000 miles between us) when they posted their whipped cream buns online.

It's hard to understate the effect of Italian food on the rest of the world, influencing culture and tradition, constantly adapting to its environments, and branching off into numerous genres and tastes. Who knows? Maybe you’ll feel inspired or enlightened to make your own restaurant!