In Search of the Middle

HIGH ITALIAN

You would think that with a denomination as small as The Episcopalians (just under 2 million), that there would not be much division within.  But, not including the social issue disputes, there are different approaches to worship styles, partly due to the church's Anglican roots, which connects to both the Catholic faith, and Protestants.  Thus, the terms "high church" and "low church".

High Church refers to a more ritualistic, structured form of service, one that very closely follow the Catholic Church.  They use an older Book of Common Prayer (1928 edition), and the priests may be more dressed up and slightly more distant.  Low Church is little more Protestant in nature, with more flexibility in service structure, a more modern prayer book, less pomp, and reverends a bit more accessible.

The faith and message is the same.  The variation is only in how the service is conducted.  It's all good.  Offering alternative styles just brings more of God's children to the table.  I find the worship style that I like best is a blending of the two, and I am grateful to have a parish where that is so.

This high and low concept can be applied to other things.  It is not an aspersion or a negative, but merely a description as to structure and aiming at different tastes. And so this is how I've come to think of Italian restaurants (wow!  I betcha didn't think that's where I was going with this!).

I love Italian restaurant, all kinds, but they do have their differences.

High Italian are the fanciest ones, where reservations may be required, and wine is very prominent (the wine list may be longer than the entree list).  There is more ambiance, with pretty tablecloths, attentive waiters, and romantic music. The dishes are more sophisticated, and more true to Mediterranean culture.  The use of cheese is not as extensive as with other types of Italian restaurants.  This kinda dampens my enthusiasm, as I am a certified cheeseaholic.

Low Italian focuses almost entirely on pizza, although there  may be a few other choices.  Emphasis is on take out and delivery, and there is none or very little seating at the actual location.  The  food served can range from the extraordinary to the banal.  They are focused on speed and accuracy.  

But wait!  There's more!  There are finer gradations than just low and high! 

High middle Italian. has slightly less ambiance than high, and with a more American view of Italian food.  There may be a take out element, but most of it is still served at the restaurant.  They try to turn over the traffic at a quicker rate.  There may be wine, but it's not the focus.  One chain of this style of restaurants specializes in all you can eat salad and bread sticks. 

Low middle Italian still centers on pizza, but the variety is a bit wider.  There is take out and delivery, but there are also places to sit in the restaurant.  Many of these type of restaurants feature a buffet, with a constant stream of new pizzas being set out. I love these buffets, but they are not good for my figure, nor do they reflect well on my maturity.  Three hours after coming in, I am wheeled out with unbuttoned pants, and in a semi-catatonic state.

But, like church, what I like best is the middle.  They have pizza and calzones and Strombolis, pastas and sandwiches, cheese-sticks and  desserts.  Take out and delivery exist, but they also have a lively in-house trade. Prices are not dirt-cheap, but they are relationally affordable  compared to other mid-range restaurants. Like me, they believe in the power of cheese.  When we visit other areas, I search them out, using google-powered radar.

Where I live, sadly, had, until recently, been bereft of middle Italian.  Some places struggled with it, but didn't quite hit the mark.  Happily, all that's changed! A new middle Italian place has opened up near me! We are still exploring the menu, figuring out the best things to order.  And believe me, there is a lot of fun in the exploration!

I will be there as often as my budget and family allow.

Here's to the middle!  Fantastico!