Taste & Travel: The Red Light Restaurant

I walked home on Thursday. That means its time for another installment of my unfinished series on walking home. I only have 3 left so I promise to finish them before I leave Italy.
Let me tell you about a favorite restaurant of ours. Its near our apartment and I also pass it when I'm walking home. Its a nice little pizzeria, but the reason I like it so much is because of the red lights! The official name of the restaurant is Pizzeria Gaudi, but we just call it The Red Light Restaurant.

Let me explain the red lights. Each table has a number and a light over the table. Above the regular light for the table, is a small, red light bulb with a switch hanging down within reach. The way the restaurant works is when you're ready to order, or you need the waiter for any reason, you turn the red light on. Its so simple, its ingenious! I love it!! The first time I visited this place, I was amazed at how amazing this idea was and how efficiently the restaurant worked. The waiter doesn't have to stop by your table 200 times per night asking how everything is. And, you don't have to wait for the waiter to see you so you can order or ask for another drink or get the check. They have far fewer waiters than any other restaurant of the same size would have because all the waiters have to do is stand to the side and respond to red lights. It really is an excellent idea and I'm surprised more establishments haven't picked up on it. It makes so much sense.

We've taken all our visitors to Gaudi and we often go with friends or just by ourselves. They have a brick pizza oven in the middle of the restaurant and you can watch the chefs preparing the pizzas. They also have a small selection of good pastas and grilled meats. Its one of my favorite restaurants in all of Italy and the red light idea is simply brilliant! I promise to take you all to the Red Light Restaurant if you're ever in Rome (when I'm here).

a.k.a. The Red Light Restaurant