An Evening at Rao's...sorta

For those of you who haven't heard of Rao's, my understanding is that this is the quintessential New York Italian restaurant, formerly frequented by the connected and now the occasional celebrity, you can't get a seat at this place.  Really.  The demand for this place over the years is such that if you're one of the lucky ones, you have a night, a time, and a table, and whether or not you eat there, you're paying for a meal.  Rumor has it, Dick Schaap passed up a Monday Night Football gig years back because it conflicted with his weekly reservation at Rao's.  Needless to say, I want to eat there.  But for now, this will have to do.

To start...

Pasta

And the meal