At Jamie's Italian a massive amount of emphasis is placed on knowledge.  All our front of house staff are tested regularly on all aspects of the menu so that they can knowledgeably and genuinely enthuse about the dishes they serve.  We do this by holding regular food passion sessions which focus on individual dishes on the menu split into anti pasti, pasta, mains, sides and desserts.
It's 9am on a wet Wednesday morning and it's pasta time!  The thought of Prawn Linguine or Wild Truffle Tagliatelle for breakfast is not something that I'm relishing but, spoon in hand, I take my place among the waiting, bar and reception staff at Jamie's Italian in Oxford.
Davide Bargione the head chef is from Sicily but he's been living and working in the UK for the past 10 years.  His knowledge about Italian food and food culture is second to none and he certainly commands an audience.  He begins by telling everyone about the pasta.  Jamie's Italian is the only high street restaurant which makes all of its pasta fresh everyday on site, in full view of the public.  It's one more thing which makes us stand out from the crowd he explains.  Doppio Zero flour (the finest there is), beautiful free range eggs, semolina and lots of love (the most important ingredient of all) goes into every piece of pasta and you CAN taste the difference!
One by one the dishes reach the table - Turbo Fusilli Arrabiatta meaning 'angry' and made all the more so by a dusting of chopped Scotch bonnet chilles on the top, Monachelle Puttanesca with capers, anchovies and parsley (this one prompts a heated debate about whether the anchovies can be tasted), Prawn Linguine - hands down the most popular dish among customers and, judging by the speed it's polished off around the table, also the team!  The unusual Scallop and Squid ink angel hair pasta is next - another debate follows as to whether people recommend this over the Prawn Linguine.  Wild Truffle Tagliatelle is a dish people generally love or hate - similar to the marmite effect - you certainly smell it before it arrives at the table!  The smell is so pungent that apparantly truffles were banned in Medieval England for being the work of the devil!  We learn that this is a dish that Jamie specifically wanted on the menu (despite the fact that truffles are very expensive) so that people could really experiment with tasting something they were unlikely to be able to get anywhere else at the price we offer it.
Dish after glorious dish they pack a punch with the abundance of chilli and garlic really turning some faces flushed.  Following behing them is the un-assuming baby brother of them all - the lovely Buffalo Ricotta Ravioli.  This dish is made with creamed ricotta, lemon, mint and Parmesan and really challenges your taste buds after the big flavours of the previous dishes.  "It tastes like lemon cheesecake" somebody says.  It does - in a strangely normal way.  It confuses you with the sweetness of the lemon and the freshness of the mint but it's simple, and mild and beautiful!  This dish for me embodies everything that Jamie's Italian menu stands for; simple, clever use of fresh ingredients to create something unique and delicious.
Everyone agrees that despite the early start it's a morning well spent.  Nothing sums up Jamie's Italian like a gathering of people round a table talking about and sharing pasta.

Sarah Stephenson
Recruitment & Communication