My mom was full of … surprises. She taught us kids a lot of useful things like how to tie our shoes, how to read, and how to address the Queen, should she ever come calling.

She also told us that spaghetti grew on trees. I was dubious, but when we visited the Old Spaghetti Factory in Vancouver, they had a photograph of women harvesting the long strands from trees…

Who knew? If my mother had had access to YouTube, she would have removed any lingering doubts we may have had by making us watch this now-famous BBC documentary about the spaghetti harvest.

The whole ‘spaghetti grows on trees’ story wasn’t the only not-quite-accurate information she shared. When it came to spaghetti-eating, my mother was adamant that the only right way to consume stringy pasta was with a spoon and fork. She drilled us about not taking too many strands of spaghetti onto our spoons at one time so that when we rolled up the spaghetti (by pressing the tines of the fork into the bowl of the spoon and then twiddling the fork) we didn’t wind up with a bundle of spaghetti too big to fit in our mouths. 

We had practice sessions and were made to do it properly. This lesson was right up there along with always saying please and thank you, keeping our elbows off the table, clearing our plates when we left were finished, and not leaving the table before we asked permission. 

Mother Knows Best - Or, Does She?

I accepted all this as gospel until I moved in with a bona fide Italian who took one look at my two-handed spaghetti rolling skills and shook his head. “Italians don’t eat spaghetti like that.”

Wait, what? My mother was wrong about something like this? It hardly seemed possible. 

I did a little research and while it’s true that most restaurants provide a spoon and fork for pasta patrons and none other than Emily Post declared that both were necessary for acceptable spaghetti consumption, in fact, Italian kids learn to twirl their spaghetti without the help of a spoon.

Well. I. Never. 

When in Doubt, Ask an Expert

Still in denial that this could be true despite mounting evidence to the contrary, I chatted with Nick, a nine-year veteran of the Old Spaghetti Factory (the Banff location) to see what he had to say on the matter. “I’d say about 2/3 of the customers don’t use a spoon.” 

I was astonished. No spoon assistance at all? Nope. Though Nick did say that some customers “…may use a knife to cut off a stray strand.” 

A knife? That hadn’t even entered my mind as being a possible solution. Back at home, my mother insisted that nobody over the age of four should have their spaghetti cut up for them. It was a rite of passage to graduate from an adult cutting our pasta for us to being handed a fork and spoon and being taught the ‘proper’ way to do things. 

Don’t Believe the Expert? Ask Google

Except, apparently, it isn’t! Further research revealed that in Italy, only very young children and hopeless people (and tourists) use spoons. 

Not that you will be made to feel bad if you go to the Old Spaghetti Factory and ask for a spoon. “As long as our customers are enjoying their meals, it doesn’t matter,” Nick says. “It’s a matter of personal preference.”

As for Nick, he avoids the prickly issue altogether by avoiding spaghetti. “I prefer shorter pasta - penne or tortellini.” 

However you choose to get your spaghetti strands to your mouth (or if, like Nick, you prefer your pasta on the short side), you’ll find lots of options on offer at Victoria restaurants. I’ve listed a few below to get you started.

Old Spaghetti Factory
703 Douglas Street
A family favourite for decades, come for the pasta and stay for the spumoni!

Can’t decide what kind of sauce to go with your spaghetti? Check out the Pot-Pourri Spaghetti with Meat, Mushroom and Clam Sauce - it’s a sampler for the undecided and includes generous portions of the Old Spaghetti Factory’s most popular sauces.

Il Terrazzo
537 Johnson Street
There’s a reason Il Terrazzo has been consistently named the best Italian restaurant in Victoria. The place serves great food and the ambience just can’t be beaten!

Take your pasta tasting up a notch with their Spaghettini con Capesante served with seared scallops, mushrooms, smoked bacon, leeks, fresh lemon and cream.

Pagliacci’s
1011 Broad St

The bustle and energy at Pagliacci's is a given, as is the line to get in for lunch and dinner. This longtime Victoria institution, serves fresh, delicious and fun Italian fare that is a favourite among Victoria’s locals. 

Just reading the menu at Pagliacci’s is fun, in fact. Take the Spaghetti Western description:

Spicy meatballs & linguine in tomato sauce with parmesan “You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.” -Eli Wallach as Tuco in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

See what I mean?

Zambri’s
820 Yates Street

Zambri’s is about a whole lot more than just a helping of spaghetti. This great Italian restaurant focuses on the whole experience and has set the stage to sit and enjoy a Prosecco from their impressive wine list. Paired that Prosecco with a new dish or an old favourite.

If you love tuna as much as I do, you might want to give their Spaghetti alla putanesca a try. Tuna, olives, capers, anchovy, and tomato sauce add something rather special to a spaghetti meal.

For a more comprehensive list of Victoria restaurants and their full menus, have a browse through our online menu blog.