A group of 4 friends and I attended the PIGNETO FOOD MARKET hosted by COHOUSE PIGNETO on Sunday afternoon. Despite the amazing pictures and descriptions of international foods and seasonal produce posted on their facebook page, it was a HUGE disappointment.
THE SCENE:
There were four stands set up in the lounge area and which were reminiscent of something that a 4 year-old would set up as their lemonade stand. Even though it was described as ethnic food, authentic and seasonal I can't even begin to describe the level of disappointment I felt when I realized that the Mexican food stand was supplied with typical grocery store jars of Old El Paso salsa and packs of industrial flour taco shells. The nachos were a pile of doritos without cheese and lightly covered with a dallop of jarred guacamole.
THE FOOD:
We opted instead for sushi (four tiny pieces for 5 euros on a paper plate and rolled in crushed nacho chips), a "typical" ethiopian dish with sponge bread, meat and two pieces of overcooked squishy "roasted" vegetables for 6 (ok but also teeny tiny and served very cold), a terrible plate of three dumplings which were also cold and flavorless for 3 euros. The chicken curry was four small bites of meat without sauce and when my friend asked where the curry sauce was, the guy behind the stand poured a spoonful of oil on top of the dish.
VALUE AND SERVICE:
Not only do they charge 5 euros for the membership card (very typical of so-called centro sociali in rome but this membership apparently isn't even valid for the regular hours of COHOUSE PIGNETO) but overall the value was nill and the food was sub-par at best, incredibly overpriced though I don't think that a lower price point would have changed the dissatisfaction I was left with. Instead of allowing you to order and pay in cash or by card, they make you line up and buy tokens which cannot be refunded if you don't use them, only "saved for the next food market" which is irregularly scheduled on random Sundays. These tokens are also not valid on any other day that the COHOUSE is open.
The ladies at the registration desk were, let's say, unfriendly and pushy. The bar staff gave us looks like they were doing us a favor for pouring liquids in a glass and as we wandered through the crowd it was clear that those in attendance were more there to be seen and not for a culinary experience.
Consider that the four of us paid 20 euros just to get in and that money would have been much better spent on a real meal with drinks and decent sized, tasty food.
It all tasted like someone opened a bunch of dry store cans of sauces, lopped them onto a plate and decided to call it ethnic. Even though you use a so-called Mexican jar of salsa you bought at the grocery store, you can not do the disservice of calling the "dishes" Mexican.
I will never go back to this place - to think that for three weeks I looked forward to going to the PIGNETO FOOD MARKET for some good Mexican dishes. I think Taco Bell could be considered more authentically Mexican than this. read more
