Some Italian restaurants seem to serve mostly pasta, but I have found some other choices. The nicer ones here do offer meals that aren't all about pasta. I have been to a couple that offer gluten free pasta, and a couple that offered salmon as a main course. One of the Italian chain restaurants here offers something called spiedini, which is skewers with meat, served with roasted potatoes and vegetables. They also serve a roasted chicken with vegetables and potatoes. Many of the pasta dishes are pretty sparse with the protein, but there are others that offer more meat and the meat is served on a bed of pasta, so you could order something like that and ask for it without the pasta. You might have to supply your own brown. I have also seen a dish that has beans (pulses, not green beans), greens and sausage at an Italian restaurant. Perhaps you could get your brown in a soup - they often have soups with beans.

Once you've seen the menu, I'd love to hear about what solution you came up with.
Allison

: I love love hearing about
: celebrations whether it be
: Christmas, Hannukah, any festival
: of Light., loved your tale made me
: all christmassy

: Friend of mine honours her family
: tradition and does it all
: Christmas Eve. with presents in
: shoes. Love the handing-down of
: that

: In my family the men are all
: "Humbug" and don't care
: that much ( although they are
: traditional about the importance
: of gathering together and love a
: Christmas dinner) So DD and I,
: well, we have to go to town to
: make up for it, the tree is up,
: the fairy lights are on, and all
: the christmas treasures are
: unpacked and reminisced over

: Ive been crafting some stuff that has
: given me great pleasure and
: satisfaction. I also love to cook
: and there are several things, the
: New traditions I say - but they
: have been New for at least 12
: years now the special sweet
: potato stuffing, the ham dinner,
: the baked risotto, roast lamb
: Boxing Day - that sort of thing.
: Mums crystal candlesticks on the
: table... silly crackers, Christmas
: eve tea with garlic prawns and
: skewers of chicken and satay sauce
: and obviously, turkey sandwich.
: Can not wait !

: otherwise we are very quiet in the
: run up to the day ! I am hosting
: one very informal dinner with a
: deliberately chosen trouble free
: menu. All the food shopping will
: be mostly delivered ( wonderful
: supermarkets we have!!)

:

: challenges coming up that you
: :

: yes please!

: as often happens here, my "works
: do " is going to be in
: January or Feb, as everyone is
: busy in Dec They have decided it
: will be at the Italian restaurant.
: I shall be getting the menu in
: advance from there but
: Italian is a bit of a mystery to
: me. I am not a bit knowledgeable.
: Last time I had Italian I chose a
: trout with sage, which was
: delicious but a bit tiny So
: for a non pasta/rice/ pizza of any
: sort person like me, good hearty
: Italian options ??