If you pine for pastas, a plethora awaits

If you haven’t experimented much with various cuts of pasta, you may be surprised at how much a cut can affect how well a sauce adheres to the pasta, or how well a specific cut can complement ingredients of a certain size or texture. Taste of the Town reader Terra Drynan-Werder is looking for bucatini – long tubes that are hollow inside – and fellow readers have some leads for her.

Dan Renga emailed that he had just purchased 5 pounds of bucatini at Albertsons at 5500 Boulder Highway and had found the identical perciatelli at Smith’s at 4600 E. Sunset Road in Henderson. Both, he added, were store brands. Libby Casolari found bucatini at Glazier’s Food Marketplace at 8525 W. Warm Springs Road, and Mamie Glorioso found it at Cost Plus World Market at 2151 N. Rainbow Blvd.; there’s another Cost Plus at 3890 Blue Diamond Road. …

For Donald Daum, who’s looking for fresh or frozen calamari steaks, Janet Clark faxed that she found them at Smith’s at 830 S. Boulder Highway in Henderson (her advice: ask the meat manager to order for you). Jan Visser and Lisa Rubin recommended Whole Foods Market, which has four stores in the valley, and Rubin also recommended Japan Creek Market at 9310 S. Eastern Ave. …

More on canned escargot from France: Helen Schussler of The Tovah Team said she carries both Achatine and Helix brands in 7-ounce and 28-ounce cans, priced at $5.25 to $17.49, at www.TovahCaviar.com. …

More on puffed-rice cereal: Barbara Pielka emailed that she found Arrowhead Mills brand at Big Lots at 3940 Blue Diamond Road (adding that “it comes and goes”) and at the Whole Foods location in Town Square, 6689 Las Vegas Blvd. South. …

Here are more reader requests.

Jeff Byrd: Nalley’s Noodles & Chicken;

Rick and Mary Fletcher: Pilgrim brand frozen breaded chicken wings, or “Wing Dings”;

Brenda Byrom: a place that serves good fried chicken livers and gizzards, preferably in the southwest part of the valley;

Robert Migliorino: local sources for Birch beer, which is a soft drink, and Yuengling’s beer, which is not;

Rich Mesnick: deli-style Russian dressing;

Erik Moll: Sanders Hot Fudge;

Dick Nuess: a local restaurant or deli that serves short ribs;

Robert A. Lindley: a local source for bead molasses, and a store that sells British goods;

Karen Harris: Dole frozen-fruit mix with mango, pineapple, strawberries and peaches;

Betty Davis: Bell & Evans chicken;

And Irene Anderson: a local grocery or convenience store that carries Nestea red tea, pomegranate and passion fruit flavor.

Readers?

Submit information to Heidi Knapp Rinella, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070. You also can send faxes to 383-4676 or email her at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Include your first and last names and, if emailing, put “Taste of the Town” in the subject line. Because of the volume of mail received, we can’t respond to each request.