By that, of course, I mean about eating in restaurants in Italy. This list is for first timers. You world travelers will know all this already. And please feel free to add any suggestions of your own:
(Photo by me)
1) Even in Italy, the distinction between an osteria, trattoria and ristorante is blurring. An osteria no longer means just wine and a few tidbits to have with it. You can get a meal in one. A wine bar or sometimes an enoteca is still a wine bar, where you will probably get a few olives and canapes with your drinks.
2) As in the States, things are getting more informal, so some relatively serious restaurants decide to call themselves trattorias because the locals as well as the tourists prefer to be casual. And a very expensive restaurant like Conte Sconda here in Venice has wooden tables and could almost label itself a trattoria.
3) A restaurant that opens before 7 p.m. for dinner is probably catering to tourists more than you may want it to.
4) Be prepared to pay for water with your meal. If you want still water, ask for "naturale" or "senza gas."
5) On your bill, you'll probably have a charge for "coperto" or "panne e coperto." That's the table charge, which is calculated per person. The menu sometimes says that includes service, so you don't have to tip. Or...
6) ...There may be a "servicio" charge also. If there is, you can pay the bill and go. If not, you can leave 10 percent of the bill for service without shocking your waiter or waitress, although I imagine that with all the Americans here, tipping creep is escalating.
7) In one trattoria, I heard the American couple next to us ask for butter with the bread. It wasn't going to happen. You can do what my daughter does, and ask for "oilo" to get olive oil for dipping; but to be on the safe side you better learn the word for plate, "piatto," as well. In casual restaurants, Italians eat their bread without oil and without butter plates, and the server doesn't always think if he's busy.
8) If it's an eating place that isn't catering to Americans, don't think the service is poor because the waiter hasn't brought you the check. You are welcome to linger as long as you wish over a good meal, and you won't get the check until you ask for it.
9) Although we aren't eating in the finest restaurants, I didn't expect that most salads would still be made with iceberg lettuce and wintry tomatoes. (Even when the tomatoes on a caprese salad are fine.) Don't ask for salad dressing, of course. You're expected to mix your own with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
10) You may be surprised that garlic is used more subtly here than in many American Italian restaurants, even in the south.
Dear Ms. Large,
It is wonderful that you went to Italy and got to share your experience with us, but who cares? I for one want to know about the Baltimore area. I will never go to Italy. It is a treat just to go out here at home. Thanks but just stick to what the majority of us need to know.
Thanks
I totally understand this point of view, particularly as I wasn't talking about food as much as I had thought I would be in Italy. On the other hand, this was my vacation, so my choices were to post about my trip or not to post anything at all for ten days (I think of it as MY blog even though I'm sure The Sun doesn't, so I don't want guest posters unless I'm in Antarctica).
I'll always announce when I'm going to be traveling -- which I do frequently to California because both my daughter and brother live there -- so you'll know in advance that the blog won't be about local places. I do hope you'll come back to the blog when I get back to Baltimore and area restaurant news.
To Aden and Emily (see their posts under Happiness is away from San Marco):
I take back all the mean things I said about Venice! You are absolutely right, I would have missed some of the best moments of our trip if we hadn't spent three days there.
The two mistakes we made were to have a hotel so close to Piazza San Marco (I would love to stay south of the Ponte Accademia next time) and not to plan the trip so we weren't there on a Saturday or Sunday. It was much more pleasant Monday and Tuesday morning, when there were still plenty of tourists but we could move around in the streets. Also by that time we knew how to avoid the major arteries most of the time.
And just because I didn't want to stay near San Marco didn't mean I didn't love going back to it again and again over the three days.
Venice is simply such a fascinating city. I took more pictures there by far than I did in Rome or Florence, and that's saying something.
I also wanted to repost this observation by mdlvrmuncher, because I was whining a bit much about the other tourists, as he pointed out, when I was part of the problem:
"With all respect Elizabeth, you too are a foreigner. What do you think they are saying on their blogs?
I'm sure the same thing! It's hard on everyone. I imagine we all thought we were going a bit out of season. And the Italians must be sick of us.
Posted by: mdlrvrmuncher | September 23, 2007 8:21 PM"
(Photos of a beggar with a girl text messaging in the background and a Venetian glass shop by me)
(Photo of other tourists courtesy of Gailor Large)