Everyone knows Italian food is amazing. I must say… Italy did not disappoint. The food there is beyond words. Dinner was silent with my family… none of us wanted to stop eating to speak. Here are a few things I picked up on while in Italy.
1. While searching out your next eating location make sure the one you choose has customers. Restaurants that are empty can sometimes be a message. If a place is known for it’s good food there will be locals and other tourists who have been sent by their hotel or someone who knows the local restaurants. We made the mistake of going into 2 restaurants without any other customers and both places had poor service and the food just wasn’t as good as everywhere else we tried. Not saying this is always the rule, but there are definitely times this might be a subtle warning.
2. Take your time and enjoy the food. In Europe, going out to eat is a long affair. They take their time and chat with other members in their group while enjoying their meals. Plan for a few hours for a dinner out. Many places make their food from scratch and I can promise you it is worth the wait.
3. Less is more. Some of the best dishes I had while in Italy were the simple dishes. Like the calzone pictured. All that was inside was pepperoni and cheese, but this was no hot pocket. It was so delicious! I found that you could never go wrong with a margarita pizza. The fresh ingredients make all the simple traditional dishes absolutely wonderful. Really you can’t order wrong in Italy.
4. When deciding on a restaurant don’t give in to someone pestering you to come in theirs. There will be times when you pass a restaurant and someone is standing outside saying come in come in! Don’t feel obligated. If you don’t want to eat their politely inform them of that. This is your vacation you get to decide when and where to eat.
5. Gelato! Oh my… my mouth is watering even thinking about the gelato in Italy. Eat it! Eat it 4 times a day! More if you can! Try different flavors and different styles. No joke you will love the gelato and I have yet to find a place that serves as good of gelato than the little ma and pa shops in Italy.
If you’re curious my favorite meal was Spaghetti Alla Carbonara! So tasty…. I’m getting hungry.
What was your favorite meal in Italy?
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