Food in Italy

The best meals I've ever had were fresh cooked in Italy. However I've also had microwaved food in Italy (I knew what I was getting). Once in a bar in Varenna and once in a cafe in Stresa. Both times were because of convenience. If a place has color posters of the various entrees, move on, as it most likely has microwaved food. Also in Stresa, on the menus of some "real" restaurants, one or two items had a notation that they may have been previously frozen, which suggests that they would need to reheated (possibly by microwave). .

I've never had a bad meal in Italy. I can't imagine what kind of places you chose to eat at Myr. I think you will find way more microwaved food here , in the US, than you will ever find in Italy.

I've spent a lot of time in Italy and have never seen restaurants closed down in the evening, nor microwaved food served. Where were you?

Are we talking about the Italy in Europe??? I've never experienced anything like that. As to your question about what people in Italy eat and when, it totally depends on the region and the city/village. (That's sort of like asking what do people in America eat and when. You get different answers for Manhattan and Kansas City, and even different answers depending on the part of Manhattan you're talking about.)

Hello Myr,

I have heard from a few travelers that they have had disappointing meals in Italy. Usually these occur very close to very touristy sites. Near the Vatican and St. Peter's Square there are few good options that I know. However, just a few blocks from any site you can often find side streets or secondary streets where locals go for a sandwhich or simple meals. In Rome, for example, about 20 minutes (on foot) from St. Peter's Square there is a zone called Prati where Romans go for shopping and such. This area has many good "salumerie" that make fresh sandwhiches to order pr cafes that offer pastries and good espresso. You have to search. A good guide book (Rick Steves or Lonely Planet for example) usually mention good places near major sites. My "key" (I have been to Italy nine times) is to ask locals or simply look for places that don't seem to be serving tourists (look for people in business suits for example). Train stations are usually not good options though they have improved in recent years. I hope this helps.

William

Myr,

I have been to Italy 12 times over the last 29 years and I never have had a bad meal. When I stay with my family in Calabria lunch and dinner are a leisurely 2-3 hour and multi-course event. When I become a traveler I look for places where locals eat. I avoid the places advertising 5 languages spoken. I agree with the post suggesting you wonder for 20 minutes and you can find great places to eat. Pizza is a great item that you cannot go wrong ordering, especially ones from wood burning ovens (forno a legno).

Italy is a country of gourmets and they always set a serious table. Do not skimp on the gelato (ice cream).

Buon viaggio,

RB

Are you sure you weren't going to eat dinner too early? Most restaurants don't have patrons in them before 8pm, so at 5:30, 6 o'clock many restaurants haven't reopened for the evening.

I think someone was pulling our leg.

I think you're right Michael. I thought there was something "off" about this. Didn't know if it was the person or the post, but it was definitely strange.

Myr,

"We have had the main meal at restaurants or self-serve places, but then find that most places close down or have only microwaved left-overs in the evening"

Where exactly in italy did you experience this? I've never found that to be the case! In fact, most restaurants don't really get going until early evening. Even at 21:00-22:00 many restaurants are still busy and I've found that to be consistent both in the north and south of Italy.

Could you provide a bit of clarification?

Cheers!

This post may be a hoax.

I will say I have had Italian meals I was disappointed with. Invariably it was when we were famished and stopped at the first place we saw (usually near a tourist area). When we took the time to ask a local for a recommendation or look a little more carefully, we had great food.

One thing I found curious. Whether our meal was great or poor, the bill always seemed about the same. It was as if we paid the going rate for a meal whether the restaurant was really good or not.

We don't eat expensive. My favorite meals in Italy are in family owned restaurants that serve authentic, if not pretentious, meals with friendly service.

Currently in Rome for about a week. The question makes no sense at all. Unless he/she is referring to some take away which often have prepared dishes and will microwave on request. And those places will close by late PM or early evening. Mostly open for lunch -- fast food. That is NOT the typical resturants pattern in the evening.

Wow, I can't think of anyone I know who has done a lot of traveling (Italy or otherwise) and has said they have never had a bad meal. It happens, all you can do is lower the odds by using the above suggestions.

The best pizza I have ever had was in Italy (recommended by Rick). And, the worst pizza I have ever had was also in Italy (recommended by a local)

I've had bad meals in Europe, but never a bad meal in Italy.

Hi Myr:

I bet Italian left-overs are pretty darn tasty. I remember going to a restaurant in Rome one evening with a big group and the owner proudly informed us that they killed a whole "pork" for us....it sounded very endearing in an Italian accent. It was very yummy too. I love food in Italy, especially the gelato...chocolate. If you can remember the area of these places, please share with us so we ALL can avoid them on our next trip...

Other than the nuked food, I hope your holiday was sensational!

I have had a HORRIBLE meal in Italy,, definately reheated spagetti,, sides were crusty and dried on to plate edge. I ate it,, and I knew I knew I shouldn't have,, but was with my dd and she doesn't like it if I send something back, and I was starving. I was sick for 2 days. Really sick, thank goodness there was a doctor on our RS tour. I actually had to miss seeing Florence, and thank goodness another parent on our tour volunteered to take my dd with her and her child. I had been to Florence before, but dd had not, and there was no way I could go.

I haven't been sick anywhere else,, but , I have travelled enough that I have had bad meals in every country, and that includes my favorite , France.

I find being in a rush, or being starving, tends to make me pick places just because they are convenient, and that can lead to bad picks. Happens everywhere, and Italy is certainly no exception.

Bad meals do exist in Italy. I ordered ravoli stuffed with goat meat in a blue berry sauce. It was as gross as it sounds. And just my luck I got some sauce on my shirt, so I had a stain to remind me of the horriable meal for the life of the shirt. I've had some not great meals in Venice. And I've had the microwave meals at bars/cafes when I wanted to eat at 'off' hours.

Well, I just got back from Italy last night and was finally able to be connected to internet again. The last hotel that we stayed (an American chain) in Rome was charging 5 euros for one hour, versus the other Italian hotels who had free internet.

We missed our last connection on the plane because the flight left earlier than expected and the last flight was delayed.

So when I brought up the posts on thinking I was a "hoax" after a 9.5 hour flight and another 5 hour flight, needless to say . . . it didn't feel too good.

I thank you all for your input . . . however I had concluded as much. We were right in Rome on the main streets, self-serve places. We were so caught up with visiting the Vatican. Had a Papal Audience in the front row, had a Mass with the Pope as celebrant, went on the SCAVI tour to the necropolis of the Vatican and on the last day went up to the top of the Cupula!!!

So when we were done with those fantastic events we were - straving and needed something quick. It was just disappointing that we couldn't seem to get away from being charged at least 7 euros for one dish. To put a whole meal together primi, secondi, contorno and maybe a drink and dessert - it was at least 75 dollars! And YES in the late afternoon - it was microwaved, because they'd take it from the counter and put it in the microwave. Some was good - some not so good.

We did go to a nice Etruscan restaurant in Ovieto - great food - but again it cost at least $100.

How do you get twenty minutes away from the main drag of the tourist areas, on foot, when you're starving. The tip on asking the locals was good - I'll work on that - though this time my Italian was a bit limited.

Good suggestions guys!
No hoax!!!

The additional information helps. You probably stopped by one of the many "snack bar" type placed serving food from a counter and you hit it at the wrong time. "Lunch" would have been 13:00 to 14:00, maybe a bit later, that would be when the food was freshest and probably at least warm. "Dinner" would not be until about 20:00, but as you noted, these places tend to close down by then since they serve mostly lunch. Basically you hit a lunch counter at the end of the day and got the leftovers.

"How do you get twenty minutes away from the main drag of the tourist areas, on foot, when you're starving."

Without meaning to be flip--we figure out where to eat before we're starving. Either we plan a particular restaurant into our day and build our sight-seeing so that we reach that restaurant at the time we want to eat, or we carry some light snacks with us to fend off imminent collapse.

Another good option we used often was an afternoon gelato. This helps us last til 7-8pm, which is well past our usual dinner hour.

Just like grocery shopping is best done while not starving, so too is restaurant shopping. It just requires a bit of advanced planning/strategy. :-)

I have to add, and please, Myr, this is not directed at you, but this touches on one of my travel pet peeves. If there is one thing that gets my wife and I arguing on a trip, it is eating. My wife will gladly shop, sightsee, or wander until hunger hits, then it is "EAT NOW" even if it is not until 4:00 in the afternoon, eliminating any possibility that she will be in a mood to eat at 8:00 in the evening. Just like adjusting your sleep for the country you are in to combat jetlag, meals need to be planned as well. I try hard to convince her that setting a routine paces you and helps you make it pleasurably through the day. In Italy, my day looks like: A coffee, maybe a pastry at 8:00 or so. Lunch at 13:00, A stop for a glass of wine or a beer, maybe a very light snack at 17:00, and Dinner at 20:00. The breaks are valuable for catching your breath and assessing the day. When we miss meals or rush around, you can bet we start to bicker and generally enjoy ourselves less. All of this is in the context of course that food and good drink is one of the highlights of travel, on par with Art, History, and Culture.

Italy is a country that usually doesn't serve meals between about 2 pm and 7 pm. It is possible to find food at bakeries or grocery stores, sometimes, during those hours. These may close in the afternoon, too. Gelato is usually available in the afternoon and evening. There are some casual places that stay open, in some towns, but I've learned to eat a pizza or lunch around noon and snack after that. Those late dinners don't agree with me.

This has been an entertaining topic. I have had horrible food in Italy. Most dishes I've had there I have made, or could have made far better.
I have also had some stunning food in Italy that couldn't be replicated in my kitchen, not as a rule though. I find being on the coast or in a location with locally made specialties harmed by transport to be the exception. The responces by those who claim to have only eaten exceptional food in Italy is a clear indication of standards in need of being raised. I'd bet most food eaten in Italy by most people on this website is created with ingridients delivered by a commercial company not unlike Sysco. Mediocre at best. No Italian or even a Frenchman is born with the ability to cook anymore than the shlub who pumps your gas or the illegal Mexican on the corner you'd prefer not to drive by. That being said, not everyone in Italy can cook. Many of those Italians that can't prepared your best meal ever. I'm sure Myr's experience is your own for the most part, you just don't know it. No doubt the frozen, re-heated pasta you've been eating in Italy is the best you've ever had. Exceptions of coarse, but.......

Myr, I wouldn't argue with someone who lives in Italy about whether these types of places are becoming the norm (Claire lives in Bergamo). They appear to be what you stumbled across, but don't assume that your experience was an accurate cross-section of restaurants in Italy.

Josh writes "The responces by those who claim to have only eaten exceptional food in Italy is a clear indication of standards in need of being raised." I live in Marin Co. a few miles north of SF, and the quality of food here is exceptional. I shop at Whole Foods and am very picky about what I eat. I've never had a bad meal in our many trips to Italy because we put thought into where we're going to eat and we plan ahead, just like Paul wrote. If you research where to eat and plan ahead, you're not at the mercy of bad food.

I completely agree here. I did find that much of what I was getting in Italy (reheated) was not as good as I can cook myself. As soon as I got home - I wanted to make some wonderful Green Chile Stew - typical of New Mexican cuisine in the Fall.

Lots learned in Italy this time - more Italian classes and will venture out again in the future!

Yes, but Josh in the US many of the most staple ingrediants that we buy are processed or have additives in them. I'm hard pressed to find tomato sauce that doesn't have sugar in it, or regular sliced bread that didn't have high fructose corn syrup in it when I go to your average supermarket in the US. One of the things I like about living in Italy is that the foods I cook with are fresher and without all the additives, the same thing is true for food in restaurants in Italy. And while yes, I have had some bad meal in Italy, they pale in comparision with the numerous bad meals I've eaten in the States, just to prove my point, what passes as Italian food in North America bears little resemblence to what Italian food actually is. I agree with what other posters have said, avoid places with menus in four languages or places just outside tourist hot spots, and yes, there are bars that offer pasta dishes that you can microwave, but these restaurants are hardly the norm.

I would disagree - I believe that they are becoming MORE the norm. It was hard to find one that didn't microwave or re-heat their food in the late afternoon.

If you walk into a restaurant in the late afternoon demanding lunch, well, what can I tell you, in that case, yes, they probably will reheat what is left. Make a point not to eat lunch so late in the afternoon or hold out until dinner.

To Claire's points, the food does taste different here because it has fewer or no additives... And yes, you do get "adjusted" to eat when the Italians eat. If a restaurant is open at 4 PM, it's catering not to Italians but to tourists... so not a place I'd eat.

I have many friends visit and when I take them out to eat - for lunch or dinner - we NEVER (in their opinion) have a bad meal. But that is because I DO NOT eat at those places with pictures on pasta posted outside! A few friends met last night - we live next to the Vatican - and ate a three course meal with wine for less than €20 each.

But like anywhere, you have to know WHERE to eat. Americans love convenience... and if you make that your first priority, then yes, you WILL get what you're looking for - food fast (or fast food!!)! And perhaps it will be microwaved. But if you "plan your day" around the dining experience, as many Italians do, you'll enjoy your a better meal. You will not find too many restaurants catering to Italians open after 3 PM.

So I would caution anyone to make generalizations that "most food" in Italy is microwaved after being here just for one trip. Frankly, to an Italian, it's an ignorant statement that would offend many Italians who see their passion for food far exceeding that of Americans. After all, we're the country that created fast food, drive thrus, and eating in your car... which most Italians see as sacrilege. Food is meant to be enjoyed and fussed over. We tend to opt out for convenience... and I say this with all the humility of someone who worked in the US restaurant system for 25+ years… so often you DO get what you’re looking for – Italians tend to look for something else. For a first-time visitor, just figuring out when to eat can be confusing… much less where to eat!

So tell us where to get some good Italian for a reasonable price? Vatican area.

Myr, did you have Rick's Rome or Italy guidebook with you? He has lots of good recommendations.

Fred Plotkin's "Italy for the Gourmet Traveler" is a great and comprehensive book that answered all of my questions about Italian food. It's a wonderful read!

I look forward to reading it!

Following this has been fun...everyone seems to be very passionate about Italian food one way or another. I've made 3 trips to Italy and hope to make #4 next year. The only "bad" food I've had has been when I let my traveling companions pick places close to the hotel or when in Milan on a Friday night. I don't think that anyone who hasn't had bad food is not discerning, however. With the exception of 2 meals I've never had a bad meal in the 5 weeks I've spent in Italy. I've never had to walk 20 minutes to find a good restaurant. I plan my meal around the area I'll be in at lunch or dinner before I go out in the morning so I don't get stuck with a tourist restaurant. No picture menus on the door, no one else speaking English - most likely a home run. And to prove I'm not taken in by microwaved pasta, right now my mouth is watering just thinking about a Florentine steak I had along with a salad with peccorino, prosciutto and pear in Florence or bread soup I ate with gondoliers in Venice. Fortunately I just found a little Italian restaurant about 20 minutes from my home that has an Italian chef and serves real Italian food.

A few observations from me in Florence:

In bars, where everyone seems to be serving lunch (cheap) nowadays, there is a lot of pasta that is stuck in microwaves. This also happens in some rosticcerias around town. This is the Italian version of "fast food" (though they probably wouldn't call it that). These places are not restaurants - they are bars or counters where you can pick something and get it handed to you and find a seat. And - the food can be very good if you know where to go.

In general, in Tuscany the food is EXCELLENT. In Florence however, you can get some pretty poor tourist only food if you don't know what you are doing. I think Florence may actually be an exception (maybe some of the worst food in Italy - along with some of the best) because Florence is so small and almost totally tourist driven in the center - I think in larger cities like Rome and Milan, etc. you will find many more authentic places mixed in with the tourist places.

(Man I am probably going to take some heat for that!)

That being said - even the "bad" or tourist places (restaurants) here are still usually pretty good! Meaning, the food isn't frozen, the ingredients are usually somewhat local and of good quality, and the food is not frozen or microwaved, etc.

As to cooking at home - and what you can get at markets, etc. - I don't think there is anywhere that is better. Some places may be equal and/or different - but the joy of being here in Italy is the food - the fresh fruits and vegetables, the local meat and dairy products, the fresh baked bread - everything is usually excellent.