Ordering food in Italy - chef's choice/house specialties

I usually say something to the effect of "Che [cosa mi] consiglia?" and I address it to the waiter, often referring to a couple things on the menu I am already interested in. I sometimes add something like "per la vegetariana" or precede it with "me piace verdure." So, do research that personalizes the request for you--and make sure you will understand the response! I don't think there is anything wrong with saying "no tripa, per favore" with a smile, but I also think you are probably unlikely to be offered it.
I highly suggest reading some regional cookbooks for the specific places you are going to familiarize yourself with specialties to look for. If you can show off some knowledge, it will help!
I also would not worry about price -- I would only think that would be a factor with seafood sold by weight. Best to ask in that case.

If you are Rick Steves all restaurants will accommodate you. However, don't expect this to happen too often. Most eateries have specials of the seasons. I guess you can always ask and try, but have some menu choices as a backup.

Vino de la casa, rosso (or bianco). Never had a bad wine doing this in Italy. These wines are invariably local and a good value. Apparently Italian restaurateurs are constitutionally unable to serve a bad wine with their food. This is not true in France. We have had restaurants in France serve us bad wine. When I complained once the owner simple stated that since we were Americans he thought we wouldn't know the difference - and then he brought out a decent wine.

The RS Italian Phrase book is very useful for food and dining (and other things, too). Worst case you can you can just point to the phrase you are having difficulty pronouncing.

With respect to the food - the daily specials listed on a board by the door or on the wall are nearly always excellent with fresh local ingredients. Use your phrase book to figure out what it is. Otherwise, be adventurous. If the price is not shown you might be in the wrong place.

Robbie

My take is that only works in the very smallest restaurants away from the tourist areas. If it were me, and I have done this before, I get either a bottle of the local wine or a carafe of the house wine, a bottle of sparkling water, then ask for recommendations. Just saying "bring me anything" is a bit too open, a recommendation allows them to get input from you. I would push for "what is fresh or in season" or "what are the specialties of the region/town/restaurant"

Beyond that, try to eat courses. For the two of you (or more) get an antipasti or a salad, a pasta dish, a meat or fish dish, a Contorno or side, then dessert...even coffee or a liquor. spend at least 2 hours there.

The chef specialties is whatever the chef must sell on that very day. Otherwise he is forced to throw it away due to age limits.

This is true all over the world.

Never eat fish on Mondays, as the late Anthony Bourdain thought us. In restaurants that serve fish, on Mondays the house specialty is always what was delivered on Friday morning.

The waiter tells you it's been caught in the early Monday morning by an old, tiny, retired fisherman who's still challenging the Ocean with his little wooden boat any given day? To make money to feed is old, sick, frail wife? Let the old chap eat it and enjoy his retirement.

Many restaurants will have daily specials but I've never been to one personally where I can just show up and ask for anything the chef wants to serve me (assuming its not a menu item). I suppose they may exist, but I think it is more of a myth than an actuality.

And as others have observed, the daily special might be something the inspires the chef or it might be aging food that the chef needs to clear out before it goes bad. I suspect that depends on the restaurant and the commitment of the chef to serve only the best food. Many smaller restaurants only buy limited amounts so they don't have to clear out old food later (or throw it out). And often those places run out of menu items once they are sold out (I have been to plenty of those restaurants).

In good restaurants, the waiters are very knowledgeable about the menu and what is fresh and best. If I trust the restaurant, I will trust the waiter to make recommendations (or help me choose if I cannot decide). Same goes for wine; they can help you choose if not picking the house wine.

How does one know the best restaurants (price is not a factor in that equation)? That is the tricky part. I rely some on Tripadvisor or other guides, some on local recommendations, some on finding places off the tourist track and some on just luck. I've had plenty of mediocre meals for sure. And I've had some amazing meals. All part of the adventure.

Regarding specials, I suppose one could argue back and forth, but I think you are better going to a smaller restaurant with a limited menu and specials on a chalk board, than a moderate sized restaurant with an expansive menu. If they offer ten types of seafood, a dozen types of meat, and 30 pastas, you can only bet that things are not fresh and made from scratch.

On our 2nd trip to Italy my husband and I had eaten some great meals! A few days before the end of the trip we went to this small restaurant where we were the only tourists, at least the only customers who were speaking English. I zeroed in on a veal dish and hubby was just tired of rich food. The waiter spoke English so hubby asked very politely if he could have just pasta with Olive oil on it. The waiter said of course and asked what pasta he wanted. Hubby said whatever the chef would like.
My veal was great, hubby got a great bowl of pasta with olive oil, had a little chopped basil on top and the waiter brought some grated parmesan in case hubby wanted it. (He did) He loved that meal and asked the waiter to please tell Chef that it was the best pasta he had in Italy. Chef came out and said hello. Hubby stood and shook his hand. It's a nice memory.
Not every enjoyable meal has to be fancy, some are really good memories.

Have a Great Trip!

Sounds like you are going to Rome and Florence? Anywhere else?

I would not do the "make me happy" thing but we often ask the server what the restaurant does best --- if it's not a tourist restaurant, the server will want to make you happy and will help you. I would walk out if I got the feeling that this was not the case. It's never happened yet, but maybe that's partly because we do research on what restaurants we want to go to ahead of time and look at their menu online and carefully evaluate what the ITALIAN reviews say on TripAdvisor and read blogs and use apps like Elizabeth Minchilli's. If you're prepared before you go into the restaurant, you won't feel flustered by having to choose what you really want to eat.

It is perfectly fine in a non-touristy restaurant to ask the server to give you some more time with the menu and then you can use Google Translate to figure out the Italian words. In a good place, the table is yours for the ENTIRE lunchtime or dinnertime, so there is no rush and you should never, ever feel rushed. It's one of the things we love about eating in Italy.

I'm on your side about not wanting to eat guts. My husband loves them.

If you write more about what you like to eat and the kind of place you like to eat at, many people on this forum can give you specific restaurant suggestions and even what to order at each one.

Your best bet is to scan Rick's guidebook for restaurant recommendations that have either a limited daily menu or some kind of special offer. Two that come to mind with very limited daily menus are Trattoria der Pallaro in Rome and Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori in Florence. One with a special offer (Fermami!) is Antica Trattoria da Tito in Florence. I believe reservations are needed for all of these, with Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori being the toughest to get.

Be aware trattoria der pallario has NO menu. U get whatever Paola is serving that day as a prix menu for $25 euro including wine and water.

Thanks so much for everyone’s help. We are going to Rome, Florence and Venice. (Three days in each city.) Not trying to penny pinch (smile) – just trying to follow Rick’s suggestions! I think we love the idea of finding small places with specials on the board. Thanks for the reminder of no fish on Monday! We will be en route to Florence on Monday and have a food tour scheduled that evening, so hopefully everything will be fresh on the tour!

My husband has Trip Advisor downloaded and I just downloaded “Eat Italy” (thanks for the suggestion)! We will also have Rick’s phrase book with us – and google translate on my phone! Will definitely be asking for the house wine. And it will be fun to try to find small, non-touristy places in whatever neighborhood we are in.

As far as what we like – we are pretty flexible and really do want to eat what is being offered and not try to match things we’ve had here! (Although we have had some good meals in Little Italy in the Bronx!)

Thank you again. It’s all very helpful!

Susan