Dining Out In Italy with Greg Cerretani
A few weeks ago, I told you about this year's Reluctant Gourmet in association with Chef4Students.org culinary grant winner Gregory Cerretani. Currently enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Boston and completing his studies in an externship in Italy, Greg is a great student and a hard worker with a bright future ahead of him. I enjoyed interviewing Greg about his culinary experiences and what he's learning in Italy.
If you're thinking about attending culinary school, want to know more about culinary externships, or want to get excited about cooking, Greg's interview is one not to miss. He has some great insight for those interested in attending culinary school and some advice on how to survive those first few days at school, how to prepare yourself for culinary school, and much more.
After reading Greg's interview, I wanted to run down to my kitchen and prepare an Italian dinner meal. So, if you are having trouble motivating yourself to cook tonight, check out Greg's interview; that will change. To view the entire interview with Greg Cerretani.
Eating and Cooking In Italy
I thoroughly enjoyed Greg's interview responses, so I asked him to consider becoming a contributing writer and suggested that he write some posts about his time in Italy, where he is working to finish his externship for Le Cordon Bleu in Boston. Because the summer is here and many Americans will be traveling to Italy on vacation, I asked him to talk about dining out in Italy. I wanted him to share with us his thoughts on finding great restaurants in small towns that may not be in your travel guide. Here's what Greg had to say. If you know anyone traveling to Italy anytime soon, please let them know about this post. It is full of useful information and tips.
An American in the Heart of Tuscany by Gregory Cerretani
I am lucky enough to be completing the externship portion of my Le Cordon Bleu education in Italy. I work in a restaurant called Officina della Cucina Popolare which is located in a city called Colle di Val d'Elsa. This city is located in Tuscany between Florence and Siena. I have learned quite a bit in my time and would like to share my experiences as both a fan of food and someone who works in the culinary arts.
What I Learned by Eating in Italy
The first thing I must recommend to anyone planning on visiting Italy is to learn some Italian. Even if you only learn how to say "Hello" (Ciao), "Bye" (Ciao), and "I'm sorry I only speak a little Italian" (Mi dispiace solo parlo un po' italiano), you will gain a lot of respect by just trying to communicate in the native tongue.
The major cities and any tourist areas will have English-speaking guides or at least some literature available in English, but if you plan on visiting smaller towns, a little bit of Italian goes a long way. Most restaurants, especially those near tourist attractions, have English translations on the menu or menus available in English. Many of these restaurants have "Tourist Menus" that offer easily recognizable dishes like lasagna and spaghetti. Still, for the more adventurous eaters, a new world of culinary delights is available down just about any side street.
To find out how real Tuscans eat, your best bet is to find a Tuscan chef and follow them around until it is their day off and see where they go to eat. If the idea of stalking someone who spends all day with a knife in their hand doesn't sound appetizing to you (pun entirely intended), the next best thing is to find the nearest bar and join the locals for an aperitivo.
Food and drink are an excuse for Italians to socialize, and often, before dinner, you will find people crowding into bars for a drink and a lively debate over where to go for dinner. If you find a friendly local, walk up and ask what their favorite restaurant is (Qual è il tuo ristorante preferito?).
I am sure they will gladly share this information and probably tell you what they believe is the best dish. I wouldn't be surprised if they walked you right to the restaurant and asked you to join them for dinner, either.
When eating in a Tuscan restaurant, there are a few subtle differences that may take some getting used to. First, you will not get your salad at the beginning of the meal. Italians enjoy their salad at the end of the meal or with the main course.
Secondly, the main course or second plate comes by itself, and if you want potatoes or any other side dish, you need to take a look at the "content" or side dishes section of the menu.
The next thing that may come as a surprise is that the dessert or the "dolce" course will not be as sweet as it is at home. For instance, the whipped cream in Italy is just that - whipped cream here has no sugar added.
Lastly, tipping is not customary in Italy. If you look at the bottom of the menu, there will be a section that says "coperto" or "servizio." A coperto is a cover charge that pays for your bread and oil and is usually a fixed per-person charge. A servizio is a service charge that is generally a percentage of the bill. If you found the service and/or the food exceptional, it's nice, but do not expect to leave a few Euros on the table.
What I Learned by Cooking in Italy
I learned several lessons by working in the kitchen of my restaurant and by talking to the staff, other restaurant workers, and suppliers. Food and wine is a way of life in Italy and there are some unspoken rules that set Italians apart from the tourists. If you want to blend in and really live the Tuscan lifestyle, here a few pointers to keep you from sticking out like a sore thumb.
First of all there is the subject of breakfast. Breakfast is generally a small meal consisting of a coffee drink and a cornetto or croissant which is eaten standing up at a counter. If you take your breakfast outside to sit down be prepared to pay a coperto fee, which is probably going to be more than your breakfast costs.
Cappuccino is a breakfast drink and no Italian would be caught dead drinking a cappuccino after ten in the morning. A cappuccino at lunch is a dead giveaway that you don't live around here. Another red flag is ordering espresso; in these parts they call it "caffé."
When enjoying lunch or dinner in Tuscany, you will usually only find ingredients that grow in the area. If you are in a small mountain town and see fish on the menu, be afraid. "¦be very afraid.
Many Tuscan establishments have rotating seasonal menus that utilize whatever is in season at the time, as fresh ingredients are preferred over their canned counterparts. This means the restaurant you visited last summer will probably not have that delicious gazpacho on the menu if you return in the Fall. Some staple items will be found year-round, like dried meats and pasta, but half of the fun of eating in Tuscany is enjoying what the changing of seasons brings.
Speaking of pasta, here are some tips on what not to order. If you see spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, you are in a restaurant for tourists. The closest a true Tuscan will ever get to having meat and pasta on the same plate is ordering pasta with ragu sauce.
Another pasta no-no is fettuccini Alfredo. First of all, Alfredo sauce is an American creation and is another indicator that you are in a tourist restaurant. Furthermore, no Tuscan chef will put cream in a pasta sauce, so even if you tell him the recipe and ask really nicely, he still isn't whip you up a batch of Alfredo, tomato basil cream, or vodka sauce.
Another thing that may insult the kitchen is ordering your meat cooked beyond medium. Not only does a Tuscan chef have a close personal relationship with his butcher, but there is a very good chance they have actually seen the animal from which the sausage or steak came. If you aren't asked how you would like a dish prepared, it will be a little pink in the middle - this is normal.
It's a cardinal sin to order the Bistecca Fiorentina, a large bone-in steak similar to a T-bone steak, well done. I have actually seen my chef go out to a table and explain that he will cook it to medium at the most and if you will not settle for anything less than well done, you will not be eating Bistecca in his restaurant.
In closing, there are only a few things you need to remember to truly eat like a Tuscan.
- First off, the season dictates the menu, so you are going to see whatever is fresh.
- Secondly, pasta and meat are separate courses and, therefore, do not belong on the same plate.
- Thirdly, don't be afraid of a little blood with your meat. Most of the animals here are not treated with hormones or raised on synthetic feed, and conditions are a lot cleaner here as opposed to the "bigger is better" theory upon which many American farms are based.
- Lastly, and by far the most important thing to remember is: if it isn't on the menu, don't order it. You should be open to trying new things and respecting the traditions of the Tuscan people and their cuisine. Fettuccini Alfredo and spaghetti with meatballs will still be in America when you get back home.
paula puma
my family and I have traveled most of Italy and visit every 2 years. I have never seen a better review of the people, food and attitude. The article is not only very true but excellent. Thank you for sharing your comments.
Thanks Paula, I'll pass this on to Greg. - RG
Diane Newell
Excellent article!!! Every word is so true!!! I had the opportunity to study at the Apicius Culinary Arts Institute in Florence, Italy and I must say the Italians know how to live!!! It was not uncommon for dinner to last for 3 hours every night!!!
I find it so annoying how many Americans want everything fast and never think about the quality of what they are eating!!! The animals are respected and cared for properly in Europe like it should be and the favor of the meat is amazing!!! Visiting a vineyard and eating grapes right off the vine, is an awesome experience!!! Not to forget to mention the Bread, the wine and the gelato!!! Oh my God!!! I want to go back to Italy!!! Chef Diane
G. Stephen Jones
Hi Chef Diane, thank you for your comments. Where are you working these days? – RG
Jenni
Great article--your scholarship recipient is the Real Deal, RG!
I wish American restaurants would follow the same rules as the ones in Italy. Love it:)