Italian Near Me
Comforting, filling, and reminiscent of dinners at home- Italian cuisine can bring up feelings of nostalgia and warmth as few others can. Whether you’re looking for a quaint family restaurant or an authentic Italian dining experience, there’s always a great Italian restaurant to give you the experience and grub you deserve.
Ready to find a great Italian restaurant in your local area? Simply browse Italian near me on the map below and find a list of the best Italian joints near you. Need a bit more information on Italian cuisine? Read on for filling facts on true Italian food and restaurant worthy trivia!
Italian Near Me – Find it on the Map
Italian Near Me – Italian Trivia
True or false: Italians don’t cook with garlic that much.
According to pop culture, Italian food and garlic goes together like peanut butter in Jelly. Walk down the Italian aisle of any grocery store and you’ll see hordes of garlic flavored items. But is garlic actually used in authentic Italian cuisine like Americans think it is? Consider this as you search Italian near me. Though garlic bread may be a staple in restaurants all around the world, you’d actually be hard pressed to find any in Italy. As far as bread is concerned, in authentic Italian restaurants it is typically served plain or with a bit of regular butter. When it comes to seasonings and flavors in true Italian cuisine, less is often more. Rather than drenching dishes in garlic, the Italians count on a marriage of all kinds of fresh and flavorful ingredients to help bring their dishes to life.
A great Italian meal is warm and filling!
True or false: Spaghetti and meatballs is not an Italian dish.
Ask an American what their favorite Italian dish is and most of your answers will include “spaghetti and meatballs.” It is an American staple but can this dish actually be found in Italy? Consider this as you search Italian near me. Despite being one of the most famous “Italian” dishes in the entire world, it is not actually an authentic dish. In fact, you are not going to find many true past dishes topped with meat in Italy. That’s only reserved for dishes cooked “al forno.” While speaking of meat and pasta, you’ll also be hard pressed to find chicken atop of any kind of pasta in Italy. Though Americans might love chicken Alfredo and chicken piccata, chicken is not a very popular meat in Italy. In fact, Italians are more likely to eat beef, pork, or fish.
How do Italians take their coffee?
No Italian meal is complete without a cup of coffee, but how a true Italian takes their coffee may differ from how Americans portray coffee time. How do Italians take their coffee at dinner? Coffee served post meal will typically be an espresso, often served black or at the bar while the cream is still fresh. Milk laden coffee is something only reserved for breakfast time. In fact, you’ll never see an Italian ask for a cappuccino after 11 am. Next time you’re searching Italian near me, consider the right way to drink a coffee after your decadent meal.
Italian Near Me – Italian Facts
Bread Is Not An Appetizer!
After you’ve searched Italian near me and found the perfect restaurant, one of the first things you’ll find after you sit down is a piping hot basket of bread. Is this how it is done in Italy as well? Not exactly! Put that bread down and save it for later, because a true Italian would never treat bread as an appetizer. In Italy, bread is used as a tool to “mop up” the extra sauce that’s left behind on the plate after eating. If you eat all the bread up before your dish is even served, you’ll have nothing with which to mop up the sauce. In Italy, this is known by the phrase “Fare la scarpetta.” Next time you find yourself at an Italian restaurant, ask to have your bread served with dinner. You’ll probably enjoy that delicious sauce even more!
Salad Isn’t An Appetizer Either
While on the topic of authentic appetizers, it’s important to touch on salad. In the US, most Italian restaurants will serve up a salad prior to the main dish. In Italy, things are done a bit differently. Believe it or not, salad is not seen as an appetizer in Italy, despite being served as such in both the US and in England. So when do you eat a salad in true Italian style? Consider this as you search Italian near me. Rather than eating a salad prior to the main course in Italy it is custom to eat the salad after the meal as a roughage to aid in the process of digestion. As far as dressing goes, a true Italian restaurant wouldn’t serve up any heavy or creamy dressings. Instead, virgin olive oil and vinegar are customary.
Italian Pizza
Pizza is arguably the most popular Italian dish in the world. Yet, the pizza most of us enjoy is a bit different from the pizza being served in the country of Italy. In Italy, you will only find very thin crust pizza. Thicker spongy crusts were invented outside of Italy and are not custom. Toppings tend to be very simple. The most popular type of pizza is the Margherita, which is just tomatoes and cheese. Also, don’t be surprised if you go to an authentic Italian restaurant (either in Italy or in the US) and find that there aren’t any pizzas on the menu. In Italy, only pizzerias serve pizza, not restaurants. As you search Italian near me, think about how different American Italian is from authentic Italian food.
