281. Favorites: Italian Dining and Eating Etiquette

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ordering a meal in Italy isn't complicated, but there are
a few unwritten or unspoken rules that can catch travelers
of god. In this episode, we walk through what to
expect when dining out, from tipping to table manners and
everything in between.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Tawatuti and Benvenuti tu One Told Italy the Travel podcast
to where you go to the towns and villages, mountains
and lakes, hills and coastlines of Bela, Italia. Each week,
your host Katie Clark takes you on a journey in
a search of magical landscapes, history, culture, wine, gelato, and

(00:40):
of course, a whole lot of pasta. If you're dreaming
of Italy and planning future adventures there, you've come to
the right place.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Do you dream of speaking Italian but feel stuck? I
hear you.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Whether you want to connect with your Italian heritage a partner,
or you want to live in Italy, finding the right
tools to match your learning style is important. My friend
Michelle from Intrepid Italian offers a practical approach to learning
Italian with her unique eighty twenty method, teaching you only
what you need to know as an adult learner herself
with Italian heritage. She really knows how to bridge the

(01:23):
gap between English and Italian, as Angela from Australia said,
I put my inability to learn down to my senior
stage of life, but with Intrepid Italian, it seems to
just fit. To find out how Intrepid Italian can help
you learn Italian, and to claim an exclusive twenty dollars
coupon code that you can use on any of Michelle's

(01:43):
online courses from beginner to intermediate, visit untold Italy dot com,
forward slash Italian or visit the link in the show notes.
As a bonus, you'll also get a downloadable travel phrase
guide absolutely free, so visit untold Italy dot com, forward
slash Italian to accelerate your Italian.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
Chow friends. It's Katie here.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
While I'm initially doing some trip research and catching up
with our local partners, we're sharing a few of our
most popular episodes to help you with your travel plans.
This one is all about eating out in Italy, how
it works, what's different from back home, and some simple
tips to make your dining experiences smoother and more enjoyable,
whether you're heading to a cozy trattoria or a Michelin

(02:27):
starred spot. This episode will make you feel more confident
at the table. And if you're planning a trip and
feeling a little bit overwhelmed, our team has two great
ways to support you. Our Untold Italy app is full
of trusted recommendations for places to eat, state and explore,
and if you'd like one on one help, our trip
consultation services are here to make sure all your plans

(02:47):
come together with these Check the links in your podcast
app for more details. Okay, let's talk food etiquette and
everything you need to know before sitting down to eat
in Italy. That town is in Welcome back to the
Untold it Tally podcast.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
Thank you so much, Katie. It's a pleasure to be back.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Oh, it's always always a pleasure to have you on.
And how have you been? What's happening in Rome? Tell
us everything.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
I've been great.

Speaker 5 (03:13):
Last year it was an incredible year, had a very
restarted break, went to see family in the US, and yeah,
gearing up for a hopefully even more exciting one.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
Why don't you tell everyone exactly what you do because
there might have been some people that have missed you.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
I don't know how, but let's just remind everyone.

Speaker 4 (03:32):
So I give food tours in Rome.

Speaker 5 (03:34):
My company is called Full Belly Tours, and I actually
grew up here in Rome in a neighborhood called This Stature,
which is the birthplace of traditional Roman cuisine. So I
basically show people around the neighborhood and feed them lots
of delicious, wonderful traditional Roman dishes. Well, I tell you
a bit about the history of the neighborhood of the

(03:54):
city and that kind of fun.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Stuff, and it's fantastic.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
And I'm kind of losing sack of how many times
I've done that tour with you now say.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
But it's always good, it's always freshing.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
I don't know. Somehow we always try a different pizza.
I don't even know how we manage that, given how
much pizza we try, but.

Speaker 5 (04:14):
It's always If I do get repeat visitors, I try
to mix it up so you don't get the exact
same thing every time. And luckily food is very seasonal here,
and so depending on what kind of year you're doing
a tour, you're probably going to run into different seasonal
dishes as well. Yeah, but yeah, there's lots of goodies

(04:35):
to be enjoyed.

Speaker 3 (04:37):
And last time, I was there.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
There was filming a film in your neighborhood, don't they
So we had to kind of like.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Dodge the movie set on.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
All the actors and everything that was going on was
lots of fun.

Speaker 5 (04:49):
Yeah, and especially because it was set in like the forties,
so you had like the mock market, you had all
of the cars, you had everyone in costume, very entertaining.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah they look cool, Okay, so nazine.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
I know a lot of people get a bit concerned
about etiquette in general when they come into Italy and
they want to read up about what's the cultural norms
and how to manage it. But food etiquette maybe on
a whole other level. And that's because Italians are so
passionate about the way that they eat and work with
food and their customers. I think the funniest thing that

(05:29):
I've ever seen is, I don't know if you've seen
this group on Facebook. It's called Italians Mad at Food.

Speaker 4 (05:34):
It's like, yes, it's hilarious. I think if.

Speaker 1 (05:39):
Anyone wants to understand how passionate that people are about food,
then they should go and check out that site, because
it's like that. They get very angry if people mess
with the Alfred, or we even attempt at Alfredo in.

Speaker 4 (05:50):
Fact, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 5 (05:53):
Italians are very particular when it comes to their food,
and a lot of people think about it Allian food,
but that's kind of a misnomer because like any other country,
food is very regional, but much more so in Italy.
And so wherever you are, there's going to be specific dishes,
specific cold cut, specific wines, and what maybe is considered

(06:18):
right in one place may not be in another.

Speaker 4 (06:20):
Or Yeah, and they can.

Speaker 5 (06:23):
Be very sensitive about their food and can easily get
upset even if you're a paying customer. You know, I
joke that they often act like they invited you in
out of the cold and they're feeding you out of
the kindness of their hearts, in which case, sure, get
upset if I do something wrong. But if I'm an
unwitting visitor, maybe you know, be a little more understanding

(06:46):
and don't admonish me as if you know I'm your
four year old, that's doing something wrong with my food,
which can sometimes unfortunately be the case.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
All Right, so we've established that it's important to get
things right. So where do we start? How do we
go about these Because I don't think anyone wants to
offend anyone. Not that you're going to offend anyone, but
these bitter ways things.

Speaker 5 (07:09):
No, absolutely, So the first and most important thing is
how to address people, because in Italian, like many other
Romance languages, there's the formal way of addressing someone and
the informal way of addressing someone. For example, when you're
saying you, the formal way is to say lay, which,

(07:29):
to be confusing, also means her. But it's like in
French when you say vous and two it both means you,
but one is the polite and one is the formal.
So if you want to greet someone, it's always best.
It's always a good idea to use the formal one
to use lay. And the easiest way to address someone

(07:50):
is to say excuse me, which in formally you would
say me squozy, whereas if you're saying it informally, you
say schools A. Now with younger people you can often
address them in the informal way. You can say doo,
you can say schools a. But as I said, it's
always a good idea to be polite in general, and

(08:13):
the more familiar or informal the setting, the more it's
acceptable and almost expected that you use the more informal.

Speaker 4 (08:23):
Way of addressing someone.

Speaker 5 (08:25):
If you're dealing with older people, it's always nice to
use the formal, to use lay because that denotes respect, okay,
And so when opening a conversation like you would if
you're addressing someone in English, you say excuse me or hello,
you open the conversation. You don't just walk in with

(08:46):
the thing you want now, and so it's important to
actually address the person that's serving you. Also in great
part because Italians are known for being warm and friendly
and they value that. It's one of the things that
makes living in this country so much fun. People are
actually nice to each other on a regular basis, so

(09:06):
reciprocate that. So if you walk up to an Italian person,
open with hello, excuse me, especially if you're taking the
time to learn how to order things in Italian, learn
the words that can you know, come before and after, please,
thank you, that kind of stuff.

Speaker 4 (09:26):
And I mean it makes sense depending on where you live.

Speaker 5 (09:28):
If an Italian person just walked in and barked in
order at you, you might not react to that very
warmly now, and it's understandable. I think most people don't
even realize that they're doing it. You know, when traveling,
we often get caught up in what we're trying to
achieve in the moment and can therefore forget the human

(09:49):
and interaction part. And so just remember that you're always
dealing with humans, and it's always a good idea to
be nice in general, even if you're not on vacation
or traveling, which sometimes people can forget when dealing with
people in the service sector. Yes they're working, but they're
also humans. So it's a good idea to be nice
also because you're going to get better service and you're

(10:09):
going to get people that react to you better that way.
It's always a good idea to open with a greeting.
A smile always helps, and so preface with schools or
mischoozie is the easiest way to get someone's attention.

Speaker 4 (10:24):
And you know, please thank you. All of that stuff
is nice.

Speaker 5 (10:27):
Having said that, I'm now going to cover like various
scenarios and how you might be expected.

Speaker 4 (10:36):
To act or what the normal way.

Speaker 5 (10:39):
Of going about dealing with people in certain situations. And
these are obviously all tied to food, so I'll be
covering the various types of establishments you may find yourself
in and what the customary norms are for those establishments,
and these are ones that you'll find in most parts.

Speaker 1 (10:59):
Of the true Just to reiterate, I think it's just yeah,
I like humans. I wouldn't be doing this other way.

Speaker 3 (11:09):
You're so right.

Speaker 1 (11:10):
You do get a bit transactional when you're traveling. But
if just try and breathe and smile, because the international
language of the smile is really an amazing ice breaker, really,
and if anyone's been on tour witness and they know
he's got an amazing smile.

Speaker 3 (11:27):
That he shares with everyone. So it gets you a
lot of places.

Speaker 1 (11:33):
I'm sure it's got you a lot of free tastings
over the years, you know, things like that.

Speaker 4 (11:41):
No, absolutely yeah, And this sounds the person. You know.

Speaker 5 (11:44):
If you come up and smile at someone, they're like, okay,
you know you're starting off. You're already conveying so much
without even.

Speaker 3 (11:50):
Saying anything exactly exactly.

Speaker 4 (11:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (11:53):
So normally you would start your day with breakfast, which
in Italy happens in a bar.

Speaker 4 (11:58):
In Italy, a bar is a cafe.

Speaker 5 (12:00):
Okay, they do so alcohol, but it's where you would
normally start your day with breakfast. Keep in mind that
breakfast is quick and efficient, possibly the only thing that
is quick and efficient in this country, and so there's
a set way to do things, especially if it's a
very busy bar in the morning where people will normally

(12:23):
be consuming at the counter. The coffees aren't that big.
We don't have a really sipping coffee culture. It's more
the coffee is small, intense. It's a couple of SIPs.
Even a couple of Chino isn't that big, and you
may have multiple, you know, throughout the day. But it's
normally a very quick transaction. So first and foremost, it's

(12:45):
important to know that you should pay first for whatever
it is that you want, and then you use that
receipt to get your food, because otherwise you're just going
to be wasting time. If you wait at the counter,
then they'll ask you what you want, you haven't paid,
and you have to go then wait in line and
do that whole transaction. So pay first, and then you
bring the receipt and you put it down on the

(13:06):
counter when they ask you what you want. It's actually
customary if you want to be nice, to put like
a ten or twenty cent coin on the receipt when
you put it down on the counter, that's considered like
the tip, and that's the norm.

Speaker 4 (13:19):
If you want to leave more, that's obviously appreciated.

Speaker 5 (13:21):
But it's something that as a visitor they won't expect
you to do, and they'll already start seeing you a
little more favorably. There's also the question of where you
will be consuming your breakfast. So most Italians consume their
breakfast at the bar, in part because breakfast is quick,
but also because it's cheaper that way, so on average

(13:43):
in Italy and espresso is about one yeuro. That same
espresso if you choose to sit at the table, in
which case you need to sit down and they'll come
and take your order when you're seated. You wouldn't buy
yourself at the counter and then sit down because it
has a difference. So if you're sitting down, that coffee
may cost you double. That being said, if you're sitting

(14:05):
in a cafe in Gatza San Marco in Venice or
in Gatsanagona, or you know, you're liable to spend ten
times what you would if you're consuming that, they're that
same coffee at the bar, So keep that in mind.
You're basically paying for the luxury of sitting in you know,
these world chame of squares.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
So don't knock that coffee down so fast, enjoy.

Speaker 4 (14:30):
Drag it out exactly.

Speaker 5 (14:32):
Yeah, and it's one of the reasons why you'll see,
you know, often the older Italians sitting there with one coffee,
sipping it very slowly.

Speaker 4 (14:41):
You know, you're trying to maximize your time there.

Speaker 5 (14:45):
Also know, and I'm sure many of you have heard this,
but cappuccino is considered breakfast food, so if you ask
for cappuccino after eleven am, you may get some pushback. Honestly,
you're traveling, you're on vacation.

Speaker 4 (15:00):
If you want a cappuccino after leven am, please feel
free to after it.

Speaker 5 (15:03):
I'm a big fan of people doing what they want
when they're on vacation, obviously within societal norms, but don't
be surprised if they raise your eyebrows if you ask
for a cappuccino in the afternoon. And a fun thing
that I think most people don't know about coffee service
in Italy, you can actually ask for your coffee alvetro,

(15:23):
which means in a glass and instead of having the
little ceramic coffee cup.

Speaker 4 (15:29):
They'll give you what looks essentially like a little shot glass.

Speaker 5 (15:33):
The pros of that is you can see the coffee,
for one, and so you can gauge the quality. And
to the Italians that consume coffee in a bar, the
magic of that coffee is what we call la crimina,
which is the cream of essential oils that collects at
the top of the espresso. Since the cup for the

(15:55):
alvetro is thinner in diameter, you're going to get more
of that cream, or it's going to seem like you
get more of it. The con is that theoretically the
glass pools quicker and it turns better, quicker or whatever.

Speaker 4 (16:07):
But if you see people drinking coffee in little glass.

Speaker 5 (16:10):
Cups instead of the ceramic one they asked for it albetro,
which may be a fun thing to try. And if
you're particularly brave or celebratory that day, you know that
they have something called a cassy correcto, which means a
corrected coffee, which is an espresso with half a shot
of your licurve choice.

Speaker 4 (16:31):
So something to keep.

Speaker 3 (16:33):
In mind, breakfasted Champion.

Speaker 5 (16:35):
Yes, absolutely, it will make your day more merry.

Speaker 1 (16:41):
And I'm going to add a Katie's tip. I've noticed
these and it's a bit shocking. Unfortunately, in my last
trip to Easily, if the bar has a machine that's
not an espresso machine, making the coffee is just late
because unfortunately, there are some terrible coffee is being made

(17:01):
out of machines. And I'm not going to name names
or shame make any shameful revelations, but it's like a
seams with further north you go, the lazier they get
when it comes to coffee.

Speaker 4 (17:14):
Your words not made. I would agree wholeheartedly, but there's.

Speaker 5 (17:19):
Some I don't want to say animosity, but between north
and South we may differ on how we see things.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
Let's say, oh, well, I'm well, I'll actually learned a
few things thanks museum. So I think, you know, maybe
I might after a bit of jet lag, you might
be in need of a cafe.

Speaker 5 (17:39):
But yeah, and I often like to have one. Maybe
it's like a mid afternoon snack. Pairing it with Bailey's
will give you the creaminess and sweetness in and of itself,
and so that's a nice little fun afternoon interlude from
time to time.

Speaker 4 (17:56):
Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 5 (17:57):
Now after breakfast you may go food shopping. So we
can now talk about how to act in a market. Okay,
we are very very lucky in Italy to have a
very big market culture. There's more and more little supermarkets
that are starting to replace them, unfortunately, but we're very
very lucky to still be able to shop on a

(18:18):
very regular basis in markets. Nearly every neighborhood will have
its own market. But therefore you should know how to
properly act. Okay, So first and foremost, don't just walk
up to.

Speaker 4 (18:30):
A vendor and start touching the fruit.

Speaker 5 (18:32):
That's something that is going to drive the vendor and
saying if you see people doing it, those are the
regulars that go to that place on a daily basis,
and they're allowed to.

Speaker 4 (18:47):
They have earned the right to choose their own vegetables.

Speaker 5 (18:51):
Okay, So normally you're going to ask for assistance and
they will bag the stuff for you. What is nice
if you're serious about buying something small like grapes or
cherry tomatoes, things like that, you can ask to try
one to see if it's got the desired right and
sweetness whatever, and sometimes even the vendor will offer for

(19:13):
you to try, but always start out asking for assistance.
They may then tell you go ahead and do your
own thing, but you should in no way just walk
up and start serving yourself, Okay.

Speaker 4 (19:25):
It's considered very rude.

Speaker 5 (19:27):
Especially if you don't even acknowledge the vendors. So once again,
you show up, always a good idea to say hello.

Speaker 4 (19:34):
You know, you're acknowledging them.

Speaker 5 (19:35):
You're letting them know that you're interested in what they're selling,
and they will definitely appreciate that.

Speaker 4 (19:41):
Know that, even.

Speaker 5 (19:42):
Within the space of a week a couple of days
that you're in a place, the more and more frequently
you buy from a specific vendor, the more freedom you'll have. Now,
the more they'll appreciate you who the more they know
who you are, the moral ok they'll be with letting
you do your thing, okay, And this also has to

(20:04):
do with pride. Now, by going back to a vendor repeatedly,
you're telling them that you really appreciate and like what
it is that they're selling. And Italians are very proud
when it comes in general, but especially when it comes
to food and drink, So you're validating that what they're
selling is amazing and they'll like you more because of that. Now,

(20:27):
ordering can sometimes be confusing as far as what quantity
you can buy things in and the price will help
you a lot. So look at the price and see
how it's being sold. Normally, in a market setting, they're
going to be selling things by the kilo, which is
about two pounds if you work with the American system,

(20:49):
but sometimes, especially for more expensive things, they'll sell things
by the one hundred grams, which is called an eto
in Italian etto the English word is hectogram, but no
one uses it, which is.

Speaker 4 (21:00):
About a quarter pound.

Speaker 5 (21:01):
And there's also shirtain items that we will be sold
and priced by the unit, which is Alpezzo or Luno.

Speaker 4 (21:10):
So look at the price and it'll tell you how
to order. Another thing you can do to ensure that.

Speaker 5 (21:17):
You're buying the best possible version of what you're getting
is to tell them when it's for So, for example,
if you're buying stone fruit, melons, per simmons, things that
can ripen very quickly and can get very soft. If
you're buying something even for the day after, let them

(21:38):
know and they'll give you one that will be ripe
on the day.

Speaker 4 (21:43):
Plus they'll be very impressed.

Speaker 5 (21:44):
You know this because they don't expect you as a
visitor to know that you can order stuff for the
day you want to consume it in, so just tell
them when it's for This is for today.

Speaker 4 (21:55):
I would also like a couple for you know, two
days from now.

Speaker 1 (21:58):
It's making me laugh because at our green Grosser, I
really wish we'd have that service because what happens is
everyone is going around and we do not have the
do not touch rule either. I was squeezing the fruit
to try and get to their own judgment of when
it's going to be ready, so by I don't know,
who knows how many people have squeeze that a precott
or whatever on the time you get to it.

Speaker 5 (22:20):
It's pretty gross when you think about Yeah, and that's
their main grape with it.

Speaker 4 (22:27):
Plus if you squeeze a little too.

Speaker 5 (22:29):
Hard, you can bruise the fruit and then they won't
be able to sell it now. And it's also something
to consider for maybe people that shop more in supermarketstms
and stuff because that's what's available where you live. Produce
in Italy is so delicious because it's very very natural

(22:51):
and therefore can go off very quickly. I'll never forget
the first time my wife and I moved back here
after living in the US, we did a week's worth
of shopping, and by day four everything that we hadn't
consumed was either wilting or rotting. And it's like great
fruit and vege go bad now, whereas a lot of

(23:13):
fruit and vegs that you get in say more industrialized
food chains have been grown and bred to last longer
and to look better.

Speaker 4 (23:23):
And so that's also where they're telling them when.

Speaker 5 (23:25):
It's four plays into it now, like if you buy something,
it's not necessarily going to be edible in four or
five days to something else.

Speaker 1 (23:34):
To keep in mind, I mean, I think it's also
interesting because the no touch rule is also in place
in the supermarket right that I've noticed that I've noticed not.

Speaker 3 (23:44):
A finger wag.

Speaker 5 (23:46):
Absolutely, And in that case in supermarkets by now, near
the little baggies that you're going to put the fruit
and veg into, weagh there's normally going to be disposable
gloves as well. So obviously if you see those, the
queue is that you should wear them exactly for the
reason we were talking about, so you don't have dozens

(24:06):
of people touching the same truth that then you are.

Speaker 4 (24:08):
Going to eat.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
That's very sensible, really.

Speaker 5 (24:10):
Yeah, no, it kind of makes sense. So that covers
the market side of things. Obviously, if you're going to
a fishmonger or a butcher, they will be doing everything
for you, so you don't have to worry about touching stuff,
but remember to address them politely, smile, be nice, all
of that fun stuff. If there is something that you're
not familiar with and you want to try something new,

(24:33):
or you want to cook something that you haven't cooked before,
know that the individual vendor will be more than happy
to give you recipes. And this goes for butchers, fishmongers,
fruit and vench. People say excuse me, how would you
prepare this? Come si prepara, and they'll be more than
happy to give you recipes for that as well. And actually,

(24:53):
if you ask them, they'll probably like you even more
because you were asking for their help. And if there's
one way to get an Italian on your team, not
to get them to help you out, is to have
them feel that they're really helping you out as opposed
to just doing her job. So that's a little tip
that goes above and beyond anything that's food related. Another

(25:17):
very common place that you would end up buying food
in is what we call an alimentari, which is essentially
your local deli where you would go to buy bread,
cold cuts, cookies, pasta, milk, that kind of stuff. These
are often tied in with bakeries, which are called pani

(25:41):
fichi from the Italian pani for bread or for which
simply means oven. Okay, so my favorite alimentari in the
neighborhood is also a punny feature. It's the same market etiquette,
let's say so, same general sampling rules. Go for meat,
since that they may be selling. Obviously, don't push it.

(26:03):
Don't sit there and have like a full sh margsport
of samples. The sampling I cannot repeat this enough is
only if you're going to buy something. If you sit
there and sample a bunch of stuff and say thank
you and walk.

Speaker 4 (26:15):
Away, that's not nice.

Speaker 5 (26:18):
So please only ask for examples if you're serious about
buying something. Obviously, you can ask for a sample of
things that are sold individually, like small cheeses or like
little salamis.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
If they have to cut.

Speaker 5 (26:34):
It open for you to sample it, chances are you can't.
But if it's a big wheel of cheese, they can
cut a little piece off. If it's like a proshuot
or something that goes on a slicer. They can cut
a little slice for you so you can see which
one you'd prefer. Because there's various types of salami, pro to, etc.
You can actually ask. You can specify when you're ordering

(26:56):
certain things. So for example, for cold cuts, you can
specify the thickness or.

Speaker 4 (27:02):
Thinness of the cold cut itself.

Speaker 5 (27:05):
I find that very thinly sliced cold cuts are a
lot more delicate and release their flavor better and have
a better mouthfeel.

Speaker 4 (27:14):
So sino fi no in Italian means thin.

Speaker 5 (27:20):
Let's say, and to amplify the fact that I want
them really thin, I say it twice, so I go
fino fino and it'll let them know to do it
as thin as they possibly can, whereas if you prefer
them thicker, spizo spe s s o means thick. But
you can even specify the dunness of your bread, and

(27:44):
this is how particular Italians can get wood ordering stuff.

Speaker 4 (27:48):
If you like crispy.

Speaker 5 (27:50):
Bread, you can say bangcotto, which means well done or
well cooked, and they'll give you the crispier ones that
are normally sitting on the.

Speaker 4 (27:59):
Outside of the baking tray.

Speaker 5 (28:01):
If you like softer breads, you say poco cotta or
less done or underdone, and they'll give you the softer ones.
So even within something as simple as ordering bread, you
can specify what kind you would like. Know that if
you're in an alimentardi that has both bread and cured
meats and cheeses, you can normally get them to make

(28:24):
a sandwich for you. Most sandwiches in Italy are very
very simple, Like most of the cooking that we do,
they're based on very few ingredients that are really good
and the interplay between those ingredients. So you'd get one,
you'd choose your bread, of which you can choose your dumness,
and then you could get one meat and or one cheese.

Speaker 4 (28:47):
And that's normally.

Speaker 5 (28:48):
There's no lettuce, tomato, dressing, mayonnaise, none of that fun stuff.
If they have cooked vegs or pickle to preserved vEDS
like sundried tomatoes, pickled out of cholk carts, that kind
of stuff, you can ask them to add that in
tear sandwich.

Speaker 4 (29:02):
The person serving.

Speaker 5 (29:03):
You may note that you're coming up with a very
creative sandwich since it has more than just one or
two things, But know that The filling is meant to
compliment the flavor of the bread, which is why it's
going to be mostly bread with just a little bit
of filling, as opposed to the American style sandwich, which
is mostly filling with just a bit of bread okay,
which I find equally delicious. These businesses, even though they

(29:27):
sell food, will close for lunch, which a lot of
visitors are very confused by. Alimentari will normally close around
one one thirty pm and reopen around four four thirty pm.
It's called siesta, which literally means nap, but it's actually
most businesses will tend to shut down for lunch.

Speaker 4 (29:50):
Confusingly, some of those will actually be serving food.

Speaker 5 (29:53):
I have brought up to the various places I go
to that shut down for lunch and have explained to
them confusing this is. To some visitors, the answer is unanimously, well,
what we don't get a lunch break?

Speaker 4 (30:08):
Now.

Speaker 5 (30:09):
It's one of the things I love about Italy. It's
definitely the kind of place where you work to live
and not the other way around, and you can work
too much for your own good. Let's say another type
of food service establishment that you'll find in Italy that
you won't necessarily find in other parts of the world.
Is what we call a tabo lacalda, which means hot table,

(30:32):
which actually in the North I've seen called tabolafrida, which
means cold table. It's kind of like the prepared food
section of your local Delhi or supermarket, so it's super basic,
comb style cooking. The stuff will already be made and
served out in trays. You would normally get the stuff

(30:53):
to go and heat it at home, but you can.
They'll normally have a bit of seating for you to
die in if you want, and it's a quick and
an expensive way to have a meal.

Speaker 4 (31:04):
It's the closest thing you'll.

Speaker 5 (31:06):
Get to having home cooked Italian food without someone physically
inviting you into their home. So it's you know, un
fussy and fancy. And these places work mostly at lunch
rather than dinner, and like the Elementary and Pani FISHI,
they also tend to close for lunch.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
I remember when when I.

Speaker 1 (31:27):
Was there last time, the Tabla Kauda, the really special
one with the amazing egg plant parmigiana, was closed that
silly movie.

Speaker 3 (31:39):
I mean, I did like the movie and the filming,
and they did close that place, and I was like, no,
I wanted that.

Speaker 5 (31:49):
Yeah, it's pretty gutting when you try to go to.

Speaker 4 (31:51):
A place that movie.

Speaker 5 (31:53):
They actually were shooting scenes in some of the places
that we visit on tour because they're like historic location
in the neighborhood.

Speaker 4 (32:01):
So yeah, mixed emotions.

Speaker 5 (32:02):
It's like, it's great you guys are filming, but maybe
you could have gone elsewhere to film that part. Now
we have covered the like less formal places where you
can get food. There is something called pizza talio, which
or pizza labala, which is a kind of more specific

(32:23):
to rom It's our fast food equivalent to pizza. Each
pizza's already made. Each one has a price by weight.
You tell them how much of it you want, normally
by gesticulating, they cut off that piece weight and charge
you just for that. The food will nearly always be
taken to go. I like to do my own little
pizza tasting in that kind of establishment, the getting multiple

(32:46):
strips of different types of pizza.

Speaker 4 (32:49):
The person serving.

Speaker 5 (32:50):
You just wants to give you one big piece and
send you on your way, so it can take a
bit of negotiations. The easiest way to go about that
is you tell them what size you want for the
first slice. I normally go for a slightly smaller one
so I can get multiple types. Once they cut off
that size, you say great, I would like the same size.

Speaker 4 (33:10):
Of that one.

Speaker 5 (33:10):
That one and that one saves you about five minutes
of saying less less less less. But it's something that
it's a type of pizza that is specific to Rome.
You'll find it in other parts of the country, but
it won't be nearly as good. And once again, it's
one of these, you know, affordable quick ways to have
a meal on the go.

Speaker 4 (33:30):
Now, if we're talking about.

Speaker 5 (33:32):
Sit down meals, there's actually three main categories of dining
establishments in Italy. You have trattoie, osterie and restauranti. Tratria
is like your basic entry level dining establishment, unfussy, unfancy.

(33:55):
They normally have paper table cloths, the menu you won'tcessarily
come in a binder. Now, it's kind of rough and ready,
and the food reflects that. There is no plating involved.
It's just good, kind of hardy, stick yours kind of food.
And for example, in Atraturia, it would be maybe a

(34:15):
little strange to act super formal. So in a traturia,
you can be a little more familiar. Once again, it's
always a good idea to start out being formal, but
you can kind of take visual cues from the setting
you're in. Okay, the more rough and ready, the kind
of place, the you know, less formal, you're expected to
be a step up from that. Or let's say the

(34:38):
intermediary dining establishment between atraturia and aristorante, which is a restaurant.
So a fancier setting is what we call an osteria.
Now the term is kind of nebulous. It comes from
what used to be our local watering holes back in
the day. Austi means host, so nostidia is the place

(35:01):
where you would go, you know, hang out with your friends,
play cards, drink some cheap local wine, have some bread
and cheese. Maybe they would have prepared a couple of
dishes for the day. Nowadays, ostidia has become the synonym
for a slightly fanciertoria. Maybe you have nicer place settings,

(35:23):
maybe you have a nicer table where, slightly more formal service,
but it's still going to be a fairly informal setting.
That being said, the term is quite nebulous. For example,
what is considered to be the best Italian restaurant in Italy.
It's a three star Michelin called Ostadia Franciscana. So don't

(35:47):
think that if you're going to Studia Franciscana, it's going
to be like cheap and informal. The final and fancier
setting is adests and name implies restaurant where you would
normally have white tablecloths. The waiters will often be in
more formal attire, often like the three PCE suit with

(36:10):
the best. Know that waiting tables is a career profession
in Italy and you have waiters that will work in
the same restaurant their entire life, and so you do
have a lot of these old school waiters that where
you know the tie and you know the more formal attire.
The fact that they are career waiters, coupled with the

(36:33):
fact that Italians maybe aren't the best tippers in the world,
means that the service isn't going to be quite as
effusive or attentive as it may be in the US,
where your waiters working for tips and therefore is motivated
to be super nice and subservient and you know, make
sure that you're getting everything at every possible. Second, so

(36:56):
if you find that the service can be, let's say
a little more abrupt, it's because they don't have the
financial incentive to be really nice to you. It doesn't
really make a difference to them. That being said, you
should tip. There's a misconception that Italians do not tip,
and that tipping is not required in Italy. Italians do tip.

Speaker 4 (37:18):
They'll normally leave at least a couple of yuros per person.

Speaker 5 (37:21):
I leave ten percent, which, in comparison to the US
or I spent a lot of time, it's actually about
half of what you'd start tipping.

Speaker 4 (37:30):
But here ten percent is considered a very good tip.

Speaker 5 (37:33):
Okay, so know that you don't have to leave more
than that, but know that a tip is always appreciated.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
Insane.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
I'm going to stop you here because what I'm noticed
as well, now everyone is paying by card and you're
not often the opportunity you tea so and then not
of everyone's carrying cash. So yeah, I mean, I think
it's a little bit complicated actually, because you need to
remember to carry cash around to do your teap or
ask them to how to add a tip, because they

(38:02):
don't they don't do it naturally when they give you
the machine.

Speaker 4 (38:06):
Yeah, that's a very good point. Yeah, it's true.

Speaker 5 (38:09):
When they print out your credit card receipt in many
countries there you have the option of adding a tip,
putting the new total down and then they can close
out that check. That does not happen. That is a
very good point. Once you're paid, you're paid. It's also
true that a lot of places will not let you
add the tip on the credit card because that is

(38:30):
taxable income, and so they'll say, I'm sorry, you cannot
add the tip. So what you can do is you
can ask beforehand if you don't have cash, if you
can add tip on the credit card, which sometimes they'll
let you do. But yeah, that's a very good point.
My wife and I will make sure that we do
have at least enough money for a tip when we're.

Speaker 4 (38:53):
Heading out to eat. Now.

Speaker 5 (38:55):
Of course, if you don't have it on you, that's
not a problem. But if you do, like anywhere else,
tipping is appreciated. Being a waiter is sometimes not the
most fun job in the world. I'm speaking my experience,
you know, so, especially if you got my service, if
you like a person that was serving you, and it's
a good idea to show that appreciation in some monetary way.

(39:19):
I will say this, know that they're not allowed to
add a tip. That's actually not something that you're allowed
to do in this country. And you know, like in
any highly trafficked area with tourism, sometimes.

Speaker 4 (39:33):
You will be taken advantage of.

Speaker 5 (39:36):
And so know that they have to give you an
itemized bill, especially if the total is a lot more
than what you were expecting.

Speaker 4 (39:44):
They have to show you why you're paying what they're
asking you to pay.

Speaker 5 (39:49):
My easiest way of dealing with this kind of situation
is by playing dumb. I put on a big smile
and I say, I'm sorry, this is confusing.

Speaker 4 (39:58):
I'm just going to call the cops.

Speaker 5 (40:00):
And then normally the tone changes very quickly. They're like, oh, sorry,
this was for another table or you know, or sometimes
they'll they'll pretend to get indignant and so, you know what,
you don't have to bother pay. But it's it's an easy,
non confrontational way of dealing with the situation. You know,

(40:22):
you go, I'm sorry, this is confusing to me. I'm
just going to call the police.

Speaker 3 (40:27):
I'm going to.

Speaker 5 (40:30):
Yeah, although hopefully won't have to get to that, but
know that that is a resource at your disposal. So
in one of these settings, when you're ready to order
same thing, it's nice to address the person serving you politely,
so schoozy, once again, excuse me, and then I would

(40:52):
like to order so bay or donadi portray or donadi.
You're just being nice, you're saying you're ready to or
you're doing so in a very polite way. When we
eat out, the Italians will normally have there's three savory
courses before you hit dessert. So there's the appetizer, which
is antipasto. There's the starch course, which is the primo,

(41:18):
which means first, which is confusing because this is your
second course, but we like to keep you guys on
your toes. The primo is going to be your starch course,
which here is the intermediary course between your appetizer and
your main, the main an Italian is called the secundo,
the second course. Know that most mains do not come
with sides. You're just ordering the main protein. So if

(41:41):
that's the case, then there's also a list of kuntorni,
which are the side dishes that you would then ask
to have with your segondo.

Speaker 4 (41:51):
We don't always.

Speaker 5 (41:53):
Do the full three course Shaban now often will do
just two so appetizer and primo appetizer and may or
pasta and maine. If you do want to split meals,
I will say it's not appreciated if you split one
of each. So if your idea is to split an appetizer,

(42:17):
a pasta and a maine, make.

Speaker 4 (42:19):
That two courses.

Speaker 5 (42:21):
Say that you're going to split the appetizer and then
order one pasta and one main, and then you and
the person you're eating with can pass them back and forth,
or maybe you can ask for side plates. But it's
something that they'll definitely appreciate because in Italy most restaurants
don't plan.

Speaker 4 (42:39):
On turning tables.

Speaker 5 (42:40):
It's not like in you know, say, busier Western cities
where or not necessarily Western, but busier cities where restaurants
focus on turning tables to make money. Often if you
book a table, it's considered yours for the seating. But
therefore they do expect that you're going to eat a

(43:02):
normal what Italians consider a normal amount of food, and
Italians would never have three courses splitting each course, So
if you plan on doing that, that's absolutely fine also
because I understand that visiting Italy you may not be
able to eat quite as much as we do on
a regular basis. But just know that they will very

(43:24):
much appreciate you splitting the appetizer and then one person
can order the main, one person can order the pasta,
as opposed to asking to split each thing, which they
then if maybe only with their facial expressions, but you
may get the sentiment that you're not quite as welcome
as you may have initially have felt if you're kind

(43:46):
of sitting.

Speaker 4 (43:46):
At the table a little too long. Also, know that
you have to ask for the check.

Speaker 5 (43:53):
It's considered very rude and frankly unacceptable to drop the
check without it being asked for. And this is something
I moved back to Italy close to seven years ago now,
and I worked for a very long time in hospitality
in other parts of the world, where it was ingrained
into me as a waiter to kind of have around

(44:15):
the table and five minutes after they seem to be done,
if they don't want anything else, boom, you drop the
check and get them on their way. That is not
something that happens in Italy, and if it is, it's
considered really rude, and.

Speaker 4 (44:27):
So remember you have to ask for the check.

Speaker 5 (44:30):
So if at the end of your meal you feel
like you're being ignored, it's because they're actually treating you
like locals. They're expecting you to just want to sit
around and chit chat and finish your wine or water
for as long as you like without consuming anything else.
It's your right to do so, but therefore you're expected
to consume a certain amount. And when it comes to water,

(44:51):
know that most of the time restaurants do not serve
tap water.

Speaker 4 (44:54):
They will serve either sparkling or still.

Speaker 5 (44:58):
In certain parts of the country they are have a
mid level of sparkling water called effervescent or slightly sparkling water.
But know that tap water isn't really a thing, and
so if they ask you sparkling are still, you have
to tell them one of the two.

Speaker 4 (45:12):
If you say tap, they'll probably just say no.

Speaker 1 (45:15):
In the States, do you get asked that, I mean,
we get asked here do you want to still tap
or bottle sparkling? It's quite interesting, like you have a
veritable smagas boider water is now. Actually i'm here in Australia,
I don't know what it's like in the US.

Speaker 5 (45:32):
So I worked for quite a long time in New York,
both in kitchens and in front of the house. So
in the dining room in New York the way they
teach you to do it because and it goes with
up selling, you know, trying to sell as much as
you can to build up the check so you get
a bigger.

Speaker 4 (45:49):
Tip and so the restaurant can make more money.

Speaker 5 (45:51):
But in New York they say sparkling are still often
and what you have to say. The code word in
New York for tap water is water, and so they'll
say sparkling or still, and you say ice water is fine,
thank you very much, And the waiter will not walk away,
often looking a little disappointed that you do to say that.

Speaker 4 (46:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (46:11):
Otherwise they'll say would you like sparkling still or ice water?
Ice water is cold for temp but often they won't
say so that you say sparkling a still, and then
you're paying for it instead of it being for free.
That being said, water does cost less here than it
does in other place, so you're not necessarily in most
places you're not going to be spending like seven dollars

(46:31):
for a bottle Patligo. It'll probably be like maybe three
with restaurants. It's also I constantly get asked if a
guess should make a reservation for a restaurant, and it's
very simple. If you want to guarantee that you're going
to get to eat there, make a reservation, especially if
they're famous or if they're busy, make a reservation.

Speaker 4 (46:54):
Okay.

Speaker 5 (46:54):
In many places actually allow you to book online nowadays,
which is very notable for this country.

Speaker 4 (47:02):
One of the great things.

Speaker 5 (47:04):
Well, I guess it's a double edged sort, but especially
from Rome down, we're kind of stuck about forty fifty
years behind the rest of the world, and so online
presence isn't necessarily a thing. Restaurants won't necessarily have websites,
but many nowadays will actually have ways to book online,
so that makes it easier.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
They'll often ask you to.

Speaker 5 (47:24):
Put a credit card down that's the cover for no shows,
which is actually a big problem for the restaurant owner,
which and I can't stress this enough. If you make
a reservation and you can't make it, please cancel. And
this goes for anywhere, like even at home. It's not
only when you're traveling you're doing a restaurant a favor.

(47:45):
It means that they know that you won't be showing up,
and if they have a walk in, they can sell
that table. So please be considerate. And if you can't
make it, cancel ahead of time.

Speaker 3 (47:55):
How far in advance should we book?

Speaker 5 (47:57):
For me, it's always a good idea, like, as soon
as you know what your plan is, try to book.
I'll be honest, I will sometimes when traveling, make two
bookings for the same meal, and as I get closer
to the date, I'll cancel one of the two. But
I do that at least like two days before, so
you give the restaurant a chance to rebook that table. Also,

(48:19):
because as you say, food is perishable, and if you
make a reservation, the restaurant is factoring that into how
much food they're preparing for that service. And so this
is especially relevant if you're booking a large party. So
if you have if you book the table for ten
and only four of you show up and you didn't
let the restaurant know, that's not a very nice thing

(48:43):
to do, Okay, So just remember try to keep the
restaurant up to date with your reservation.

Speaker 4 (48:49):
And the number of people.

Speaker 5 (48:50):
Also, if you have any young children in your party,
specify that because there's a big difference between eight adults
and four adults and four kids. And this also goes
back to the amount of food that's being prepared and
what kind of food. Kids also take up less space,
so maybe they'll be able to see you in a

(49:12):
different part of the restaurant, but always specify if you
have young children.

Speaker 4 (49:17):
That does make a very big difference to the restaurant.

Speaker 3 (49:20):
I don't know if it makes a difference with.

Speaker 1 (49:22):
My children because I eat so much like they refuse
to with child meals, So you know, like I think
I always book at them as adults.

Speaker 5 (49:32):
Yeah, no, no, for sure, And it's something that I
must say I sympathize with wholeheartedly. I could eat my
weight and food as a child. But I'm referring more
to like I know, if you have like poddlers, or
if you have kids in a high chair or they're
going to need.

Speaker 4 (49:48):
A high chair.

Speaker 5 (49:49):
Those are all things that you should specify when making
the reservation.

Speaker 4 (49:54):
So as far as reservations go, some places won't let.

Speaker 5 (49:57):
You book more than like a month out in a
in which case, if you can't make a reservation months ahead,
that's normally the case it's always a good idea to
contact the restaurant just to find out. But yeah, in
my mind, the sooner you book, the better because you're
just guaranteeing yourself the.

Speaker 4 (50:13):
Chance to eat there.

Speaker 5 (50:15):
If you cannot get a booking, there is kind of
a sheet that you can try. This won't guarantee you
getting in the door, but as I said, most Italian
restaurants will book tables for that seating for that shift,
and so if you show up when the restaurant opens,

(50:36):
so say twelve twelve thirty for lunch or seven seven
thirty pm for dinner. If you say, look, I'm very sorry,
we do not have a table, but we were hoping
to have a quick meal, which in Italy is like
an hour and a half hour hour and a half,
they may be able to seat you, and they may
apologetically say okay, we can seat you, but we're very sorry,

(50:57):
we need the table back by nine, as if it's
an impossible to have a meal in two hours.

Speaker 4 (51:02):
But that is often a way that.

Speaker 5 (51:04):
You can get into even the busier places, because they'll
stagger reservations, meaning they'll take x number of reservations at
seven seven thirty eight o'clock so that you don't see
the dining room all at the same time and flood
the kitchen with orders. And so since they stagger a seating,
they'll often.

Speaker 4 (51:25):
Be able to see you quickly.

Speaker 5 (51:26):
So if you can't get a reservation, that's kind of
a way that you can maybe try to get a table,
although it doesn't guarantee that you will as far as
seatings go, as I said, they normally will just consider
your table to be yours for that service. If they
do multiple seatings, they'll normally have one on like seven

(51:47):
pm and one maybe around like nine pm, although I
repeat in Rome, there's only a handful of places that
I know that actually do that. It's important to know
the hours of dining establishment because that can often point
out whether it's a tourist trap or not. Most local
dining establishments close down between lunch and dinner shifts, so

(52:11):
they'll close around three three thirty and reopen around seven
seven thirty. Any restaurant that does service throughout the day
is often not catering to locals and may therefore be
a tourist trap, so it's not a given that it is.
But most local eateries do shut down between lunch and dinner.
And obviously there are exceptions to everything I just said,

(52:33):
but these are good rules to go by.

Speaker 1 (52:37):
Oh my gosh, so many things you do know when
you've made a faux pas, you really do so NAZM,
thank you so much for sharing all these amazing cultural tips.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
I think it's really fun to learn about this stuff.

Speaker 1 (52:53):
Because that's really so much part of travel, isn't it, Like,
you know, comparing and contrasting what you do at home
somewhere else and thinking, oh, maybe they do it better,
and can I maybe borrow some of those ideas and
do it at home. So you know, I don't know
how to go. If you walked into your local grosser
and said, can.

Speaker 3 (53:13):
You select my grapes for me? They probably just.

Speaker 4 (53:15):
Look at you.

Speaker 1 (53:16):
And but I think it's really fun to do that.
And you know, I love to go to a market
all around the world, and it's so interesting to see
all not only the different projects, but the different ways
that people interact. And thank you so much for making
sure that we're well versed, especially on the market situation,

(53:36):
because it can be quite painful to what someone that's
being told off in that situation.

Speaker 5 (53:43):
Definitely, especially with the confusion if you didn't know that,
it's not something that's acceptable, because it's true. By now,
we're all used to shopping on our own, you know,
especially with automated checkout and all of these things that
you see more and more often, so you may not
even know that you're doing something wrong, but it could
very well anger someone.

Speaker 4 (54:04):
I did want to add one final thought, let's call it.

Speaker 5 (54:09):
I find that Italians can sometimes get a little too
intense when it comes to food and can sometimes get
a little too easily offended. Not if you're doing something
that's non traditional or you ask for something that breaks tradition.
I have an argument for that which you can feel
free to use.

Speaker 4 (54:29):
It will know.

Speaker 5 (54:30):
That this may anger the person that you're talking to.
But prior to the discovery of the Americas, tomatoes didn't
exist anywhere else in the world. Tomatoes, potatoes, corn, chilies.

Speaker 4 (54:43):
And chocolate. I believe all game from the Americas. So
prior to the fifteen.

Speaker 5 (54:48):
Hundreds, Italian food did not contain tomatoes, which is very confusing.

Speaker 4 (54:52):
It is probably the ingredient that is most associated to.

Speaker 5 (54:55):
Our local diet, which means that it's thanks to someone
that broke tradition. Five hundred years ago and started using
tomatoes that we have the food that we have nowadays.
So when they get a little too intense, I like
to remind them of that and say, maybe relax and
bring me whatever it is I'm asking for. This often
happens when I ask for the quote unquote wrong thing.

(55:17):
So you say you asked for cheese on the wrong pasta, which, oh,
there's actually a visual queue for that. When the pasta
is served to you. If there's a dusting of cheese
on top of the pasta, they're telling you that the
cook used a bit of cheese when mixing the pasta
and the sauce, and you can add cheese to it
no problem. If you do not see that dusting of cheese,

(55:40):
which is often replaced by sprinkling and parsley, what they're
telling you is that no cheese was used and.

Speaker 4 (55:46):
So you should not add cheese.

Speaker 5 (55:48):
Okay, once again, you're on vacation, you're paying for this food.
If you want cheese anyway, feel free to ask for it.
But if you get pushed back because you don't see.

Speaker 4 (55:57):
The cheese, you now know why.

Speaker 3 (56:01):
Oh my gosh, but I was going to add that.

Speaker 1 (56:03):
If you're going to make you know if you're going
to like be a little bit contentious deliberately on purpose
with your tomato story Tomato tomato, then I think you
should deploy your best ever big smile and chinky green
because that's the way you absolutely all right. I know
that you've had very many happy podcasts listening humans join

(56:28):
your food tours lately, including me several times.

Speaker 3 (56:31):
Ha haha.

Speaker 1 (56:33):
Can you let everyone know how everyone else can stay
in touch with you and join one of your amazing tours?

Speaker 5 (56:41):
So you can find me on Instagram.

Speaker 4 (56:44):
The handle is full belly Tours. You can see tours.

Speaker 5 (56:49):
And availability in real time on my website at fullbellytours
dot com. And you can also just email me directly
if you'd like, at info at full belly Tours, And
it would be.

Speaker 4 (57:02):
A pleasure to get to meet you and show your
own manic otherwords.

Speaker 1 (57:05):
And you will definitely go home with a full belly.
I can really attest to that.

Speaker 4 (57:09):
Yeah, I wanted to convey what would happen by the
end of the tour.

Speaker 3 (57:13):
Yeah, it's definitely it's not false advertising at all.

Speaker 1 (57:17):
Graz Nazi, as always, thank you so much for coming
on the podcast.

Speaker 3 (57:22):
It's absolutely a pleasure to.

Speaker 1 (57:24):
Chat and hear all the little nuances about the food
culture in beautiful Roma and Italy.

Speaker 4 (57:31):
Thank you, thank you again for having me. It's always
such a pleasure.

Speaker 1 (57:35):
So well, listeners, I don't know that you're going to
get any better or more detailed information on the topic
of Italian food and restaurant etiquette than you've just heard
from Nazine. Having been on the end of a few
side eye glances, I can tell you that they take
these manners very seriously. Of course, I don't want to
over exaggerate, because Italians do know if you're not from there,

(57:59):
but I do think it's and very polite to respect
local customs and traditions. Plus, as an added bonus, it's
a real escape from everyday life and part of the
joy of travel to experience different ways of doing things.
To get a refresh of these tips and make sure
you've fully understood them, you can read about them in
detail in our episode show notes available on our website

(58:19):
at untoldhy dot com forward slash two one one for
episode two hundred and eleven. You'll also find all of
Nazim's details and his website should you wish to book
a tour, highly highly recommended and probably one of the
best things that you will do in Rome. Grautzimile, thanks
for your ongoing support of Untold Italy. We truly appreciate

(58:40):
all of you, our dear listeners, joining us from around
the world, and we'd love it if you help spread
the words so we can reach more Italy loving travelers
just like you.

Speaker 3 (58:50):
The best way that you can do this is by.

Speaker 1 (58:52):
Leaving us a rating or review on your favorite podcast
app or forwarding this episode onto a friend who also
loves a colorful town, delightful local customs and the magic
of Italy. Next time on the podcast, we're doing something
a little different, Inspired by many of you, and with
a gentle nudge from a recent client, I'm going to
share the as yet untold story of Untold Italy, where

(59:16):
it all began, how it grew, and where I see
it going in the future.

Speaker 3 (59:20):
But until then, it's chow for now. The Untold Italy
podcast is an independent production podcast editing, audio production and
website development by Mark Hatter, Production assistance and content writing
by the are They KG Clark, Yes there are two
of us.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
For more information about Untold Italy, please visit Untold Italy
dot com SA

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