There are three types of Italian restaurants:
ristorante – the most expensive one, with white table clothes, a wine list and more formal clothes
trattoria – usually small place run by the family,more casual, cheaper but still good meals with paper table clothes and the wine sold by the decanter
osteria – traditionally located in the small town, or on the city suburbs was more meeting places, where Italian people would spend the evening with friends
over the carafe of local wine produced in small quantities and simple food again made from the local ingredients.
the wine lovers should go to enoteca ( which literally means ‘wine repository’) the wine shop with regional stuff.
The enoteca often collaborates with tourism organisation and growers, and serves as the place where customers can find the local wine.
The shop features small amount of each local wine to taste, and people willing to buy large quantities are referred to the producer.
There are several places similar to ‘fast-food’ stories:
tavola calda a self service bar with large choice of hot dishes to take, the name tavola calda ( which means ‘hot table’) goes from the time
when one was able to taste the piece from all meat available in the restaurant or shop served on hot plate
paninotecha sells panini – sandwiches made from ciabatta ( bread ) filled with salami, prosciutto or cheese, sometimes served hot called ‘toast’
birreria is the place to drink beer in the afternoon, now more often they also serve some food similar to paninotecha and as in a paninotecha often there is beer
many of locals can be described either way
The shop called rosticceria prepares and cooks the meal in advance, then keeps it warm, and sells the wrapped food to take away and eat at home.
Traditionally rosticeria sells roast chicken, but also many other kind of local meat, potatoes and vegetables or lasagna.
[photo courtesy of AngelsWings]
And the Italian specialty – Pizza.
The best one is served in restaurants, which prepare pizza in oven heated by wood (forno a legna) and very popular is its fast food version pizza al taglio ( a slice )baked in square form, sold by slices in the shops.
Guides: Culture, Food, General Info
