Dining in an Italian restaurant is sure to be a delicious experience. But like any cuisine, Italian cuisine does come with its own set of etiquette rules and guidelines that can be traced back to its national origins. If you want to have the most authentic dining experience and also avoid offending any staff or fellow diners, then it's a good idea to adhere to these etiquette rules during your visit.
Don't ask for or expect salad dressing.
When the salad course comes — and you can expect it to come after the entree, not before — there will likely be bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar along with it. These may be separate, or they might be mixed together. Either way, they are for dressing the salad. It would be considered rude to ask for any other salad dressing.
Don't cut your pasta.
This applies mostly to long pasta, like spaghetti and linguine, although it would also be rude to cut shorter pasta. The proper way to eat long pasta is to twirl it around your fork, a few strands at a time. Cutting it with a knife will get you some confused looks.
Let the host take a bite before you start eating.
Whoever invited the group to dinner is considered the host for the duration of your dining experience. In an Italian restaurant, it is considered rude to start eating before the host. Technically, they should announce "buon appetito" before you and the rest of the party dig in, but since you're in a restaurant in the U.S., simply waiting for them to take a bite is good enough.
Treat coffee as dessert.
It would be considered very off in an Italian restaurant to drink coffee before your meal or with your meal. So order wine, water, beer, or even a soft drink to go with your meal. If there is coffee on the menu, don't order it until after dessert. And expect espresso drinks, rather than American brewed coffee.
Ask for the check if it does not come.
Italian dining is all about taking your time and enjoying your meal. As such, the servers may not bring you the check until you ask for it, as they don't want this gesture to be seen as their rushing you away. If you're ready to go, kindly gesture to your server, and ask them for the check.
Following these etiquette guidelines will help you have a better experience the next time you visit an Italian restaurant. To learn about the different types of food you can find at Italian restaurants, contact a restaurant like Tony & Joe's Pizzeria.
Share29 April 2020
Running a restaurant can be incredibly overwhelming, especially since owners have to worry about everything from handling employees to going through and dealing with vendor problems. About a year ago, I decided to start talking with more restaurant owners about how they ran their businesses so that I could gain some valuable insights into improving my own operation. It was difficult at first, but after a little while, I felt like I was really starting to understand some of the deeper concepts. Check out this blog to find out more information about improving your restaurant. I know that you won't be disappointed.