Think You Are Dining In An Authentic Italian Restaurant? The Food Always Tells The Truth

Posted on: 26 July 2017

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Many restaurants claim to serve authentic Italian food. But many of the items that are served, or the way that they are prepared, are not authentic. Here are a few of the tell-tale signs that you are indeed eating authentic Italian food:

The Caprese 

Caprese is a classic Italian appetizer. It features fresh sliced tomatoes and chunks of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. However, many American Italian food restaurants place balsamic vinegar on top of their caprese. This is not authentic. In Italy, they top it off with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. This helps to compliment the flavors in the dish, rather than overpower them like balsamic vinegar can do. 

The Garlic Bread

Garlic bread is another staple that can be found in Italian restaurants. However, one of the keys ways to tell whether a restaurant is serving authentic Italian food or Americanized Italian food is to take a look at the bread. Americanized restaurants bake butter into their garlic bread. Authentic Italian restaurants will drizzle oil on their bread, rub some garlic on and then toast it. This may be served alone or with a plate of oil. However, it never contains or is served with butter. 

The Meatballs

Americans are famous for their American-sized food. And this is the case with Americanized meatballs versus authentic Italian ones. The meatballs are huge, being as big as a softball in some places. In authentic Italian cuisine, a meatball should never be larger that the size of a golf ball. If they are, they are not authentic Italian food. 

The Sauce Presentation

Another key difference between authentic Italian food and Americanized Italian food is how the sauce is placed on the pasta. In Authentic Italian cuisine, the sauce is tossed in evenly with the pasta. This ensures that every piece is equally coated and there is not too much or too little sauce. In Americanized Italian cuisine, a scoop of the sauce is often placed right in the middle of a bed of noodles. This is a key sign that you are not eating at an Authentic Italian eatery. 

At the end of the day, if the food is good and you enjoy it, it should not make much difference if it is authentic or not. However, if you have been to Italy or are from Italy and are craving some authentic Italian food, these hints will help clue you in to whether the restaurant you are considering dining in serves authentic food or not. 

Contact a restaurant like Villa Romana Italian Restaurant for more information and assistance.