Part travel guidebook and part food encyclopedia, Steves’ latest book delves into Italy’s food and drink culture by region. Steves partnered with his longtime friend and writer Fred his Plotkin. Fred Plotkin is a Cavaliere della Stella d’Italia (essentially the Italian version of a knight) for his career educating people about Italian culture.
This book covers it all: the history of Italian wine, the intricacies of Florentine appetizers, the units of measurement required on the market, and much more. There is an extensive glossary in the back.
We spoke with Steves about what he’s learned about Italian culinary culture over a lifetime of eating and drinking in Italy, and collected some essential tips for your next trip.
Skip the towering brightly colored gelato
A Google search for ‘Italian gelato’ brings up images of mountains of bright ice cream. But Steves says:
reason? “A good gelateria doesn’t want their gelato exposed to the air by being such a pile,” Steves said.
Instead, look for places that are reasonably packed with lidded gelato and away from tourist hotspots. “Most towns have gelateria that are popular with locals.”
Steves also suggests learning some gelateria phrases to enhance the experience. “It’s okay to ask for a taste,” he said. “So we need a word for ‘flavor’.” Or do you prefer staff?
don’t eat on expensive streets
When hunger or thirst strikes, stop and assess your surroundings. Are you on the main street? A corner of a popular square? keep walking. Steves’ rule of thumb is to avoid establishments on “high-rent streets” when choosing where to eat, whether it’s gelato or dinner. The more expensive it is to run your business, the more likely you are to be disappointed with your experience.
Find a few streets away from major points of interest and off the main roads. Avoid places with large English signs such as ‘English Speaks’, ‘No Frozen Food’, or pre-printed menus in 5 languages.
“We need a small handwritten menu in one language,” says Steves. “Then you want to make sure there are noisy locals.
When in doubt, go by region and seasonally
If you don’t speak Italian, it can be difficult to scan the menu board or open the wine list at the restaurant. Some words you know (such as Laghu and Chianti) and others you don’t know can grow exponentially. The trick is not to get bogged down by language barriers. Instead, Steves recommends asking your server for a good one nearby.
“In Italy, eating in season and eating locally is a passion,” Steves said. That goes for both your food order and drink order. Often the best pairings come from food and drink made in the same region. If the place is known for its pork, there are winemakers in the area who have figured out the perfect flavor balance to pair with it.
“This is a celebration in Italy,” Steves said. It’s not just food. It’s a pride.
You can also come prepared. “You need to have something like a hit list of things you want to try during your time at the company. [a particular] Mr Steves said: “In Veneto we eat polenta, in Naples we eat pizza, in Umbria we eat wild boar.
Order with a sense of adventure
Having hosted tour groups on field trips for decades, Steves knows that Americans are prone to falling into habit when ordering food in Italy.
“From my experience as a tour guide, I know a lot of people go to Italy and all they get is spaghetti bolognese, spaghetti bolognese,” he said. Pizza, spaghetti bolognese, tiramisu, tiramisu, house wine.”
break the mold. While you may have a favorite dish you want to revisit, “Be a little adventurous,” says Steves, noting that travelers can stretch their itinerary to get the most out of their trip. I insisted it was important. You don’t have to order anything that doesn’t look appetizing. Rather, Steves asks for recommendations and encourages you to “try things you’ve never thought of before.”
“The last time I was in Venice, I had a zucchini flower pizza, and it was the best pizza I had in my entire trip,” he said. “It looked like a big bouquet of zucchini flowers on top of the pizza and it was amazing.”
He added:
One of Steves’ best tips for dining in Italy has nothing to do with the food, but it has nothing to do with the company (applies no matter where you travel). “When you’re out and about, it’s nice to find an excuse to dine with someone new to refresh the conversation,” he said.
This is not disrespect for travel partners or groups. “It’s the same person over and over again,” said Steves, even though he likes dining with them. If you make friends or get to know the people at the table next to you, both of you will have more fun conversations.”
