Rick Steves’ Europe: Ciao Chow - Italians on American Food
After a swig of wine, Manfredo continues, “If you go to an American restaurant and say the food is bad, you get a coupon for a free meal. More bad food. If you say the food is bad in a restaurant in Italy, you get kicked out. To get free food here, it is vice versa. You say, ‘This is the best beefsteak I ever eat.’ Chef will then say, ‘You must try the dessert.’ You say ‘Oh no.’ He says, ‘Here. Please. Take it for free.’”
Diana says, “In a real Italian restaurant when you complain, the chef will tell you, ‘I cooked this as a boy the way my grandmother cooked this.’ It cannot be wrong.”
I ask, “What do you think about French food?”
Manfredo, peppering a puddle of oil on a small plate, responds, “The French make fine sauces to help the taste of mediocre ingredients. With the French there are two things great: their wine and their art. Since the time of Napoleon, they think only of their wine and their art. In the south they are like the Italians. But from Paris and north, they are so proud they are boring.”
Tearing off a piece of bread and dabbing it in the oil, Diana says, “For me, the French cheese, it is the Italian cheese with mold. If we have cheese that doesn’t sell, it gets moldy. After some days, it is perfect for the French.”
Raising my glass of wine, I offer a toast to Italian food: “To cucina italiana!”
Manfredo follows that, saying magnanimously, “To bacon and eggs!”
We all agree that American breakfasts are unbeatable.
“Omelets, hash browns...” Manfredo reminisces with a nostalgic sigh. “On my last visit to New York, I gain four kilos in three weeks.”
Raising our glasses filled with fine vino rosso, we all say, “To American breakfasts!”
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(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This article was adapted from his new book, For the Love of Europe. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)
©2022 Rick Steves. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(c)2022 RICK STEVES DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
