Want to Eat Italian? Learn to read the Menu!

Are you sure every time you go to an Italian restaurant you are gonna eating Italian? My last post should have demonstrate you it's not always so.
There are thousand of Italians who emigrated abroad in the last century and many of those who own a restaurant today are not 1° generation Italian. This doesn't mean you can't have a great meal but that probably what you will eat won't be 100% Italian.
No, you can't enter and ask, "Sorry where were you born? And your parents?"
But there is something you can do if you're looking for better chance to meet real Italian recipes. 
                  
READ THE MENU that's outside the restaurant.

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I remember when I went to Little Italy in NY; owners trying to get me in stating it was the real Italian food (not knowing I could read the menu) and...no!!!! I mean, if you CAN'T write an Italian menu, do you really think I'm going to enter? The only time I did it was in San Diego, a menu perfeclty written in Italian and...a perfect Italian dinner. Yes, they were Italians.

What you will find here is an "ironic guide" (ironic but true) to help you increasing the chances to eat an Italian meal.
Many Italians reading my blog told me, "Please, tell them it's not LINGUINI!!!"
So...here you go folks!!!

1. The first is the one that breaks my heart every single time. MACARONI. There is not Italian word that has been violated like this one. Friends, it's MACCHERONI, cross on my heart.                                                                                                                                      MAC-CHE-RO-NI. All the world correclty say "spaghetti" but this one seems to be impossibile. 
2. LINGUINI (Italians happy now?). Forget it. It's LINGUINE. Feminine. It comes from "lingua" so why this poor word should change gender during its expatriating process? Same for FETTUCCINI....nope, it's FETTUCCINE.
3. Something I found pretty funny: ANTIPASTA. What's that??? The first course of an Italian dinner is something called ANTIPASTO. ANTI (before) PASTO (meal). It's what you eat before the "real" meal. What's "antipasta"?? A "Before-Pasta"??? And if I decide to take a soup??? Com'on!!!
4. COZZE OREGANATE. Unknown language. The "cozze" are ARRAGANATE. As the Vongole.
5. ARRABIATA. No. ARRABBIATA. With two B.
6. POMODORA. For a sort of parity, this time a male became a female. It's POMODORO.
7. Funny one: PANINO VEGETARIO. Oh my. It seems a mix between VEGETALE (vegetable) and the correct VEGETARIANO (vegetarian).
8. ALIO. ??? Maybe AGLIO (garlic)

There would be an endless list but I think this are quite common ( I didn't mention CAFE but I don't need to, right?)

Again, I'm sure many of the so called Italian Restaurants serve delicious meals...but, are you going to eat Italian for real?

If you have miss it, find out the real origin of the Fettuccine Alfredo ( or Fettuccini?)  or go the the HOME PAGE.

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