Do tourists (like me) make any big mistakes when they visit where YOU live? Let us know! Seriously, I don't want to mess up if I ever make it there... 😂
I am Italian and was once on vacation in Trentino Alto Adige, an Italian region on the border with Austria where people speak German and typically Austrian customs. My family and I were sitting in a trattoria waiting for a "mouth-watering" portion of canederli, a local food preparation. After a while, tourists of Germanic origin, I don't know whether Austrian or German, sat down at the table beside us and asked to eat a dish that was not on the menu: spaghetti with clams. The waiter pointed out that spaghetti with clams was, in fact, not on the menu. At this response, the customers, annoyed, asked why such a typically Italian dish was not on the menu. Were they or were they not in Italy?
In Colorado, our specialty is Green Chili sauce. It has lots of green chilies, pork, onion, a little tomato, Cumin, garlic, Oregano and jalapeño to taste. We eat it as a soup, dip with Tortillas and smothered over our burrito. Don't order it anywhere else or it will be loaded with tomatoes, like a stew😳. Or in Nevada they simply put a green chili pepper on top of my burrito 😅. I hope you will have the opportunity to try this 😋 dish.
I live in Florida, people come here and look for snow crab legs. Hello those are the same crab legs you can buy in Colorado or Alaska, they are not Floridian. Instead look for grouper, snapper, triple tail or trigger fish.
In one of your videos about eating in Italy you mentioned a very memorable simple dish and just a picture flashed by. It looked like a plate of white beans. What was it exactly?
È un po’ anche come con altre cose. Diciamo che spesso l’apparenza inganna. Anche quando si compra ad esempio la frutta al supermercato. Non è sempre quella che appare bella splendida ad essere di sapore e di buona qualità, ma spesso è proprio il contrario.
@hopelafleur7621 it depends on the plant milk used. Legumes can have an unpleasant taste with ice cream. Nut milks, coconut milk or seed milks or a blend of different options can actually complement the flavour of the ice cream. Of course that requires more care by the maker to pick the right one. So just sticking with milk as the safe option.
@@HopeLaFleur1975 One of my usual spots has like 6-8 rice milk-based flavours and they're usually the best ones (some of them are as creamy as any other may be, some closer to smooth sorbets but still noticeably different from their water-based). Of course 99% of soy milk-based stuff will be awful, but that's because soy milk sucks.
As an Italian I can assure you this is probably the best advice you can get Also being from Venice, please, never order pizza in Venice 99% of the time is just horrible, and never go in a restaurant where there is the waiter outside just to call people in
Since you said what to avoid you should talk about what to get Like fegato alla veneziana (liver with onions, venetian style) Or polenta bianca con le seppie in nero di seppia (white polenta with squid ink and cuttlefish)
True! Been there, done that. Had the pizza and the other day went to the restaurant with a waiter outside. Both was - well, I made better food at home.
The opposite of a mistake, and something my mom taught me: wherever you are, when you're looking for a place to eat: 1. Go OFF the tourist center. 2. Look for a place that's full of costumers. 3. Look for a place that's full of LOCAL costumers - not tourists!
@@luckyDancer100 individually? Impossible. But telling a crowd of tourists from a crowd of local people? In most countries you can tell them apart by language, clothing, general looks and behavior... might be harder in more cosmopolitan areas in western english speaking countries, like NYC or London, but usually works.
This is what I came to the comments to see if anyone asked for! Hopefully they will see it and make something to help people who are visiting more than one region or town.
I think Eva discusses the specialties in a region every time she cooks something from that region. Obviously, she specializes in her local cuisine, but she often does dishes from other areas and says that the region is known for that dish.
An advice that I can give to all the people that decide to visit our country is to talk to the locals, don't be afraid to ask, we will gladly help you!
Whenever we travel to Sicily, we get an apartment in a little or totally non-tourist place and after a week or so we are more or less accepted by the local community and slowly but surely we gain our neighbors' trust. I usually bring luggage filled with my favorite snacks from Poland and share them among my new neighbors. After a few more days and aperitivos with the neighbors done outside of the building we stay at, we usually get an invitation for a meal. And this is, my friends, the best food experience ever.
Food is an amazing way to bring people together. Nobody can turn down an amazing meal or a tasty new snack. That’s such a great idea to bring snacks to share!
this, unless they are world renowned then it's most likely that they could actually afford it(a bunch of pizzerie do that, but it's still pretty rare even in those cases)
As a real Taorminese I’m very sorry to hear your ferragosto experience in my lovely town. Unfortunately this is the worst month in terms of chaos and confusion (..you should know!😅) That’s why I don’t touch my car and I don’t go out around the centre during all August long. Come back in October or May, those are for sure more suitable months for experienced tourists like you!😉
@@cofoothills Yes partly, but the real problem it’s us Italians!🤣 .. Is also true that Taormina it’s such a small town with tiny roads that gives a good dose of panic to most of the daily visitors!😅✌️
I'm Italian and let me tell you that If you want to eat home cooking in Italy you should not go at a restaurant! You have to go to the taverne, eat good and spend little. Then if you can find a taverna where the truckers stop rest assured you will eat very well, the truckers are very demanding and on a budget! They will not accept food that is not great quality and local and not expencive . This is what me and my friends do when traveling and on a budget!😂😂😂
@@SgtStinger True, but what is funny is that the food at truck stops (or restaurants near truck stops) the food can be amazing. Case in point, I was starving after night shift and got breakfast at an unappealing-looking restaurant next to a truck stop. Best huevos rancheros ever!
If you see a bunch of police officers, firefighters, or paramedics eating somewhere you can be pretty sure that the food is decent and the cost in reasonable.
I learnt as much italian as one can in 2 days before my trip. It actually was very helpful because I was able to reserve a table at a restaurant where the waitress only spoke italian. The restaurant was full of locals, the menu, like you said, didn't have too many options. The prices were very good and we got very good food. It motivated me to learn more italian and now I'm looking forward to go on another trip with better italian speaking skills!
Was stationed in Germany and traveled all over Europe, the best advice my landlord gave me was always look for the unusual place with light traffic and you will find where the locals eat. Had wonderful food in many countries around the world using her advice.
I live in Berlin and honestly many restaurants here where locals eat are just rubbish and they often bring big menu book. And these menu books are so big that if you have few people sitting by table often the menu books don't even fit on table. I can never understand who the hell invented this nonsense and why is it so common in Europe? In fact the best ones are the ones where you see biggest number of expats frequenting as expects typically had seen more of the world and know how to pick good food better. Not to say that there are no locals that understand a thing or two about food but I'd say there are way more who understand nothing about eating.
A "rule" that I've taught my children is that the longer the menu, the worse the food. If a place has a menu that is pages long with a million different options, skip it. It's usually pre-made/ frozen and chances are good it will taste like it. Yes, chain restaurants are guilty of this so I avoid them, but it's not just chains that do this. The smaller the menu, the better the food. It's a world wide thing and luckily my kiddos learned this early. (15 & 20)
the one exception i've found to this is a sushi restaurant managed by actual japanese people.... adn yet while salmon was top of the line, the shrimps were only ok. it's obvious where the focus goes, and for good reason.
my top three rules for Italy: - don't eat in restaurants that have pictures of the dishes outside (which is totally fine e.g. in Asia) - don't eat in restaurants that have someone standing outside asking you to come in (true for most countries) - don't eat in regular restaurants that also have pizza on the menu, and only eat pizza in a pizzeria (unless you know they can do both good and don't just do it for tourists)
When I went to the overseas school of Rome. I just looked where all the locals went to eat and also looked for the most small overlooked places. I Loved the food and All of my Experiences ❣️I was fortunate and will never forget my time there. Love this channel and Thank You for sharing all your yummy recipes and experiences ❤
Ciao Eva and Harper! As always, fantastic tips 👏🏼. 100% correct: If you take into consideration the region and the season you are in, it would help you avoid tourist traps. Don’t be afraid to ask the local people “Are you from here? where do you eat when you go out?” Many times they will recommend fantastic “hidden gems”, small restaurants, with very few tables, very fresh food, with dishes prepared with ingredients from around that area. Read the menu. If it is short (few dishes of the day) and (many times) only in Italian, there is a good chance that the food will be really good and authentic. Believe or not, there are still many of those little places, that only take cash, so be prepared. Obviously, it helps a lot to know/learn as much Italian as you can before visiting, but also about the culture and traditions (including their typical food) of the regions / towns / cities you will visit, before you travel. Yes, it takes time, but it is totally worth it and would make your visit more amazing.
My advice for Italy is to simply avoid restaurants in any of the large cities. Head into the country and look for agriturismo. I have yet to have a bad experience. The menus are very limited as most of their ingredients are grown on site, but for genuine and regional dishes... you can't go wrong. And if you see a lemon tree on the property, go ahead and get the limoncello. I guarantee they made it themselves.
Check the schedule. If the restaurant is open for dinner much before 8PM, avoid it. The food on the board outside the restaurant should generally be written on a blackboard with chalk, not printed.
I fell in love with limoncello on my visit to Firenze in 2009 with my husband. Even in the pizza places, after the meal, we were offered limoncello in unmarked bottles - think they were home-made. When we got home, I learned how to make it. Then I started experimenting. When I tried orange peel, that was it. arancello! the best! and when mixed with a little milk, it tastes just like an orange creamcicle. Before I left Firenze to return to Texas, I made arancello as a gift to my Italian teachers. It was a huge hit with them! I've been asked to make more when I come back again (my current plan is my birthday in December!). One friend offered me oranges from his family's trees to make it. December is perfect for that! I can't wait to see what it will be like with his home-grown, fresh oranges.
We have a soup here in Scotland called Cullen Skink. (Eva would love it). It's incredibly, incredibly simple: undyed smoked haddock, potatoes, milk, and onion. You can tell which restaurants and cafes are making inferior versions of what was a working-class food if they list cream, chives, garlic (no garlic!) or anything *other* than the four ingredients. It's bizarre seeing people rave about some restaurant serving up a Cullen Skink with peas or other vegetables added. You *can* add other vegetables, you can even make it vegan with jackfruit: but it's no longer Cullen Skink. If you come to Scotland remember that we have some of the finest seafood, game, beef and fruit to be found anywhere in Europe - you just need to search for it. (And not in McDisneyland, aka Edinburgh. Edinburgh's a theme-park for tourists. It's not the real Scotland. Neither are the Highlands)
Where do you recommend for Cullen Skink? (I'm in Glasgow.) Have to disagree with you about Edinburgh. Sure, it's also a bit nightmarish in August but the Fringe can be great. But I think the best time to visit is the winter - only the hardiest tourists go then and the atmosphere is at its best IMO. Look, the tourists go for a reason - is there anywhere else quite like the Old Town and its Escher like ambiance? No. Also disagree about the Highlands. Although I would say you don't need to travel as far as a lot of tourists go. The Cowal Peninsula for example is stunning in places. Finally, you trashed our capital and most of the scenic hilly bits instead urging vistors go to the 'real Scotland' care to specify where you mean? re Scottsh food: Charles MacLeod Stornoway black pudding is a must as are oatcakes. And curry! Don't forget the curry! LOL
We love cullen skink. The first time I had it they gave it as a "starter" and I was really annoyed that it was so small. We had a really good one a few years ago in Perth, a nice big helping!
Harper, how many months have you been in Italy? 😂😂😂 you got nice round cheeks. Eva take it easy or you end up with two harpers. Bravi bravissimi ragazzi, siete speciali. Un abbraccio immenso.
We live in Maryland and we love our Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs. The mistake tourists make is ordering fried crab cakes. Broiled is the way to go. Lump crab meat with almost no filler is the only crab cake you want to eat. It would be a good idea to ask any resident for the best place to get a crabcake. They’ll steer you in the right direction.
Thank you for the great video guys! As a Greek, I agree that August is not ideal for vacation for the exact same reasons that Eva pointed 😊 Also, unfortunately all traditional greek dishes you find at restaurants, have nothing to do with the real thing.. so i would suggest you to enjoy fresh seafood next to the sea and stay away from moussaka, pastitsio etc ❤
Do you blame them? :) It's quite simple really - those of us from the north want some heat and good food. Very generally speaking, folk head due south. Brits, Dutch etc. -> mostly to Spain and Portugal. Germans, Austrians, Swiss etc. -> Italy. I've heard Italians talk about the Germans 'raining down on Italy' or something like that and there's a few towns in the Venice area that get flooded by Viennese. Sure, that part of Italy used to be part of the Austro-Hungaran Empire but if you find the nearest beaches on the Med to Vienna... LOL In Vienna itself town like Bibione are known as 'Hausmeister strand' = 'building superintendent beach.' LOL Oh and pretty much everyone goes to Greece at some point. LOL
Here in Genoa two of the top mistakes that tourists make are: 1) Eat "focaccia al formaggio tipo recco". Just take a train/bus and go to Recco (which is about 20/25 km away) to eat a proper one. 2) Pick a restaurant in "porto antico". Just dive into the vicoli in the historical center and search for some very small and hidden trattoria, you'll be amazed! Cheers from your n°1 fans from Genoa ❤🎉
Well, there is at least one place in Genova where you can eat the real focaccia al formaggio without having to travel to Recco if you don't have the time. It's the people of the "pizzeria Del Ponte" in Recco who opened another location in Albaro - via Pisa (as well as more recently one in Boccadasse, but I have never been to this newest location). It's a small place always super crowded, but it's well worth the wait and the hassle of the small tables. Also, if I may suggest, it's better to know beforehand where to go in the "vicoli" both because you risk to get lost and because some parts of the historical center are not the safest, especially at night...
That’s funny. I lived in Sicily three years. What I learned rather quickly is lunch isn’t just lunch. It also “expands” into an event that is truly enviable to me now. I did not understand that when they close up shop to go home for lunch……. more often than not they didn’t make it back until 7pm. Just an entirely different agenda. Loved it! Such gracious neighbors bringing food, wine and welcoming us. There was a language barrier initially, but being kind and caring surpasses that. I moved a few years ago to the home I’m in now. Not one person came. Rather sad really. Even though two massive hurricanes in six weeks, every one except me had a generator and not once did a neighbor offer a coffee or anything. It’s sad. I honestly thought back to Sicily and the people and it’s just indescribable. 🌍
@@skadelizi sadly by chance and fate, I’m as far southern Louisiana. I had good times and great food in the land I was born in. Variety of cultures, religions were so very good for me. I’m grateful to be welcomed into these families. That said, now I’m surrounded by very angry mob like people. I’d like to be able to move.
Thank you guys for v the tips! We were in Italy for 9 nights. We only had 2 meals that were tourist traps! I told my little brother that I wanted to eat local. So, I asked locals!!!! That was the best food we’ve EVER had! We drove from Austria to Florence, and we visited Cinque Terre where we also asked locals for good food. That was not as easy as Florence, but we still found some great calamari!
It is not only in Italy that there are ‘set’ holiday times. Here in South Wales the last week of July and the first week of August are still known as either factory or miner’s fortnight. These are the weeks traditionally when the factories and mines closed down and everyone had a holiday. In Scotland they have tradesmen fortnight. You can tell when these are happening because the streets around my home are very quiet. 😊😊 When in Italy, or any where I have visited, I never go to the tourist areas for a meal. The best meal ever eaten in Venice we had in a small cafe down a side alley. Go where the locals eat, they know what is the best food to be had. At home tourists want the usual MacDonalds or KFC. But we have plenty of small cafes and restaurants making home cooked foods. Or our local public houses, (bars), make the best cooked from fresh on the premises Sunday roast dinners. If you are looking for something more spicy the Indian restaurants can not be beaten. Curry is fast out stripping fish and chips as our national dish. 😂😂
Yeah but one massive thing in Italy's favour is despite spending a fair amount of time in the country I never got food poisoning. First time I went to Spain (or, rather Barcelona, Catalonia) I was sick as a dog after bad sangria. Went to a highly recommended place too. Hmm, mind you, it was recommended by the English Rough Guide. Anyway, as I was throwing my guts up a thought went through my head: 'This would never happen in Italy. They might rob you blind but they'd never reduce you to this!' Travel tip for Spain: Bad wine disposed of by chucking loads of sugar and fruit in it and then flogging it to naive tourists?
Some tips if you come to Australia (but quite a few of these are really universal for tourists): 1. The biggest mistake would be to not plan your meals with as much care as you would give to, say, booking your accommodation, arranging airport transfers, hiring a car... if you make your decisions at the last moment based on what seems convenient (like, close to your hotel), you'll miss out on the best we have to offer. 2. Eat where the locals eat. Beware of restaurants/vendors close to major tourist attractions, they are _always_ over-priced for what they offer, and you will often get re-heated factory food (food at theme-parks, zoos and the like are universally disappointing). 3. On a related note, just because you're staying near the seaside doesn't mean you'll find a good Fish & Chip shop nearby - check the online reviews first. Actually, one of the best Fish & Chip shops I've ever been to was far inland and far from the tourist trail (shout-out to Solar Seafoods in Shepparton, Victoria). But unless you have a seafood allergy, definitely go to a Fish & Chip shop at least _once_ while you're here for an authentically local experience. They're more than just fish, you need to try an Aussie "hamburger with the lot" at least once. 4. Kangaroo - is similar to venison in texture and flavour, but you will _very rarely_ see it in restaurants. If you book accommodation with a kitchen (like, apartment-style), you can usually find decent cuts of kangaroo at the major supermarkets (the pre-marinated steaks are best IMO). 5. Another distinctively Australian food, the Lamington sponge cake, should never be bought from a supermarket, only a good bakery... if you don't know someone who makes them at home. 6. Australians may not eat on the same schedule as you are used to. Late night dining options are limited, especially far from the biggest capital cities... for someone from a Spanish-speaking culture (for example), the fact that you probably won't get a decent restaurant meal after 9pm will come as a culture shock.
"Some tips if you come to Australia " if coming from europe or the uk please note there is nothing there nothing - a harbour , some sand and lots of machismo racists , the most pointless country in the world , you spend 24hrs flying and there is some bits o sand and banal cities .Sydney gimmie a break its utter pony
@@nogingerfool1I agree completely. I’ve been several times and really it’s just hot. The Aussies really don’t have any culture to explore. And if you live in Europe already you hit the jackpot. Australia has nothing on European small island beaches, culture and food.
@@nogingerfool1 Really depends on what you look for in a country. If you like living in large metro areas it might not be your place but if you like the outdoors, it's bloody great. We also have a very diverse cultural mix of ethnicities from all over the world who bring their cultures with them. Tourist traps exist everywhere and the further you venture out of these areas the more authentic your experiences will be. Sydney is the last place I would visit in Australia as a tourist.
@@woolaboola7381 Well, I'm Italian and I have been to Australia 3 times, once for a long period. Sydney is a beautiful city to visit for a few days and you can find very good food if you know where to go. But it's true it's the outdoor that is breathtaking. Just drive a car from Sydney down to Melbourne enjoying the coast or even better up to Brisbane and further north (I still dream of Frazer island!). Take a plane to Alice Spring, rent a 4wd and adventure on a sand track where you can drive for 200 km without crossing another car. Discover the local fauna, meet some characteristic local people, go hunting for opals... As a European obviously you don't visit Australia for history and (ancient) arts, you visit for all that you cannot find in Europe, from great spaces with unusual scenarios to unique fauna and flora. If you visit Sydney to spend the day in Bondi beach, your are better off in the Med (where, on the other side, you could never, for example, drive a car for kilometers on a deserted beach!)
Very true about the menus! We had a 'good' meal at a restaurant in Rome, but their menu was a mile long! We had our BEST meal at another restaurant that had (what we would typically think) a limited menu. Best food ever! We went there 3 times! Great tips! 🍽🇮🇹😋
My husband and I are meeting up with friends in Tuscany this fall, so I’ve been reading up on Tuscan cuisine and learning what to expect from the area. You two are such an inspiration. Thanks for all your hard work. Grazie mille!
Don't miss the cinghiale (wild boar) and olive sauce! Or the Tuscan bean soup (should be veggie or even vegan? better ask though) - super thick and super warming for the fall. Cecina (Pisa)/Cinque e Cinque (Livorno) - cickpea flat bread (should be vegan but do check) street food similar to the Sicillian one Eva showed us but baked, not fried. Anyway, it's very good. Oh and if you get sick of tourists (fall is a good time to visit in that regard though 👍) head for Livorno - a slightly rough around the edges port with a fish and sea food soup to DIE for (cacciucco). As for wine (I can hear Eva scoffing): You'll no doubt know all about the famous (and excellent but often pricey) Brunello and Vino Nobile. (Chianti too of course.) However, the best wine I ever tried... EVER!... was Sassicaia. It's very pricey but if your budget can stretch and you're into wine do give it a go. Like I said, the one time I tried it (it was a special occasion) it blew me away. Finally, if you're in Pisa see the tower if you must but do not eat anywhere near it! (Penty of places further into the town.) So, see the tower if you must but if you want something equally good (or better?!) go out to a (large) village called Calci which has a fantastic baroque Cistercian monestary (Certosa) that's well worth a visit yet 99% of tourists don't bother. Hey, Eva, how about doing a Tuscan bean soup for the fall? :)
From my time living there I recommend trying Acquacotta (Tuscan farm soup), Peposo (Tuscan Pepper Stew), Persimmons, black truffles (they'll likely be in season), Zuppa alla Livornese (Fishermen's stew), Chicken Liver Crustini, and their wild boar ragu. Also in Florence try the street food Lampredotto (tripe sandwich), Sergio Pollini Lampredotto makes a good one near Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio
It's great advice to ask the locals! Italians are very friendly and full of great advice. Try your best to learn enough Italian to have a simple conversation - it is very much appreciated. Also, ask the chefs and restaurant staff where they eat on their days off...
I made a proper panna cotta, including real vanilla bean. my friend fell in love with it, and when he tried it in italian restaurants, thinking of mine, he was badly disappointed! The only panna cotta to have is home-made! absolutely true!
I think the biggest mistakes tourists make in italy is going for Pizza. Yes Pizza is amazing but most of the times only specific Pizzerias offer really good Pizza. They all kinda are decent probably but I often encountered people who ate Pizza in for example Milan and find the Pizza at their home better. In Naples its probably another story but in the rest of italy i recommend to try other food instead of Pizza all the time.
I have weird one on pizza. In my experience (Tusany, Liguria & Piedmont) the best pizzas I've had have been in places wth the worst/weirdest decor. Muted lighting; wooden chairs; red and white checked table cloths etc. - NO! Bright (as in hurts your eyes!) strip lighting; plastic chairs and painfully white walls - YES! In other words, joints that more resemble nail parlours or some kind of medical facility than somewhere you'd think to eat food. Oh and some bad muzak playing quietly (or even loudly) in the background. LOL
and now people know why a lot of Italians are good cooks. we don't go out to eat because of things being skimped on for cost saving in the restaurants. Le auguro una splendita giornata. Stai al sicuro in questo pazzo mondo.
The comment about regional food I think can be made even stronger. It is not just about avoiding taking non regional food from the restaurant menu: the _presence_ of non regional food in the menu is good enough reason to skip the restaurant altogether if you do not have other info. If a restaurant in Taormina serves Carbonara and Pasta Bolognese, it caters _only_ to tourists - no Italian would go there.
I heard you should never go to a restaurant that displays photos of their food. That has served me well throughout Europe. Also - when can we expect an episode on homemade Limoncello, etc.? VERY interested!
@@PastaGrammarI make limoncello, it’s good but I bet Eva will make an excellent brew. Can’t wait to see if I am doing it right, if not I will learn to make it better. Yes, yes make a limoncello video
My first holiday ever to Italy was a tour organised by "specialists" in August! it was the most miserable holiday and twice I tried to organise flights home. Everywhere was rammed with people but hardly anything was open - museums, attractions, restaurants , shop etc. It was twenty years before I could be persuaded to go back.
Unfortunately this happens when, as explained here in the video, the customs of the country where one wants to go on holiday are not known. The “fault”, so to speak, in these cases does not lie with the country where one wants to go on vacation, but is simply due to the fact of not knowing certain customs, of not knowing certain things in order to then be able to avoid them.
Sarebbe bello e, soprattutto, utile una mappa con tutte le regioni italiane con ognuna due o massimo tre piatti tipici della regione. Naturalmente i più popolari, per non impazzire. Secondo me diventerebbe il video più visto da coloro che voglio visitare il nostro paese ed apprezzare le specialità senza rimanere scottati da una pessima esperienza ordinando magari il piatto sbagliato.
Why not creating a compilation of people from various regions (and cities!) of Italy listing 2-3 local dishes? The problem is that it could become really superlocal. I mean, I would not suggest looking for luganega de Muscia in Milan!
Not food related, but a usual mistake tourists from northern countries make in Greece is not respecting the siesta hours and going outside In the middle of the day In July And they walk around The cicadas are bursting The asphalt is melting Not a living soul to be seen Except the tourists They don't get the hint The're even grumpy because everything is closed Just lie down for a siesta Come on We won't tell Luther
As a Neapolitan I couldnt agree more with you, all great tips. You are doing a great job showing people around our culture from the inside, teaching em how we look at things e come si campa insomma. Thank you for what you do!
Hello, my sister and I are coming to your beautiful city of Naples next week. As French, we love to eat and we are very very impatient to discover and taste all the traditional neapolitan dishes. We will aply all the tips in this video and if you have some recommendations, as a local Neapolitan yourself, to give us about some good ristorante, pizzeria, pescheria, pasticceria, gelateria that we should try, I will welcome your recommendations warmheartedly. Ciao
One other point, as I have traveled to many countries and cities around the world, I have found that asking locals where or what to eat is not always the best idea. You need to ask a local who appreciates good food with the best products, not ever local is good at that. Many times locals will direct one to the best bargain priced food , they may not be that interested in the better option in town or sometimes they have a vested interest in one place. I have found that it pays to use all the resources available, to find the best places. One of the best sources for me is if you find a place that is very good, ask them where else they recommend. I must admit the very few times I have had a not so good meal in Italy is when I was too lazy to put in the effort.
You guys should do a video more about Gelato. I seen a lot of RU-vidrs make videos about Gelato. And, they try to explain what is Gelato. They all got it wrong. They say that Gelato has less fat content then American Ice Cream and more air in it. I know that Gelato has a more fat content then Ice cream. And, Gelato has no air it. The high fat content is what make the Gelato more creamer and softer. I would like to know more about The real Gelato.
When I visit Italy, I like to hire a car and drive to the Apennines. There are hundreds of hilltop villages there with few if any tourists. It's almost impossible to have a bad meal in a village in Abruzzo. I especially recommend my ancestral village, Petorano sul Gizio, which is three kilometers south of Sulmona. In addition, all of these villages have medieval churches, castles, and museums that have low or no entrance fees, and certainly no queues of tourists.
As a North American who married a gal born in the northwest corner of Campania, near the border of Puglia and Molise, and who visits often, I think your advice is sound, but I would go even further: * The August holiday not only means crowds but also many of the best, reasonably-priced restaurants are close all or most of August, and those places tend to be owned and run by families who vacation themselves in August. This is especially true if you enjoy walking off the beaten track. On the other hand, if you have family in Italy, then in August everyone in the extended family will be coming home, which makes for large, festive get-togethers with family. * Know local foods are hyper regional. Ask someone honest in Parma where to buy culatello, which is cured, boneless ham cut from the leg and hung to dry in nets, they will tell you to leave Parma and go to small, nearby villages along the River Po, where culatello was perfected because the humid weather did not allow families to cure a whole, bone-in Prosciutto. * Research before you go, but also explore on your own, looking for places that are off the main tourist streets, that have no English (and god-forbid photos) on the menu, and places in which the main language of customers is the Italian dialect for that town or city and not English. Massive menus are always a no-go, as Ava says, and not just in Italy. Know too market hours -- the fish market in Venice is closed Sundays and Monday -- so the best days to seek fish at restaurants that is fresh are Tuesday to Saturday.
Some friends went to Italy in late June. They said they were so disappointed in the food that they started ordering from the "American" menus. American menus? They said at each restaurant they were offered the Italian menu or the American menu. OBVIOUSLY they were going to the wrong restaurants!!! 🤦🏻♀️
If you go to Spain, never go to these restaurants where they have big pictures of the food, also don't eat paella anywhere that's not Valencia, cause locals don't actually eat it that often and they're probably gonna serve you a bad one. Also, if you go to Barcelona, don't eat at la rambla, al those restaurants are for tourists.
Just got back from north Italy. I noticed that the best Gelato is not in open containers, in huge mounds, but in lidded containers. And yes, limited variety of flavors. The pistachio is in fact brownish-green.
The advice about cannoli filled on the moments is good but even for we italians is actually impossible to find a bar or a bakery that filled cannoli in front of your eyes so i find it a bit extreme as an advice, becouse basically mean that tourists have to avoid cannoli period unless they aren't in that specific sicilian bakery in that specific city in that specific place, which again is a bit extreme as an advice, like they filled a cannolo 10 minuts ago and with this advice peoples will think that just becouse is already there then mean is not good but isn't true
I just came back from italy, dissapointed by the bad food and thinking what is the Harper and Eva rant all about. Now I see that I went to the bad places. Couldnt understand how so many places in italy can make such a bad pizza!
Last time I visited Rome I was really prepared: Avoided restaurants that tried to call you in, where it was only tourists and places with loads of dishes on the menu. Looked in TripAdvisor and where Italians where eating. That helped a lot! But one night we decided to ta chance on a very beautiful little restaurant in central Rome. Bad move... we had to pay for the table, the bread and water we never asked for. I ordered a fresh tomato salad, it was a unripe tomato in 4 slices and the pasta tasted like canned food. Wine was ok but it was terrible sample of what food can be in Italy. The rest of the trip we sticked to the advised places and where the guests was Italian and we had amazing food. Rome is a horrible place for Italian food if you are not very careful.
My tip: don't get fooled by the red and white checkered tablecloths!!! Those might as well have "tourist trap" written on them. I always find it both funny and sad whenever I walk past a restaurant with those, filled with excited tourists. I get it, it's very stereotypical, you want to try stereotypical experiences too and that's fair and fine, but I'd be concerned about the authenticity of the food and even more so about its price, since their clear priority is attracting tourists only.
I live by the sea in Terracina and during Summer it's full of tourists (the population almost doubles). So in recent years many tourists' traps appeared, especially places to eat deep fried fish just by the docks (assuming fish couldn't be more fresh). Tourists wait in never-ending lines, even italians especially from Naples, but you can tell the food is not good or healty knowing that the locals never go to eat there and so those places stay almost empty during the rest of the year.
Diciamo che in tutta Italia la quasi totalità dei locali vicinissimi al mare andrebbe evitata come la peste. In pratica mangi la location e, come hai detto tu, l'idea che essendo vicino al mare allora il pesce è di qualità
100% agree with you on all of these. I've tried to give many of the same tips to some of my international colleagues, but they don't always listen. Last colleague that went to Florence came back telling me that they ate a lot of pizza... Such a waste of great local food they could have tried! Also, tiramisù is my favourite dessert as well, and I very seldom order it at restaurants because I'm very often disappointed. But strangely enough, I found an exception in a small trattoria in Tuscany where they served an amazing "Birramisù"
@@IriAntler yes, it wasn't very boozy though! I don't remember what they used, but I reckon a stout would work well. Obviously some of my fellow italians would burn me for endorsing this kind of variation 😅
Tourist mistake: In Florence, my wife and I shopped at an outdoor fruit stand. She made the mistake of trying to pick the fruit herself. We were scolded in Italian. It was explained to us that the vendor picks the fruit for you. Part of the service is the vendor tries to ensure you get a ripe fruit. At least that is what we were told, 27 years ago.
@@alicetwain Erasmus in the Netherlands: my first time doing groceries I spent like 20 minutes looking for the gloves wondering if I could be so dumb. It's not a thing there, now I'm used but it was weird at the beginning!
I’m over the moon for your situation. Its wonderful that you’re found each other, that you’re learning so much and you were welcomed into an enriching extended family.
I feel the same. They're so cute together and come over so well. And Harper is doing wonders to dispel 'arrogant and parochial American' stereotypes. While Eva is, to a degree, enforcing them. Or, perhaps I should say, reminding me of my ex. She used to go into hillarious patriotic rants often at the expense of the French. 'Francia?! Pfft! We have BETTER food! BETTER wine! BETTER fashion! BETTER cars! AND MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN! LOLOLOLOL
The worst meal I ever had in Italy was on the Grand canal in Venice, because my kids and grandkids wanted the stupid view, when I knew of real authentic trattorias on the back alleys where the tourists never venture. 😖 Good rule of thumb, if you're driving around on well trafficked road (not freeways) and see lots of trucks parked, know that the food's ample, reasonable and good. Just a hint. If you're in a small town just ask any guy walking down the street and ask him for a good trattoria, you probably won't go wrong. Basically just getting out of tourist cities will improve the quality. 😉
well depende not always cos trucks driver mostly looks for super cheap menu ,i will say it depends but yeah betetr to follow driver than a tourists for sure.
Guarda, non si può rovinare una pasta con pomodoro, nemmeno dove fermano i camionisti 😄...roba semplice ma almeno dicente e senza pretesi.@@nathcascen473
Went to Italy first in 1984, no internet, but there were guide books. I let our instincts guide us for restaurants. Did not go to get any specific foods, just looked for smaller places without menus in English, German, etc. No printed menu best, just chalk board. Went off-season in May. More recent trip to Sicily was in October, great choice. Only mistake was pizza in Catania at a very small local place, microwaved! One "tourist trap" that was totally worth the long line was Caseificio Borderi in Siracusa’s Ortigia market. Here on California coast, lots of seafood restaurants. Most is not local and arrives frozen. Go to a fish market/restaurant and ask what is fresh and local. If you get to Hawaii, same advice, but even better seafood choices.
I used to all way ask my grandma for watermelon when in Italy. It was always so good but when time she told me off saying it's not in season and refused to get. I begged and she managed to find one but it was so bad. That's when i found out food in Italy is very seasonial.
@@BICIeCOMPUTERconGabriele yes everywhere is seasonal but when you live in places like the UK then most stuff is imported, so everything is generally under ripe or grown in greenhouses all year round except for things like strawberry season and apple. However you can find tomatoes all year round. But in Italy they rely much on locally grown foods. So you normally can't find them if not in season and if you it's probably old.
Tip for finding a great restaurant I got from my mum: look through the windows of the establishments and figure out which one has the most elderly people. For obvious reasons, older people are more likely to know their area the best and to be eating at a place that has the best value for money.
My wife and I are retired in Sicila, and we go to church in Taormina, so I feel your pain. I've also noticed that otherwise good little restaurants seem to cut corners in August because they are so busy. It does help when you are a regular during the off season and they recognize you. For some reason, when it's really busy and they're pretty sure that they will never see you again, some places don't put in their best work. One big clue I've found in places like Taormina is whether the outside seems designed to attract tourists. Oh, and the Bam Bar? Yeah, it was packed solid this morning too. Just getting past there on the street was a challenge this morning. But we will have to try it when everything calms down a bit. In October.
Ciao ! The “attraction” of tourists in many parts of Italy, but also trying to “cheat” the tourist when it comes to paying the bill, knowing that maybe they won't see him afterwards. This is another thing that unfortunately often happens by us in Italy. Which we say in Italian….”cercare di fregare i turisti”.
I live here in Firenze, up north-central. It's the same here in August. I spent a week this last June in Taormina (I go there yearly to eat!). Try eating at ristorante Niclodi out in their garden. After August! They're moderately expensive 50+ a head, but the food and the service are really really good and really italian.
I owe you guys big. On my recent Sicily trip, I took the advice of googling in Italian for best restaurants. It was an absolute game changer. We also started making Limoncello at home. Unbelievable results and I wish I'd learned this sooner. You guys saved me hundreds of bucks. A hearty thank you and please keep up the good work. Italy is full of wonders, but mainstream media is so full of misinformation, people like you are needed to set the record straight. Bravo.
Never ask the concierge of your hotel for advice on the best restaurants. Ask the maids as they usually are not paid by the local restaurants to mention them. Your BamBar experience is the same as mine when I went to Gelateria Dondoli in San Gimignano. I stuck it out though and got my gelato.
I love to travel, and I walk around without maps to get a better feel of the place. This allows me to see where the locals go and what types of food (or other) they prefer. I often end up in smaller places instead of fancy restaurants, and I love it. Other great tips are to travel and meet someone local, and check the markets, where you'll easily see what's in season (while preparing your appetite).
This is hopefully out of date but when I was dating an Italian in London I met a lot of other Italians through her (as you do). It always baffled my how they would complain about how bad the British food was and I would ask them, 'What did you eat?' and they'd reply, 'Pasta.' Well, d'uh! (That said, we did find a great Sicilian sandwich place run by actual Sicilians.) When in Rome - carbonara ec.; when in London - Indian curry; fish and chips; Sunday roast etc. etc. But, better yet, get OUT of London then eat 'cos it will be cheaper and probably better. Trip Advisor (in English) is your friend. ;)
Some additional tips from an Italian who has travelled a fair bunch for work: - stay absolutely clear of places with red checkered tablecloths. Most of them are tourist traps - stay absolutely clear of Italian cousine places with pictures of food as advertisement outside of the restaurant - stay absolutely clear of places where there is a waiter outside trying to lure you in their restaurant (for these 3 categories there obviously are exceptions, but they're not worth the risk) - if you're looking for very cheap places with a hefty serving size, local "trattoria"s or "osteria"s with a lot of truckers will be your best bet (but don't expect them to be accessible via public transportation) - if you're looking for fine dining, on top of the good advice you give in the video, make sure the menu is relatively small (5-6 dishes to choose from for each section) and the complexity of the dishes seems coherent (no 7Eur Carbonara alongside a 20Eur Tagliolini with lobster tail). This does not apply to restaurants with very specific cousine (a-la carte Japanese restaurants or steakhouses with a lot of different beef types are obvious exceptions) - stay away from places that do not take reservations and have a huge queue of people waiting for a seat. While some might even be exceptional, the servers will try to make sure you eat quickly for the huge turnover of customers they have, you're probably better of reserving a spot elsewhere - do not rule out a restaurant just because it's very close to a tourist attraction. While most restaurants near tourist attractions are traps, I can name a very good restaurant (that meets all previous criteria) that is nearby each of the most famous tourist attractions in Rome. Just make sure you've done your due diligence researching it and you'll be fine
What?! They're skimping on the olive oil now?! Jeez... I went 4 or 5 times to Greece back in the late 80s/early 90s with my parents. Loved it! It wasn't a very touritsy place (Valimitika - only one hotel and it was destroyed in an earthquake with ~10 French tourists killed 😥) Anyway, back then there were no menus in English (only Greek alphabet) and they just took you into the kitchen and you pointed at whatever big pot took your fancy. LOL I still dream about the lamb in tomato sauce and the okra in tomato sauce. I think I only had mousaka once for it never seemed to be available. Oh and the meatballs... oh God... those meatballs! And souvlaki! #NeedToGoBackToGreece
I love to travel in the "shoulder seasons", fall and spring, but I will never again travel in a strongly Catholic country during Easter weekend. I was very excited to see some processions in Portugal but what I got was endless lines of fellow vacationers in the town of Sintra as half of Portugal was there. And so many things are just closed. Maybe just stay away from the famous sites during that time...
Excellent advice. Although you briefly showed an image of a menu with pictures of the food items, you failed to mention that, you should avoid any restuarant that show pictures of their food. I avoid these places because it is obviously meant to attract tourists. When I visit Italy, or any other country, I want the native experience. I've made only 2 food mistakes when I visited Italy. The first was ordering pizza in Pisa and ordering one espresso and getting 2. I held up my index finger to indicate one but my thumb was slightly extended which to the barista meant 2. I would also give this important advice. As a tourist in a foreign country, remember that you are a visitor and as such, respect that country's customs. I enjoy your videos and love to see Ava make authentic Italian dishes. Thank you both.
This was another very helpful video from you both. Thank you for taking the trouble to show us how to make the best use of our time in trying to find the really excellent authentic dishes that Italy has to offer. As Eva probably knows August is also a very bad time to visit France and for exactly the same reason.
Tip 1# if there are a few places to eat in one place do not go to the empty one because you feel sorry for them. Each time I have done this it was a mistake. The locals know where to go so follow them :) Tip 2: everywhere you are and want the most authetic homemade food move as far, far away from touristy city centres (in capital cities in Europe) where there is more of a chance they don't serve the best food and it will be also overpriced. Tip 3: make friends with waiters. TIP 4: the best service and meals I have come across come from family owned restaurants especially in south of Europe. Tip5: this applies to Paris. Do not touch any cheese in cheese shops. It may seem touchable placed all over the beautiful shops with beautiful packaged cheese on shelves but whenever you pick one up someone comes running and yelling instructions not to touch the cheese and that they are the only ones who can touch the cheese😅❤ Tip 6: prpbably nothing new: Whenever you go eating out it's hood to take a view of how the kicthen looks like and basic tidiness of the tables Tip 7: drink local wines etc they for some unknown reason to me taste the best in countries they are made in (they don't taste as well when they are a travel souvenir back home)
We generally followed Rick Steve's gelato advice which is similar and did well. All natural is the way to go. Strawberry Gelato tastes so much better in Italy because the strawberries are better. We stuck to fruit, almond, chocolate, hazelnut, and pistachio mostly.
I watch all your videos. I cook almost all our meals at home from scratch. I noticed that even your more “complicated” dishes use only a few simple seasonal ingredients. I would be very interested to see how you stock your pantry. What are your staples? What seasonings are on hand all the time?What is canned or dried? What summer vegetables are stored for use during winter? Do you shop daily? I am sure it is very different than in the USA. Thank you
I can answer you one one item: "What summer vegetables are stored for use during winter?" the answer is NONE! Mind you, my granny has a medical condition for which the number of vegetables she can eat is also limited: she can't have green leaves, cabbages, many root vegetables and most salads. So we basically buy fresh bell peppers and courgettes through the winter (because they are on sale, imported from North Africa or grown in greenhouses). But usually we eat the seasonal vegetables. You eat cabbages in Winter and aubergines in Summer. The main exception is tomatoes, and canned tomatoes (as passata, peeled toms, or tomato paste) are available year-round. But overall we eat seasonally, and that's it. The only canned vegetables that most people have in their pantries are tomatoes and beans and chickpeas, and the latter often just because in Summer a canned bean or chickpea salad (with onion and tuna or semi-soft boiled eggs) is a must. Also, most people will have a main shopping once or twice a week, but you will always top up through the week. Bread is bought more or less daily, and if you needs something you just pop into a grocery to pick up the slack. And that's because we have mixed zoning. I live in what you may consider a suburb, and I have at least 5 major groceries that I can walk to in 10-15 minutes, the major one being exactly 300 meters from home.
@@alicetwain thank you for that wonderful explanation. I try to cook seasonally but we are so used to just buying anything we desire anytime of year. I am always amazed how people stayed fed thru the winter before modern supermarkets and global commerce. Blessings to you and your granny.
An experience for me when living in Florence (Firenze). Friend came to visit while living there and wanted to try the classic Florentine dish Bistecca alla Fiorentina. I went with him to a restaurant he found off the internet that was considered one of the "best" in Firenze from a travel website. And the steak was very meh and not that good for the price, and we were both in agreement about how bad the experience was. He left for a few days to visit other parts of Tuscany and came back. I got a recommendation to a local place from Italian colleagues that does Bistecca near my apartment, Acquacotta Trattoria (highly recommend if you ever visit Florence). Took my friend there and we had an amazing time and a really good Florentine steak with a simple side of potatoes and nothing more. My best advice is ask locals where the best places to eat if you can either before or during your travels.
Best tip I got, when I was in the military stationed in Germany, is to ask the locals where they like to eat and what is so good about the place they recommend. Taxi drivers are always a great source if you are looking for something quick as they don't have a lot of time to waste like having a whole "lunch hour". They also know the city very well and can give you recommendations based on a specific preference if you are looking for something in particular. I think these tips are universal regardless of where you travel to.
I live in Langhe, near Alba, where the top food is truffle, in particular white truffle. Truffles are very very expensive so in restaurant you find "truffle scented" dishes and in shops you can find "truffle scented oil". This oil and dishes are completely fake since truffle has a very strong scent, but it doesn't transfer its scent to oil or food. Only with real truffle hurls in the plate you are smelling real truffle aroma, otherwise you are simply eating chemical stuff, like bismetiltiometano
I think you pointed out very good examples which are actually universal:) I wanted to add one more thing from my experience of my honeymoon in Italy (3 wonderfull weeks)- ask local people (if you can) about local shops/supermarkets, restaurants and attractions. We had the most amazing host in Florence (small hostel 15 min from downtown) and he gave us a map of Florence and for the next hour was talking and drawing EVERYTHING worth mentioning on this map. We had an amazing time there as well as the food he recommended:) 8 years later I still have that map and I want to frame it:) Greetings from Poland! :)
Mistake: not pre-booking a traditional restaurant. It was so packed they turned us away. Next free tables were not until after we left. Also, I need to learn to book a table over the phone because I was afraid of making myself understood over the phone! Mistake, but it worked: buying gelato from a big gelateria near the Trevi fountain. BUT the extra-dark chocolate one was absolutely divine and we went back several times. I know, I know...but it was so good.
The time I realized traveling to Italy in August was a big mistake, was when I had a project in Rome in August, I said going in when would not be any different from other times. Well my issue was that all my favorite places were closed, like my favorite cheese / deli shop and some of the my favorite restaurants were closed, or worse the real chefs was on vacation. It seemed like every body in Rome was on vacation, horrible trip. The project was fine but I would never go back in August. Funny thing is we have been to Tokyo twice during "Golden Week" which is in May, a time where a third of Tokyo leaves town, there is almost no better time to visit there, less people and everything is still open.
I totally agree and now I know why. I was stationed in the 80's in Italy and lived in Livorno. My wife and I took a few days and visited Venice, and it was soo crowded, hot and well, I do recall, around the canals, didn't smell too good! I really would love to go back, and its on my bucket list to vacation in Italy again, but would go in the spring for sure!
the best tip of you is, eat the typical regional food... Carbonara in Roma, Fileja Nduja in Calabria, Trofie al Pesto in Liguria, Ossobuco con Risotto Milanese in Lombardia... My biggest Mistake: Eating Food in tourist Hotspots: the worst Pizza i ever had was 1. Pizza Frutti di Mare in Venezia, Seafood was old and smelled, Dough was warmed frozen food, a lake of water was on the Pizza. This was Pizza out of hell.. 2. Roma, near Colosseum, not as bad as in Venezia, but also very very bad... for big cities my tip is, eat street food: Panini, Focaccia, Pizza in Teglia...
