15 “Italian” foods that don’t exist in Italy
A few weeks ago, I asked my Facebook pals to tell me what they were surprised by, or unprepared for, on their first visit to Italy. It was a fun thread, and it helped me to remember some of my first impressions of my now home.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of food-related things came up, so I’ve decided to turn the info I gathered into a post about Italian food. Grazie mille to everyone who contributed!
Note: Since originally posting this article, I got some great feedback from readers, and I’ve updated it to include five more “Italian” foods that don’t exist in Italy!
One great point that a reader made is that it’s kind of difficult to talk about “Italian” food in some ways, because Italian cuisine varies widely from region to region. It’s good to keep that in mind when you’re here. For example, you’ll find cacio e pepe at just about every restaurant in Rome, but when I lived in Padua, I think I saw it twice on menus there.
It’s a great idea to research the cuisine of each region of Italy before you visit so you know what to expect. My friend Samantha has done a great job of outlining regional cuisine on her beautiful, thoroughly-researched website, Regions of Italy. Each detailed section features information on the food and wine of the region, as well as tips on what to eat and where to eat it.
What I’ve learned from eating my face off researching for this post is that Italian food outside of Italy is sometimes a variation or adaptation of a traditional recipe, it sometimes doesn’t come close to anything that’s eaten here, and sometimes, it doesn’t exist at all.
Italians use the phrase “non esiste” both to describe things that don’t exist, as well as things that are unacceptable. In keeping with that expression, this post consists of a mix of things that properly do not exist (e.g. Italian dressing) or things that don’t exist in the more figurative sense of being unacceptable (e.g. cappuccino after breakfast). Where possible, I’ve suggested what to order instead!
Keep in mind that there are exceptions to every rule, for example, Seu Pizza Illuminati, a very popular pizzeria in Rome, had a pizza with chicken on it as part of their Summer 2020 menu, but chicken isn’t a common pizza topping, and probably won’t be available in most places.
Ready to find out about 15 “Italian” foods that don’t exist in Italy? Andiamo!
15 “Italian” foods that don’t exist in Italy
Combinations of chicken and pesto, chicken and pasta, or chicken and pizza
Despite the fact that chicken and pesto, chicken and pasta, and chicken and pizza taste good together, they’re not common combos in Italy (note: that doesn’t mean you won’t find them here and there!). At All’antico Vinaio in Florence, a famous sandwich shop, there is even a sign near the door that says “no pesto,” probably because of too many American tourists coming to Italy and trying to recreate their favorite sandwich from Panera.
If you want pesto, you’ll have to get a simple pasta with pesto, or a pizza with pesto.
Like I said above, Seu Pizza Illuminati had a pizza topped with chicken and peppers on their Summer 2020 menu, so you may find that modern restaurants and pizzerias play with the aforementioned combos, but they’re still not super common.
In other exceptions to the rules, my sweetheart was once in Genoa and texted me to tell me that he was at a place that served chicken and pesto (him texting me about food is my version of a love note) so it does exist, it’s just rare.
Bonus nope: Chicken Parmesan
Ok, so I did some Googling and saw a few recipes on Italian websites for chicken parmesan, but the ones I looked at credit it to Italian Americans. I’ve never seen it or heard anyone talking about it here, either. Maybe it’s for the more adventurous Italians, or for those who are trying to entice foreigners into their restaurants, but you probably won’t find chicken parmesan in Italy.
What you will find: parmigiana di melanzane
Fear not, because you can get parmigiana di melanzane, or simply parmigiana (eggplant parmesan). And you should get it, because yum.
Fettuccine Alfredo (well, sort of)
Fettuccine alfredo, which many of us know as pasta with a cheesy cream sauce, is not commonly found on menus here. Don’t even THINK of asking for fettuccine alfredo with chicken. You will just have to go to the Olive Garden when you get home for that stuff.
That being said, there are two restaurants in Rome that claim to have invented this dish – Il Vero Alfredo and Alfredo alla Scrofa. They’re close together in the area near the Spanish Steps.
The original version of fettuccine alfredo has just two ingredients: butter and parmigiano. No cream, no chicken, no funny business.
The interesting part is that both restaurants claim the same origin story for the dish, stating that it was created to nourish a pregnant or postpartum female family member, and then became famous when two famous American actors, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, tasted the dish while honeymooning in Rome.
According to the website of Il Vero Alfredo, they gifted the chef with a gold spoon and fork, each inscribed: “To Alfredo, the king of the noodles.” I guess it’s a long-standing tradition for Americans to irk Italians by twisting up long pasta using a fork and spoon, and referring to it as “noodles.”
This article from Gambero Rosso (in Italian) indicates that the engraved gold fork and spoon prove that the recipe originated at Il Vero Alfredo, and that anyone who claims otherwise is a pretender. This article from GQ Italy (also in Italian) also states that Il Vero Alfredo is The Real Alfredo.
I’m not sure what’s what in this situation, or who is telling the truth, but what I am sure of is that I’m going to go to these places to do a taste test (and a lie detector test).
Anyway, if you’re eating at any restaurant besides these two in Rome and want something creamy and delicious, try a carbonara, or a cacio e pepe. Just don’t ask for chicken in either of them. Play it safe and don’t talk about chicken at all, guys.
Hawaiian pizza
The thought of pineapple on pizza is a thing that traumatizes many, many Italians. If I may draw a conclusion based on pop culture, the number of memes about how foreigners have ruined pizza by putting pineapple on it shows that this concept really weighs heavily on their collective consciousness. Please, don’t stress them further by bringing it up.
If you’re desperate for pineapple, it’s often served here as a seasonal dessert, so you can get it for your dolce.
If you’re craving a salty-sweet/meat-fruit combo, get prosciutto e melone (prosciutto with cantaloupe), which is commonly on menus in the warm weather.
Note: Since originally writing this post, I have encountered pineapple on pizza in Rome at an aperitivo at a fancy hotel, and it was disgusting.
Pepperoni pizza
Ok, this is a tricky one, because pepperoni pizza sort of exists, but if you order a “pepperoni pizza” you’re going to get something that surprises you. Peperoni in Italian are bell peppers (or capsicum, for my friends Down Under), not pepperoni as in spicy little circles of processed meat.
What you will find: pizza alla diavola
If you want a pepperoni pizza, you should order una pizza alla diavola, or, a pizza of the devil, (spicy food here is usually “of the devil,” or sometimes arrabbiata, “angry”) which comes with salame piccante on it (spicy salami).
Bonus note: Italian pizza
While on the topic of pizza, it’s important to point out that here, it usually doesn’t have a whole mess of toppings, and it’s not really customary to make adjustments. At home, you might be used to ordering a large pizza, half barbecued chicken, half tomato sauce with olives, peppers, mushrooms, sausage, ham, and jalapeños, but that’s not going to happen here.
The crust of pizza in Rome is thin and crispy, whereas Neapolitan pizza is famed for having a thicker crust. The toppings will be more sparse than pizzas outside of Italy, including the cheese.
The joy of Italian pizza is that the ingredients used are usually fresh and delicious, and, because the crust in Rome is so thin and it’s not overloaded with toppings, you can eat the whole thing, baby.
Oil and vinegar for dipping bread before dinner
Many people are surprised to find out that bread is just served plain in Italy, with no herbs and oil or oil and vinegar for dipping. Of course, you can ask for some, but they might not get what you want to do, and therefore not bring you a plate.
You should resist the urge to fill up on bread, anyway. Save it for the end of your meal so you can “fare la scarpetta,” aka use the bread to swipe up all the leftover sauce from your pasta.
Cappuccino after a meal
I’m grateful to another reader to pointed out that what I had originally written here – that it’s unacceptable to have a cappuccino after breakfast time – actually isn’t true. Despite what you might have seen on TikTok, it’s cappuccino after a meal that’s the uncommon thing.
It might be common outside of Italy to get a cappuccino after lunch or dinner, but in Italy, people have an espresso, or a macchiato (which is an espresso with a drop of milk).
My reader kindly pointed out that cappuccino or caffè latte in the afternoon is something that people might have as a merenda, or snack. So, it’s not the time of day that matters, it’s the proximity to meal time.
I believe it has to do with the amount of milk in a cappuccino or caffè latte on a full stomach that people find off-putting. It’s true – I can’t imagine having a cappuccino after eating a carbonara.
Italians like to tease foreigners about drinking milky coffees after meals (and other food-related things), and the topic even comes up on restaurant menus every now and then…
Toast (Well, sort of)
In Italian, “un toast” is a hot ham and cheese sandwich. Some places specialize in “toast” and offer many different variations.
If you’re desperate for what you know as toast, you could ask for pane tostato, but it’s not really a thing here, unless you’re at a place that serves Anglo-American style brunches. There are, however, fette biscottate, which are like small, crunchy toast crackers that are highly problematic because they crumble to dust when you bite into them, but in a pinch aren’t bad with a little jam or nutella.
Garlic bread
I know, I know. Garlic bread is very good, but it is not very Italian.
What you will find: bruschetta or crostini all’aglio
Again, fear not, because you can get a bruschetta with aglio (garlic), and you’ll probably never want to eat garlic bread again, because the bruschetta will be delicious!
The garlic bruschetta at Emma Pizzeria in Rome is ambrosia. I don’t understand how something so simple can be so good.
A reader also told me that in his home town of Mirandola in Emilia, you can get stria con aglio, which is, as he said “a thin pizza-like bread topped with chopped garlic.” (*books trip to Mirandola for garlic bread*).
Spaghetti and meatballs
You wouldn’t know it by my name, but I have Italian heritage. Growing up in the US, we ate spaghetti and meatballs a lot, and it’s one of my favorite comfort foods. I was pretty surprised when I moved here and found out that it’s mostly an Italian-American thing!
What you will find: chitarrine alla teramana (Abruzzo)
I say mostly because on a recent trip to Abruzzo, I nearly cried when I saw Chitarrine alla Teramana on the menu, which is basically spaghetti and meatballs.
The waiter brought out a large platter with a big fork and spoon for sharing – what we might call a “family-style” dish. I am not ashamed to admit that my family consisted of only me that night, and I ate the whole thing, except for a few twirls that I grudgingly shared with my friends and sweetheart. (NB: I regret nothing.)
The meatballs were small and much more delicate than the ones my family and I make, but they were tender and perfectly bite-sized.
A reader also informed me that similar dishes are also made in the south, but they’re usually family recipes made by older generations at home rather than being served at restaurants. You may also find lasagne with mini-meatballs in the south, too.
Meatballs are common on menus in many cities, just not with pasta. In Veneto, they’re often served as a “cicheto,” which is a little snack one has with one’s evening spritz during aperitivo.
Meatball subs do not exist either. That doesn’t mean that I don’t make them at my house, though. Because again, they may not be authentic, but they are good!
Spaghetti Bolognese
There, of course, is a meat sauce called “ragù alla Bolognese”. The discrepancies between the Italian version and the version that’s made abroad are the pasta shape, and the addition of cream.
What you will find: tagliatelle alla bolognese or lasagne alla bolognese
What is known in some parts of the world as “Spag Bol” doesn’t exist in Italy, because here, it’s served with tagliatelle rather than spaghetti. The mayor of Bologna even started a campaign to dispel the myth of spaghetti Bolognese.
It’s also common for the sauce of the Spag Bol to be prepared with cream outside of Italy. Here, many recipes call for the addition of a small amount of milk instead.
Manicotti
There are a few versions of manicotti that I’ve had in the US. One type consists of tubes of pasta filled with a mix of cheese and herbs and baked in tomato sauce. The other type is also stuffed and baked, but the shell is more crepe-like than pasta like. A family friend in the States who migrated from Italy to the US as a girl used to make delicious manicotti this way.
What you will find: cannelloni
In Italy, cannelloni are generally served in the same way as manicotti are – stuffed and baked. If you’re craving manicotti, order cannelloni and you’ll be happy.
Mozzarella sticks with tomato sauce
Ahh, the mozzarella stick – a breaded, fried bite of stringy, melty, gooey cheese, dipped in tangy, sweet tomato sauce. A staple of fast food and chain restaurants in the US, you won’t find mozzarella sticks here in Italy.
What you will find: mozzarelline
Mozzarelline are little fried balls of mozzarella that are served as fritti, or fried appetizers, at pizzerias all over Italy. I’ve never had them served with any kind of sauce, but that doesn’t mean that some places don’t serve them that way.
Porto Fluviale in Rome, for example, serves all kinds of little fried things with sauces.
Italian salad dressing
Italian dressing is ubiquitous in the US, but salad dressings, in the sense of pre-mixed goops that come in bottles, aren’t really a thing here.
Instead, Italians generally dress salads with oil and vinegar, or maybe oil and lemon, and perhaps a bit of salt. Puntarelle, a type of chicory that’s served in Rome, is dressed with oil, garlic, lemon or vinegar, and anchovy.
Seafood cioppino
This is another one that a friend pointed out to me, which I didn’t include in my original list. Invented in San Francisco in the 1800s by Italian immigrants, cioppino is a seafood stew made with garlic, herbs, wine, and tomato.
What you will find: Cacciucco (Tuscany/Liguria), Brodetto di pesce (Abruzzo), Cassola sarda (Sardinia)
There are plenty of fish stews/soups in Italy, just none that I can find that go by the name “cioppino”. As you can tell, the name will vary depending on where you are, so do some investigating if you’re on the hunt for cioppino. You might just find its cousin!
Shrimp scampi with pasta
This appears to be one of those recipes that varied because of the availability of certain ingredients. Italian immigrants could get shrimp much more easily than the langoustines that they were used to, so shrimp scampi was born.
What you will find: linguine agli scampi
If you order scampi here, you’ll get langoustines, which look like small, thin lobsters.
So, there are your 15 “Italian” foods that don’t exist in Italy. Thoughts? Questions? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments, and buon appetito!
Want to take a food tour on your trip to Italy? Check these out!
ROME
If you’re very, very hungry, consider booking this night tour of Rome, which includes 20+ tastings! 413 other travelers have given it a 4.9/5 star rating.
Want to eat your way through some of Rome’s most picturesque areas? This food tour will take you through Campo de’ Fiori, the Jewish Ghetto, and Trastevere. It’s also super highly rated by 346 reviewers (4.8/5).
VENICE
Interested in combining food, wine, and sightseeing? This tour takes you through Cannaregio (my favorite sestiere in Venice). You’ll taste six specialities. 4.9/5 star rating, by 57 reviewers.
447 reviewers have rated this cicheti and wine tour an average of 4.8/5. Enjoy four glasses of wine and four cicheti, and a sweet to finish it off.
This lunchtime tour takes you through Venice’s famous Rialto market. Sample local food and wine. This tour has a 4.9/5 rating!
BOLOGNA
This very highly-rated food tour of Bologna looks like a foodie’s dream! It includes six local food items, red and white wine, and a surprise! 4.8/5 by 73 people.
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HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference to your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo”, this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo Di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1948 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 “Il Vero Alfredo” (“Alfredo di Roma”), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See the website of “Il Vero Alfredo” for “Alfredo’s franchising in the world”.
I must clarify that other restaurants “Alfredo” in Rome do not belong and are out of my brand “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma”.
The restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo” is in the Registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence – section on Historical Activities of Excellence” of the Municipality of Roma Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio
IN ITALIANO
STORIA DI ALFREDO DI LELIO, CREATORE DELLE “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), E DELLA SUA TRADIZIONE FAMILIARE PRESSO IL RISTORANTE “IL VERO ALFREDO” (“ALFREDO DI ROMA”) IN PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE A ROMA
Con riferimento al Vostro articolo ho il piacere di raccontarVi la storia di mio nonno Alfredo Di Lelio, inventore delle note “fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”).
Alfredo Di Lelio, nato nel settembre del 1883 a Roma in Vicolo di Santa Maria in Trastevere, cominciò a lavorare fin da ragazzo nella piccola trattoria aperta da sua madre Angelina in Piazza Rosa, un piccolo slargo (scomparso intorno al 1910) che esisteva prima della costruzione della Galleria Colonna (ora Galleria Sordi).
Il 1908 fu un anno indimenticabile per Alfredo Di Lelio: nacque, infatti, suo figlio Armando e videro contemporaneamente la luce in tale trattoria di Piazza Rosa le sue “fettuccine”, divenute poi famose in tutto il mondo. Questa trattoria è “the birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
Alfredo Di Lelio inventò le sue “fettuccine” per dare un ricostituente naturale, a base di burro e parmigiano, a sua moglie (e mia nonna) Ines, prostrata in seguito al parto del suo primogenito (mio padre Armando). Il piatto delle “fettuccine” fu un successo familiare prima ancora di diventare il piatto che rese noto e popolare Alfredo Di Lelio, personaggio con “i baffi all’Umberto” ed i calli alle mani a forza di mischiare le sue “fettuccine” davanti ai clienti sempre più numerosi.
Nel 1914, a seguito della chiusura di detta trattoria per la scomparsa di Piazza Rosa dovuta alla costruzione della Galleria Colonna, Alfredo Di Lelio decise di aprire a Roma il suo ristorante “Alfredo” che gestì fino al 1943, per poi cedere l’attività a terzi estranei alla sua famiglia.
Ma l’assenza dalla scena gastronomica di Alfredo Di Lelio fu del tutto transitoria. Infatti nel 1948 riprese il controllo della sua tradizione familiare ed aprì, insieme al figlio Armando, il ristorante “Il Vero Alfredo” (noto all’estero anche come “Alfredo di Roma”) in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 (cfr. il sito web di Il Vero Alfredo).
Con l’avvio del nuovo ristorante Alfredo Di Lelio ottenne un forte successo di pubblico e di clienti negli anni della “dolce vita”. Successo, che, tuttora, richiama nel ristorante un flusso continuo di turisti da ogni parte del mondo per assaggiare le famose “fettuccine all’Alfredo” al doppio burro da me servite, con
l’impegno di continuare nel tempo la tradizione familiare dei miei cari maestri, nonno Alfredo, mio padre Armando e mio fratello Alfredo. In particolare le fettuccine sono servite ai clienti con 2 “posate d’oro”: una forchetta ed un cucchiaio d’oro regalati nel 1927 ad Alfredo dai due noti attori americani M. Pickford e D. Fairbanks (in segno di gratitudine per l’ospitalità).
Desidero precisare che altri ristoranti “Alfredo” a Roma non appartengono e sono fuori dal mio brand di famiglia.
Vi informo che il Ristorante “Il Vero Alfredo” è presente nell’Albo dei “Negozi Storici di Eccellenza – sezione Attività Storiche di Eccellenza” del Comune di Roma Capitale.
Grata per la Vostra attenzione ed ospitalità nel Vostro interessante blog, cordiali saluti
Ines Di Lelio
You are so absolutely truthful about on something that I experience in Rome in 1962 I was with another two friends and we met two Italian boys and we got acquainted well that evening. I asked them to take as to a nice restaurant for pizza. They should did took us to one which was near Tiberius river and we sat outside. Of course I ordered peperoni and my surprise was as you described it. It was delicious but not as we know it in the states, it was made with excellent dough, green peppers with olive oil and garlic. I can’t tell you how angry I was by serving me the wrong food, but how satisfied I was with the taste. Thank you for bringing back that memory. I am 92 now I was 30 then.
Thanks for sharing that memory with me! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pizza 🙂
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference to your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo”, this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo Di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome (via della scrofa) and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1948 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 “Il Vero Alfredo” (“Alfredo di Roma”), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See the website of “Il Vero Alfredo”.
I must clarify that other restaurants “Alfredo” in Rome do not belong and are out of my brand “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma”.
The brand “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma” is present in Mexico with a restaurant in Mexico City and a trattoria in Cozumel on the basis of franchising relationships with the Group Hotel Presidente Intercontinental Mexico.
The restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo” is in the Registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence – section on Historical Activities of Excellence” of the Municipality of Roma Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio
IN ITALIANO
STORIA DI ALFREDO DI LELIO, CREATORE DELLE “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), E DELLA SUA TRADIZIONE FAMILIARE PRESSO IL RISTORANTE “IL VERO ALFREDO” (“ALFREDO DI ROMA”) IN PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE A ROMA
Con riferimento al Vostro articolo ho il piacere di raccontarVi la storia di mio nonno Alfredo Di Lelio, inventore delle note “fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”).
Alfredo Di Lelio, nato nel settembre del 1883 a Roma in Vicolo di Santa Maria in Trastevere, cominciò a lavorare fin da ragazzo nella piccola trattoria aperta da sua madre Angelina in Piazza Rosa, un piccolo slargo (scomparso intorno al 1910) che esisteva prima della costruzione della Galleria Colonna (ora Galleria Sordi).
Il 1908 fu un anno indimenticabile per Alfredo Di Lelio: nacque, infatti, suo figlio Armando e videro contemporaneamente la luce in tale trattoria di Piazza Rosa le sue “fettuccine”, divenute poi famose in tutto il mondo. Questa trattoria è “the birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
Alfredo Di Lelio inventò le sue “fettuccine” per dare un ricostituente naturale, a base di burro e parmigiano, a sua moglie (e mia nonna) Ines, prostrata in seguito al parto del suo primogenito (mio padre Armando). Il piatto delle “fettuccine” fu un successo familiare prima ancora di diventare il piatto che rese noto e popolare Alfredo Di Lelio, personaggio con “i baffi all’Umberto” ed i calli alle mani a forza di mischiare le sue “fettuccine” davanti ai clienti sempre più numerosi.
Nel 1914, a seguito della chiusura di detta trattoria per la scomparsa di Piazza Rosa dovuta alla costruzione della Galleria Colonna, Alfredo Di Lelio decise di aprire a Roma il suo ristorante “Alfredo” che gestì fino al 1943, per poi cedere l’attività a terzi estranei alla sua famiglia.
Ma l’assenza dalla scena gastronomica di Alfredo Di Lelio fu del tutto transitoria. Infatti nel 1948 riprese il controllo della sua tradizione familiare ed aprì, insieme al figlio Armando, il ristorante “Il Vero Alfredo” (noto all’estero anche come “Alfredo di Roma”) in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 (cfr. il sito web di Il Vero Alfredo).
Con l’avvio del nuovo ristorante Alfredo Di Lelio ottenne un forte successo di pubblico e di clienti negli anni della “dolce vita”. Successo, che, tuttora, richiama nel ristorante un flusso continuo di turisti da ogni parte del mondo per assaggiare le famose “fettuccine all’Alfredo” al doppio burro da me servite, con
l’impegno di continuare nel tempo la tradizione familiare dei miei cari maestri, nonno Alfredo, mio padre Armando e mio fratello Alfredo. In particolare le fettuccine sono servite ai clienti con 2 “posate d’oro”: una forchetta ed un cucchiaio d’oro regalati nel 1927 ad Alfredo dai due noti attori americani M. Pickford e D. Fairbanks (in segno di gratitudine per l’ospitalità).
Desidero precisare che altri ristoranti “Alfredo” a Roma non appartengono e sono fuori dal mio brand di famiglia.
Il brand “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma” è presente in Messico con un ristorante a Città del Messico e una trattoria a Cozumel sulla base di rapporti di franchising con il Group Hotel Presidente Intercontinental Mexico.
Vi informo che il Ristorante “Il Vero Alfredo” è presente nell’Albo dei “Negozi Storici di Eccellenza – sezione Attività Storiche di Eccellenza” del Comune di Roma Capitale.
Grata per la Vostra attenzione ed ospitalità nel Vostro interessante blog, cordiali saluti
Ines Di Lelio
Carissima Ines, La ringrazio tanto del Suo messaggio, e per tutta questa informazione sul Suo nonno. Spero di assaggiare le sue famosissime fettuccine presto ?
Really excellent post! Just a couple things. Brodetto di pesce is common in all the Adriatic Sea area, a kind of can be found even along the Croatian coast (which once was mostly ruled by Venice). In Abruzzo, e.g. Pescara, they have a special recipe with tomato sauce: very good, after finishing your brodetto, is to ask them to cook pasta with the remaining sauce.
About scampi: the British call “langoustines” scampi as well, and I guess also the rest of Europe. So, beware wherever you go!
P.S. I would add a 16th point: Italian cuisine, especially in the Centre and the North, is not tomato-based. Actually, I dare say that the vast majority of recipes from Rome to the Alps does not contain tomato.
When we went to Italy, we went on a food tour. We were told that the Italians don’t ask if you’re enjoying their meal… they simply know you will be …. so very hurt if you are unable to eat it all or heaven forbid, complain.
2 things we were told by our guide…. there is no such thing as a cafe latte … latte in Italian means milk… so if you order, that’s what they’ll give you – milk. the other thing they don’t do (in Venice) is add garlic to their ragu …. it’s a little like adding pineapple to a pizza.
Loved the ciccetta and the guide explained the reason there are so few chairs in those places … they are not a cafe. What they want is for you to order and then leave and stand around outside or sit outside; in this way they get more trade. Ciccetta means small bite.
Loved Northern Italy and as soon as the airlines start charging reasonable prices we’ll go there, but this time to the south.
Cicchetto (sing.), cicchetti (plur.) 😉 Ciccetta sounds like “small meat”.
Yes there is no garlic in ragù recipe, at least the Bologna-style which is used in the North.
American Italian food is still good anyway.
I agree, Doug. Every time I go back to Maine, I ask my mom to make me spaghetti and meatballs!
I visited Italy on a work visa in July 2014 and I ordered fish pasta but the fish still had all the bones in it even though it was mixed in. I was not aware and almost swallowed it. I tried to talk to the manager and server but they were quite mad at me.
Hi Rachel, thanks for reading. I’ve learned to chew fish delicately here and in other parts of the world, because sometimes the bones are still there! I hope you enjoyed your time in Italy, bones and all 🙂
Great post, but you left out the most important one: Gabagool!!!!!
I bet with the new hype around the Sopranos lately this post is going to take off.
Hi there! Thanks for reading. Gabagool does actually exist in Italy, it just has different names, depending on the region. It’s commonly called capocollo – not too far of a stretch from gabagool!
Hi, I just want to add somthing releted with the word “toast”. I’m Argentinian and here we call “tostado” (masculin word), to a ham and cheese sandwich that its “tosted”, and “tostada” (femenin), to what you know in English as “toast”.
Great blog.
Hi Ramiro! Thanks for reading, and for your comment. That’s really interesting that the gender of the noun changes the meaning. In Italian, “toast” is a hot ham and cheese sandwich, but “toast” in the English sense of the world is called “pane tostato.” 🙂
Hi, what a nice blog!
I’m an italian that travelled and ejoyed both western and eatern culture… so I really do appreciate when people do the same for Italy!
A few things though. At number 6 the coffee without anything is “liscio” non “lisco”. Or flat as you’d specify in english. You simply forgot an “I”.
Also is “Cicchetto”- I know… double letters are a headache in italian.
Beside that- love it. Keep up, and if you want to drop near Verona me and my German wife are more than glad to speak with a person of taste! (plus- yeah amazing food).
Ciao!
Hi Paolo! Thanks so much for reading. You’re right about liscio – silly typo on my part 🙂 I’ll fix it now. I spelled ‘cicchetti’ that way because that’s how it’s spelled on the sign at my favorite bar in Padova! In fact, I asked an Italian friend because I was curious as I had thought it was spelled ‘chicchetti,’ but he said that in the dialect up here, double letters are often dropped. If I come to Verona, I’ll let you know! I’ve only been once and have wanted to get back 🙂
HI again!
Thank you for the kind response- I know that when italians do try and correct foreigners can sometimes sound a bit arrogant. I’m glad you took my post the right way. 🙂
Take care and see you around! (But careful with heatstrokes! Lately the temperature went up quite some!)
Hi Paolo, I really like it when people reach out. As hard as I try to avoid making mistakes, it’s inevitable that I will – both in Italian spelling and some things related to the culture as well! I’m rapidly discovering how difficult it is to write about culture, because it’s enacted by so many people in different ways, and it changes constantly. That’s why I always ask for comments! I want my blog to be as accurate as possible. I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment! All the best 🙂
🙂 No worries.
Besides those aren’t REALLY mistakes.
Local variations, dialects and proper “languages” inside Italian can make for a very wide range of writing for even the simplest words.
All in all many italians talk and write much, much worse- Italian has its intricacies after all…
As a person who traveled a lot (and has married another person who travelled even more) I find blogs like this extremely interesting as they offer a very fresh look on something quite dear to me.
Keep going, you’re doing a great job.
Thanks for your encouragement! It means to much. I’m always thrilled to hear from happy readers 🙂
Actually, that’s not correct.
I’m italian and a trained chef.
Spaghetti with meatball DOES exist in Italy, but is a regional, not famous, food.
It comes from south italy, so no surprise you didn’t find it in Roma or North italy.
Said that, it became incredibly famous in America and lot of people forgot it in Italy. Few Italian family still do that, including my one, and my granma never went to US 🙂
Alfredo’s fettuccine: same story. It was invented in Rome long time ago, never became famous, then people stopped eating it and went completely forgotten. Only few people of real roman heritage can remember it. It was popular for a very very very short time, like Penne al Salmone. The american version, is, still, slightly different from the original one.
Anyway, excellent post!
Hi Rachele, Thanks for reading, and for your comment. That’s very interesting to hear, I had no idea! I guess lots of Italians who emigrated to the US brought these old dishes with them! I bet your grandmother makes delicious meatballs 🙂 Mine did too!
Excellent !
In fact there is no such thing as Italian food. There is Tuscan food and Pugliese and Mantovan etc.
I do not believe any one has ever written down the innumerable dishes which exists in Italy
Hi Oscar! I bet you’re right. It would certainly be a fun project to document the local dishes of a region, wouldn’t it! With a taste test of each of them, of course 🙂
Garlic bread isn’t Italian? My whole life has been a lie. ?
I felt the same about spaghetti and meatballs! Don’t worry though – bruschetta with garlic is very close, and soooooo good. It’s just that you’ll only get one piece instead of a whole loaf 🙂
Dear Molly,
very nice blog indeed…
I wanted to mention the MOST famous Italian dish that doesn’t exist in Italy and you didn’t mention… the Spaghetti Bolognese.
Bolognese sauce can accompany very well Tagliatelle or lasagne BUT NOT spaghetti.
Nevertheless some restaurants, very much tourist oriented, can have it in their offer…
Another little point about bread and garlic. In my region Emilia (town Mirandola) you can find a thin pizza-like bread cooked just with chopped garlic. It is faboulose.
It is called STRIA con AGLIO and it is used instead of bread to be eaten with salame, prosciutto or other salumi.
Ciao e continua con la stessa passione.
Massimo
Ciao Massimo!
Grazie del commento 🙂 Ora che vivo in Emilia Romagna mangerò di sicuro sia le tagliatelle/lasagne alla Bolognese che la stria con aglio!
What about manicotti?
Hi Joe! I forgot those! More are coming to mind as we speak – mozzarella sticks, Italian dressing, shrimp scampi… Looks like this one will have to be a two-parter 🙂