Italiano in America Culinary Journal

Osteria, Trattoria, Ristorante...What's the difference?

2010-10-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

You probably came across with this names if you looked for a place to eat in Italy, or even in Italian neighborhoods in the U.S.! But why all of this names? don't they just serve food?

Well there's actually some differences, and some History behind all of this, let's start with

"OSTERIA"

The name Osteria comes from "Oste" which also comes from the Latin name "Hospite" wich means Guest!We found traces of this places in history during the Roman Empire, but still today, the Osteria is a friendly public place ( usually located in an old building) were the Oste

(the friendly owner) serves you the wine he produces, and food to snack on, usually olives, breads, cheeses... Those places had a really important role for the social life of the people at the time, a place to get togheter, and exchange ideas. Today you might won't find as many Osterie out there, but they are still popular and a really friendly place to be. Sometimes they also offer bedroom service for the night, in that case this places are called "LOCANDA"

"TRATTORIA"

Trattoria is a local eatery, that exclusively serves local and regional foods, as well as local wines.They're usually not so expensive, the service is friendly and non formal, the look is very simple,sometimes rustic,but don' t let it fool you, couse the quality of food is extremely good!If you are traveling somewhere and want to eat something you're gonna remember, always ask somebody local for the best Trattoria, and you won't regret it!

So this are the main differences, the Ristorante can serve all kinds of different food's and drinks, usually more expensive and with a more modern and newer look ( even though the Rustic look is becoming a trand nowadays) but if you want my opinion, the Trattoria is the best place to be!

Lambert's Restaurant, Springfield MO.

2010-06-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

First post about American food! The list is big...but choosing the first American restaurant to review was not too hard, since Lambert's (home of the throwed rolls) was one of the most fun and friendly places i've been so far. A place for family, a place that feels like home, a place with loots of food! Before i go on, let's talk about the Subtitle "home of the throwed rolls " wich is one of the things that makes this place pretty unique, they really have people with "bread roll thrower" as a job title!
Just raise your hands and hope to catch it! Ahaha!I also loved the look inside,full of vintage memorabilia,old coke machines,bottles,license plates,signs...The Menu is big lots of choice from ribs, to chiken, burgers, meat loaf... you name it, it's there! I remember havin' fried chiken livers, pork chops, all very good!But what i thought was really cool , is the old ladyes going around the tables offering BBQ beans, Molasses, French Fries...for the whole time!Trust me is a really fun experience, and this place seems also pretty popular! I remember waiting around 30 minutes outside to be seated, wich for some people doesn't sound good, but look at it this way...that also tells you IT MUST BE GOOD!

http://www.throwedrolls.com/shopcontent.asp?type=Ozark

Ristorante Malastrana, Milano

2010-06-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

Milano is one of the biggest Italian cities, famous for the fashion, shopping center...their soccer,
and what about the food? If you ever go there, there's a place that i really liked, il Ristorante Malastrana! Located in the "Navigli" area, what's Navigli?, Navigli are artificial canals built in the 19th century, to help the transportation, at the time really important to transport big blocs of marble,used to build the Duomo.
Now, the area is really cool, lot's of places to eat, bars,and shops...but let's get to the food.
Even if it was years ago i remember the pizza was really good, but something you gotta have
in this city is the Cotoletta! The original Veal breaded cutlet! The tradition sayes that the veal must be milk-fed, and the cutlet must be braised in clarified butter,a very popular dish often served right next to the Risotto alla milanese.Another tipe of Cotoletta is the "Orecchio di elefante" (Elephant ear) when the cut of meat used is thinner but more large, and gets tenderyzed before frying.
Looking good huh? I didn't had a camera with me, but mine was served covered with fresh chopped Arugula, and diced cherry tomatoes...it's a must have!

VEGENAISE

2010-06-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

I know what you might be thinking...No i didn't type the name wrong, and No i did not photoshop that picture! This is a real product, it's Vegan-mayonaise! How did they do that?
I'll get there, but first of all allow me to tell you...you don't need to be Vegan to appreciate
this product, i'm personally not Vegan at all,and i think that tha flavor of this product it's actually even stronger compared to regular dairy mayo,and the fact that contains: zero colesterol,no trans fat, no sweeteners, gums, coloring...etc. Well that leaves me with one big question...Why would i use regular mayo?... here's the ingredients: Canola oil, Filtered Water, Apple Cider Vinegar,Brown Rice Syrup, Soy Protein, Sea salt,Lemon juice, and Mustard Flour.
Give it a try, you'll be surprised.
For more information visit http://www.followyourheart.com/index.php

We' re Back!

2010-06-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence! I won't waste time finding excuses for why i was gone so long...
I'm just gonna thank all of you visitors! Coming up, more restaurant reviews, lot of restaurants
you should visit in Italy, and also some american food and restaurants from the midwest, as well as reviews of some good healty products that you should definelly check out!
Stay Tuned!

Enrico Bongiovanni

Cupini's Restaurant, Kansas City

2010-03-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Cupini's Restaurant has been in Kansas City for years, owned by Franco Cupini and his son Eddie, with the main location located in the Westport area, and other 4! Lees Summit, Downtown , Parkville ,and Leawood. Now the first important thing to say about this place is, feeling like home, i step in there, and i feel like i step in to my living room, and for all the Italians , it's always nice to step into a Restaurant and get greeted by Franco with a big: STRONZO! lol
Jokes a part, it's really true, you'll feel like home, and get treated like family!
Now we can talk about the food! If you're looking for fresh pasta, here's a place to go! They make fresh pasta everyday, i personally recommend the Lasagna,

I always let the pictures speak . Other things that i really loved from the menu' are: the stuffed Portobello, stuffed Eggplant, and the Talapia. Last but not Least...You can also buy the're frozen fresh pasta! I just had the Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions Ravioli...TO DIE FOR!
If You're stopping by Kansas City, this place is a MUST. If you are from Kansas City and never been to Cupini's...Shame on You!Online at: http://www.cupinis.com/

"SPIKE" Low Sodium Seasoning

2010-03-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Is anybody on a low sodium diet? It is not easy to eliminate salt! Usually, people with high blood pressure, or hearth problems have to do that. I personally did a big cut on salt, not for health problems, but i believe too much salt can give a really fake flavor to food in general. Here is what i think is an amazing alternative for salt: SPIKE
A superb blend of natural herbs, spices, leaf and root vegetables, carefully balanced to enhance the flavor without adding salt. And it's also GLUTEN FREE!

Ingredients: Nutritional Yeast Grown On Blackstrap Molasses, Kelp, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (NO ADDED MSG), Toasted Onion, Powdered Dill Seed, White Pepper, Celery, Parsley Flakes, Beet Root Powder, Mushroom Powder, Orange & Lemon Peel, Papain Enzyme, Plus A Delightful Herbal Bouquet of the best Oregano, Sweet Basil, Marjoram, Rosemary and Thyme.

I use this on everything, for any of my pasta sauces, for meats, even on sweet baked potatoes!
Give it a try and let me know!

Trattoria da Pasqualino, NAPOLI (ITALY)

2010-03-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

That sign says it all, since 1898, this family seems to have some experience, and to keep a family business for more than a 100 years, i think is pretty amazing. I can't forget to mention the location, "mergellina" wich is a touristic spot in the city of Napoli, world famous city for being the inventor of the most famous dish on Earth: LA PIZZA! Now, there are soo many kind of pizza everywhere you go, but if you want the REAL DEAL, here is where you need to be.
Now, if you ask the local people, they will all tell you their favorite place, but really you can go anywhere and get some good authentic Pizza, if you are in Napoli.And here it is!

La Pizza ai frutti di mare ( sea fruits pizza) they basically took everything that came out of the net of the fisherman that morning and put it on the pizza, LITERLY, and here's some proofs:

just a few steps from here, boats going back and forth bringing fresh fish everyday, some bring them to the restaurants, ans some just sell those right out of the boat!But let's get back on the Pizza, the fish : clams, mussels,shrimps, squids...are pan cooked with the tomato sauce, and than poured on top of the Pizza,and as you can see they also leave the shells!So you dont just cut your slice like a regular pizza, you also pick up some of your toppings and eat them with your hands! Seriously...how do you get better than that? Not to mention, the oven of course, is a wood Pizza oven, so not only you get that fresh tasty fish mix flavor incorporated in the sauce, you also get that little smoky flavor in the crust. I raccomend this experience if you're a true Pizza lover, like i said this was my experience, but in the words of the "Napoletani" this is Pizza city, so i bet you can find good Pizza pretty much anywhere here.

OOGAVE Natural Sodadrinks!

2010-02-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

OOGAVE' is a company from Denver Colorado that makes natural soda drinks.This is a new discovery for me, i tryed a couple of this drinks a week ago, and now it's the only thing i can think about! It's honestly the best soda drink i've ever had. You wonder why its soo good?
First lets talk about the Agave, Agave it's a plant from Mexico, primarily always used to make tequila,and now becoming more popular in the culinary world, is now used as a natural sweetener, in fact it contains really low glicemic index, even if the taste is so sweet and soo good!
Here you can see a picture of an Agave farm in Mexico, and the glicemic chart level of different sweeteners compared to the Agave extract, not too bad huh?
But not only that, what really makes this soda stand out as different and BETTER is being natural and organic, forget all those fake flavors, garbage, corn syrups,and fake colors...
if you read GINGER ALE, on an OOGAVE' soda bottle...that's what you gonna get, REAL Ginger extract,no jokes and no tricks, i personally only tried the Ginger and the Cola, and to me they were really outstanding, but they actually come in many other flavor as you cans see below

Also forgot to mention, is caffeine free, gluten free, and certified USDA ORGANIC!
No more words...GO GET SOME!
http://www.oogavesoda.com/

Osteria al Castello Di Sorrivoli (Cesena, Italy)

2010-02-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

For the first post, I HAVE TO talk about this place, one of my absolute favorite place to eat!
Il Castello di sorrivoli! Ok there is a lot of stuff to mention...first let's start about the location, this place is situated on top of the hills, right on top of the town of Cesena, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. It's a fun drive to get up there the street get's a lil steep, but if you drive it during a summer evening, when the sun is still up...you will enjoy that drive surround by lot of green, farm and a great view of the whole beautiful hill side of Romgna.Once you get there what you see, is a Medieval Castle situated in this lil town, i mean reeally little...the castle itself represent it, to me just the atmosphere is really homey, and friendly...do not expect anything fancy...here everything is Regional, Local, and Rustic! Made with love by family and friends that work together.
The pics talk by themselves...so you step in, and...oh man i can't even describe it...the smell of fresh made piadina...and that worm homey flavor that i was talking about, it's just overwhelming
and that's what i'm looking for when i go to a restaurant! Outdoor tables are available during the summer, wich i think is the best...the air up on those hills it's usually always so fresh and chilly, no other words to say, it's just feels good, the indoor area starts with what in Italy we call "Circolo" wich is like a lil bar where usually old people and people that live close by hang out, play cards and drink wine, watch out for the Italian actor Roberto Benigni! Witch he hangs out there sometimes! So you my play card with him and share some wine! The rest of the rooms are nice and rustic, and the service is really friendly and nice. But now let's get to the food!

OK....what you see here is some gooood Prosciutto di Parma...Rucola...and Squaquerone, wich is a local chees...that you won't find anywhere else...if i have to describe it,it's soft, fresh, and milky, but you gotta try it to fully understand what i'm talking about. And the Piadina...wich is the Regional Bread...also really hard to find else where...i can describe it to you as a mix between a pita bread and a tortija, but waaay more tasty, here they srtictly make it from scratch with the Lard...wich is what makes it so tasty and good! What i just described to you was THE Appetizer...there's basically no other choices and believe me you don't even need other things. For the pasta...there are many to chose from, you won't go wrong with that...ALL the pasta is HAND MADE BY THE FAMILY....FRESH! And that is what make's the difference...the texture is just amazing...and sauces you can choose from Ragu', Eggplant sauce, Heavycream and Mushrooms...i've personally tried them all and they just make me happy just thinking about them. The meat's are really good too...sausages, and stakes...i personally recommend the roasted pork shanks, tasty, tender and juicy! Sometimes you will find some hunting meat, pending on the season...wich usually is in the fall. And last but not least...the wine...guess what! They make also They're own wine! Sangiovese di Romagna, wich is perfect with those dishes especially with the meat!Awesome place,and Regional Food To Die For!

2010-02-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody!
Welcome to my blog, here you will find restaurant, products,markets and shops reviews, as well as recipes, history behind foods...and anything that a food passionate like me is able to share!
Hope you enjoy!

Ciao a tutti!
Benvenuti nel mio blog, qui potete trovare recensioni su ristoranti,prodotti,mercati e negozi, oltre che ricette e storie su cibi e prodotti...qualsiasi cosa che un appassionato di cucina come me' puo' condividere!
Buon proseguimento!