People who call their Italian restaurants in the United States "Bistros" drive me crazy. It is a Trattoria. Bistro is French. You would never see a Bistro in Italy, unless of course some American opened it.
I once read in a travel magazine that if you wanted a good meal in Italy ask a fat man, and that is how we found this gem in Assisi.
A bistro is small French restaurant, originally found in Paris, that serves simple local fare at moderate prices in a modest setting. They are often defined by their menu of French home-style cooking, cassoulet, bean stews, and dishes like coq au vin, potato-leek soup, and roasted chicken are typical. The name bistro - bystro means "fast" or "quickly" in Russian and as the story goes it derived from when allied Russian WW I soldiers fought in France during and wanted their food quickly.
photo © ilolab - Fotolia.com
The equivalent in Italy is a trattoria (tra-toh-REE-ah) where you'll find medium-priced fare and casual service usually in a quaint setting. Maybe a four syllable word is just to much for Americans.
Unlike America, In Italy you can wander into almost any trattoria in Italy and be assured a wonderful meal. Fast poor quality food is almost forbidden in Italy.
In Italy you also find ristorantes (ree-sto-RAHN-tay), which are generally more upscale full-service establishments. I read somewhere that the name which is used for to describe elegant and sophisticated dining establishments was coined after the Italian unification (il Risorgimento meaning The Resurgence), which was the political and social movement that brought the different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century.
After the Trattoria is the Osteria (oh-stay-REE-ah). This is the least formal among Italian food establishments. It is said that they originally were inns that provided lodging and served simple food and wine.
This is funny because in Montclair Osteria Giotto is more like a ristorante to me. I will admit Osteria Giotto does sound better, rolls off the tongue more gracefully.
You also have the pizzeria (peets-ay-REE-ah) no explanation really needed here. They originated in Naples and the rest is history. However a true pizzeria bakes only by a pizzaiolo, a wood-fired oven like Bivio in Little Falls or Ah Pizz in Montclair.
A paninoteca (pan-ee-no-TAY-kah) is an Italian sandwich shop. A caffè is just a coffee shop that sometimes serves sandwiches and great espresso. Most of these coffee shops also serve alcohol which is surpring, especially when they are in gas stations on the highway.
Things to do, places to see, with food and booze
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