Nightlife And Dining | My Bella Vita

Eating Out in Southern Italy, Part II: How to Order

Posted on: Apr 20, 2009

I have to admit, it can be a little intimidating to walk into a new restaurant, in a new city, in a foreign country. You may or may not speak the language and although it is probably your overactive imagination- you are sure half of the room just turned to stare as you walked through the door.

Your foreign status is stamped on your forehead and you’d give anything to know what to expect.

I know. I’ve been there.

Last week we discussed Eating Out in Southern Italy-Who Pays What and When and we had some fun comments. This week we are tackling the menu.

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you have already gotten the scoop on the four basic types of restaurants you’ll find in Italy-but you might not know exactly what is expected of you once you are there.

So, here is the deal.

Pizzerie

At pizzerias in Italy, each person orders a personal pizza and the group usually orders stuzzicherie-some type of appetizer to split among the group, usually french fries, mozzarella balls, meatballs, etc. Drinks are sometimes split, as well with the waiter bringing a few bottles of water and beer to the table for the group to share. Children’s items aren’t usually on the menu, so feel free to ask for a child-size pizza for your kiddos.

Paninoteche

Paninoteche, or restaurants that served grilled sandwiches, operate like pizzerias. Everyone chooses their own sandwich (or if you are like my husband, your own sandwich, or two, or sometimes three) and shares appetizers. I was interested to notice that if you order a sandwich and fries, they’ll bring the fries first-like an appetizer, then follow up with the sandwich.

photo credit: avlxyz

Trattorie and Ristorante

Trattorie are essentially low-cost restaurants that serve authentic food from their area or region, but when it comes to ordering your meal-they’re basically the same.

On the menu, you’ll notice sections for Antipasto, or appetizers, Primi, or first plates and Secondi, second plates. It is generally expected you will order at least two of these-like an antipasto and primo or a primo and secondo. Some Italians order all three and many waiters will encourage you to do so. But don’t feel pressured-99% of the time I go out, I only order a first plate. Depending on the restaurant’s specialty, my husband might get a first and second plate or we might share an antipasto.

Remember when you are planning your meals in southern Italy that lunch and dinner are served later than in the states. People don’t generally start lunch until at least 1:00, and some restaurants don’t even open their doors before 8:00 at night. Most places will add a per-person cover charge to your bill, you aren’t expected to tip and you can usually hang out after your meal as long as you want … and by all means, don’t threaten the owner.

What are some of the best things you have noticed about eating out in Italy? How is it different from eating out in your home country?

MORE GROUPON WOES

Chicago Sun-Times February 15, 2011 At Groupon, the hits just keep coming.

Groupon, the Chicago-based daily-deal Web phenomenon that last week pulled its Super Bowl ads amid controversy, and Downers Grove-based floral company FTD Group Inc. are offering refunds but admitting no wrongdoing in a Valentine???s promotion gone sour. Chicagoans are voicing complaints about Groupon restaurant deals, too.

Groupon customers, including Wicker Park resident Sharmila Rao, complained that they were directed to flower arrangements that were more expensive than the ones they could have purchased with a coupon code on FTD???s main website. Groupon customers were offered $20 off of an FTD flower purchase of $40 or more.

???[FTD] made only certain options available, and the bouquets weren???t the same ones offered on the regular website,??? said Rao, a 37-year-old mother of children ages 3 and 6 and a program manager at a non-profit who seeks out bargains.

Rao canceled her flower order after she read customers??? online complaints.

FTD and Groupon are now crediting customers??? accounts so that Groupon users get the sale price. The companies also will make full refunds to dissatisfied customers.

Rao said she had previously gone to a restaurant that had covered up its posted menu and gave Groupon customers a menu that turned out to have higher prices than the ones listed on the restaurant???s website.

???I am a lot more discerning now in which Groupons I pick,??? said Rao, who switched to Chicago Web startup FineDineDeal.com because she can pick the restaurant, pre-pay and go at convenient times. ???I only pick restaurant deals I know I will use and that are conveniently located. It doesn???t look awkward on a business lunch, and I???m not holding all of these pieces of paper [Groupon coupons] and figuring out when I???m going to use them.???

Groupon, a locally targeted daily deal site whose executives call a city guide, has enjoyed phenomenal growth, adding 1,500 employees in the last two months, and has attracted a worldwide fan base that has made it the leader in the $10 billion online coupon market. The market is sizzling hot now that Facebook and Google have launched their own daily-deal sites to rival Groupon ??? Facebook Deals and Google Offers, respectively.

While customers expressed their unhappiness in the FTD controversy, some businesses say they don???t benefit from Groupon deals, either.

Take Chicago restaurateurs Ina Pinkney and David Yanda.

Yanda, managing partner and co-owner of Zapatista, a Mexican restaurant in Chicago???s South Loop and in Northbrook, found that his initial ???pleasant surprise??? at selling nearly 5,000 Groupons in 24 hours turned into disillusion after the deal didn???t make money and attracted customers who repeatedly used their Groupons without returning to pay full price.

???We didn???t anticipate that we wouldn???t make money or that the Groupon purchaser wouldn???t come back to pay full price,??? Yanda said.

Another problem: About 9 percent of the Groupon users copied their Groupons and used them seven or eight times to get discounted meals, though they are not supposed to use the Groupon more than once, Yanda said.

???There is no systematic way for a restaurant company our size to make sure that the person didn???t use his or her certificate more than once,??? he said. ???And there is no recourse to get your money back.???

Yanda said that Groupon provided him with a list of names of people who took his restaurant???s deal. He compiled his own written list of the ID numbers of each redeemed Groupon certificate. see here groupon houston

The restaurant company ended up spending $175,000 in food and beverage during the six-month Groupon offer, which provided a $40 meal for $20. The offer ended six months ago.

???We probably lost a little bit of money,??? Yanda said.

He said Zapatista participated in Groupon because of the coupon site???s positive buzz, to promote its then-new Northbrook restaurant and a need to generate traffic during the slow winter months and during a recession.

Groupon spokeswoman Julie Mossler said the company works with clients to track Groupon-certificate redemptions. ???We recently debuted an app for iPhones and iPod Touches that enable merchants to track from any handheld device,??? Mossler said, adding that 96 percent of merchants who do a Groupon want to be featured again. The app connects with the merchant???s private page at Groupon.com, enabling the merchant to track redemption and return on investment.

Pinkney, chef-owner of Ina???s in the West Loop and a 20-year restaurant entrepreneur, said she decided against using Groupon because it didn???t make economic sense.

???If someone pays $15 for a $30 meal through a Groupon, I get one-quarter of the total price, or $7.50 [after splitting the revenue],??? she said.

Pinkney said her restaurant relies mostly on breakfast and lunch business, when customers don???t usually spend extra on drinks and desserts, and it rewards customers with free parking and moderate prices already.

???We realize that it may work for some businesses, but it is a disaster for restaurants,??? she said. ???I also think it is sad for independently owned restaurants.???

Groupon investor Eric Lefkofsky said in a previous interview that couponing has proven its value, and the company has wait lists up to a year from merchants eager to participate in Groupon.

???We didn???t invent the concept of couponing,??? he said. ???It has proven to be, over the last several centuries, a remarkable way of getting new customers, and it always will be. If people cannot manage the flow of customers, they may not be happy. It???s easy to blame Groupon or someone else. As an ad vehicle to get new customers, it is adding huge value.???,GROUPON BYTHE NUMBERS Employees: More than 4,500 worldwide, including 1,100 in Chicago. About 150 new employees are hired in Chicago each week.

Average employee age: 25 Subscribers: More than 60 million in 42 countries, growing at a rate of 2 million to 3 million a week.

Merchant clients: More than 58,000 globally, growing at hundreds each day.

Revenue and market value: neXtup Research puts yearly revenue at $920 million this year, $1.2 billion in 2012 and $1.9 billion by 2015. The research firm estimates Groupon???s market worth at $5.9 billion to $6 billion, roughly the same amount it rejected in a reported takeover offer from Google in December.,At Groupon, the hits just keep coming.

Groupon, the Chicago-based daily-deal Web phenomenon that last week pulled its Super Bowl ads amid controversy, and Downers Grove-based floral company FTD Group Inc. are offering refunds but admitting no wrongdoing in a Valentine???s promotion gone sour. Chicagoans are voicing complaints about Groupon restaurant deals, too. this web site groupon houston