RestaurantThing Information

Hello, I’m italian (from L’Aquila near Rome) and I would like to go in the States for to open an italian restaurant.
Do you know how can I do?
How can I find a commercial local in the States from Italy or during a travel there?
Thanks for the answers!
MAX!

Heh heh… You’d better come to the US first and talk with somebody in the restaurant business before risking your hard-earned cash in an enterprise that couldn’t exactly turn out as hoped.

First, Americans have a different attitude towards food than Italians. They look for a place where they can have a quick bite for lunch, and never order a full course unless they are having dinner with their date and want to impress the girl.

Plus, the majority of them have their tastebuds gravely compromised by all the heavily processed and overspiced food they had been fed since a tender age, and therefore good Italian food tastes too bland for them unless they are having penne arrabbiata or spaghetti amatriciana (I say "spaghetti" because that’s the 90% of the pasta they eat. They ignore that pasta comes in over 150 shapes and sizes, and probably even if they knew, they don’t care).

So be careful about what you are looking into, if you just walk into an American grocery store you will remain horrified by the kind of products you could find there, some of which are a real crime against Italian food culture (I’m talking about "grated parmesan" cheese sold in cans who looks – and tastes – like plastic, "romano" cheese made from cow milk, and "Asiago" cheese made in the US and totally different from the real thing, and many more creepy foods).

And you want to do business by serving American customers real Italian food? Fat chance! Watch the movie "Big Night", and you will have an idea of what I am talking about.

My 6th grade class is having an Italian "restaurant." We are supposed to wear "stereotype" Italian clothes. Please nobody take offense! My teacher said for girls to wear big flowing skirts, make-up, white blouses, and jewelry. Can you please tell me what she means by this and some web sites with pictures of this? Please! It would really help!

A tucito(tuck-ci-toe)

this is a discussion ive had with many people. a friend of mine thats been to europe for example says olive garden is the mc donalds to italian food.

most people ive askes say authentic ones just charge you more but the food isnt much of a difference.

whats your intake on this?
does the quality of a food differ from an authentic restaurant to any and how?

The quality of the food in an actual Italian restaurant is much better than that at Olive Garden. You would see how greasy and badly cooked Olive Garden’s food is compared to real Italian food – also the dishes would be more authentic, prepared with higher quality ingredients, and, yes, more expensive in the US. However, "authentic" is not always the same as "good" – a restaurant could serve very delicious, high-quality food that nonetheless did not conform to Italian traditions. Olive Garden is not one of these. Olive Garden is a national chain of eating establishments that produce sub-par cheap food, which is of course wonderful for those people who cannot afford higher quality food. Also, it’s sure better than going to dinner at Burger King.

I will be traveling thru St Louis on my Summer Road trip. I stopped last year in St Louis and did the Busch Brewery Tour and the Arch. I also went to this restaurant called Giovanni’s over in the Hill and it wasn’t all that great. Can someone tell me of another great Italian restaurant better than Giovanni’s and not as dressy

I also hear BBQ Ribs are excellent there too? Are they as good as Memphis?

As far as Italian, I love Mangia on South Grand for pasta and laid back atmosphere, Cunettos is pretty good especially for the quantity and price, but my favorite on the Hill is Lorenzos. Excellent Italian, not too pricey, not too dressy but classy never the less. I take people there all the time for lunch and dinner and have never had any regrets.
When it comes to BBQ I’m dry rib kind of gal so I like all the Bandanas restaurants. My husband is a saucy kind of guy so he perfers Phils on Gravois which has been in business as far back as I can remember. While I’ll probably get in trouble from the St. Louis natives, I dont think that St. Louis can beat either Memphis or San Antonio for BBQ. No one here puts slaw on pulled pork sandwiches and they dont seem to offer much brisket or beef ribs.
Enjoy your road trip this summer.

There was an Italian restaurant in Boulder, Colorado in the Village shopping center that I believe was owned by a bodybuilder (it’s been long closed). It was located right by the entrance to the theater. What was the name of that restaurant, and the owner? The owner’s last name was the name of the restaurant, if I recall correctly.

I used to live in Colorado, and I think I know what you’re talking about. The following website may help you.