food quality has really really decreased in Italy

happenstance

Hi,

I used to go to Italy a lot when younger, now just come back from a week away in Rome and Venice and the one thing that stood out is how poor the food was. Lots of it was power powering, too Herby, too oily, too lemmony, too garlicy and fishy.

I'm used to great Italian food as my fave places to eat is strada and Bella Italia and my favbe cook book is neigellisima. However I wouildnt go to Italy again for the food.

Has anyone else noticed this? I guess it is because the country is in big debt

Kayalana99

happenstance wrote: »

I guess it is because the country is in big debt

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

pelirocco

happenstance wrote: »

Hi,

I used to go to Italy a lot when younger, now just come back from a week away in Rome and Venice and the one thing that stood out is how poor the food was. Lots of it was power powering, too Herby, too oily, too lemmony, too garlicy and fishy.

I'm used to great Italian food as my fave places to eat is strada and Bella Italia and my favbe cook book is neigellisima. However I wouildnt go to Italy again for the food.

Has anyone else noticed this? I guess it is because the country is in big debt

I guess its because you are used to eating in strada and bella italia lol

WTFH

pelirocco wrote: »

I guess its because you are used to eating in strada and bella italia lol

Exactly!

What we get in the UK is "Italy lite", or "Italy toned down to a British level"

Proper Italian food - the stuff you get in the back street restaurants, off the tourist routes, or in the family home - that's still great - plenty of herbs, plenty of garlic, plenty of olive oil, plenty of fresh pasta.

BillTrac

I spend a lot of time in Tuscany and love Italian food. And having made friends with the couple who own the cottage rent I have had some fantastic home cooked Italian food there.

I had a meal in Bella Italia in Covent Garden just before Christmas and couldn't believe how crappy it was. The olives were bland, the pizza was soggy and the pasta was just a lump of gloop.

Won't be going there again.

But will be spending two weeks in Tuscany in August so will look forward to that.

jacques_chirac

What they said! It is not the Italian food that has gone downhill, your palate has become used to mass produced English tat.

meg72

Had a few days in Rome at the beginning of the month, mostly found the food excellent, I think it does depend on the restaurant just like anywhere else.

GwylimT

There is no such thing as too garlicy!

happenstance

Humm I'm not sure I agree with you people. Strada and Bella Italia are really good authetic food.

One thing I noticed is the smokje aslot more, maybe the smoking has affected the Italian s ability to taste.

My sister works in Bella Italia and only 2 of them smoke

Esoog

Obviously a wind up!


Smoking has no effect on whether or not you can operate a microwave as in Strada/Bella Italia! (Places I have nothing against)

Ximian

There's nothing "authentic" about Bella Italia, it's ok tasting at best but mass produced, franchise food. You can't compare with the food that you get in Italy.