Italian cuisine is among the most adored in the world. Go to any place in the world and you’ll find restaurants serving at least one iconic Italian dish, whether it’s pizza, pasta, or risotto. However, don’t be surprised if it’s not as good as you expected.
Many food joints outside Italy, including the United States, give themselves creative freedom with classic Italian dishes. This creative freedom is expressed in changing the recipe or swapping the ingredients for something cheaper. What you get is often an underwhelming dish that makes you want to give Italian cuisine a break.
As it turns out, some Italian dishes are more susceptible to this practice than others. Food magazine Eat This, Not That! recently surveyed a number of professional chefs and experts, who revealed which types of Italian food you should avoid ordering in restaurants because you probably won’t get the authentic experience.
Carbonara Made With Cream
Corleone Fine Italian brand ambassador Gianni Russo says that you should avoid ordering pasta carbonara made with cream. The authentic Italian carbonara gets its creaminess from aged parmesan and doesn’t need other dairy products.
Seafood Salad
Seafood salad always seems like a good choice when looking at the menu, but in most cases, it isn’t. Usually, restaurants use frozen seafood or one that has been sitting for a while, resulting in a below-par gastronomic experience. Only order this at places you know have fresh seafood products all the time.
Mozzarella Sticks
Portland-based chef Sedona Kusler argues that the worst thing you can do in a restaurant is order mozzarella sticks. According to her, most of the time, you will get a store-bought version that someone just took out of the freezer and deep fried.
