Can anyone translate a few phrases that would be useful when eating or ordering a meal ie chicken well done; or fish well cooked;grilled, spicy; fish fillet or deboned;can of pepsi;large plate,serving or bowl;small plate, serving;piece of; cut in four please;is there a cover charge included or is there a service charge;is it soft;the word extra as in extra plate,forks, knives; etc.Thanks for helping this newbie traveller to Italy.
well done and well cooked: BEN COTTO grilled: GRIGLIATO spicy: SPEZIATO fish fillet: FILETTO DI PESCE can of ...: LATTINA DI ... large plate: PIATTO GRANDE serving or bowl.... mmmh I think I don't get this one... sorry! small plate: PIATTO PICCOLO serving: PORZIONE piece of: PEZZO DI cut in four: IN QUATTRO PEZZI or DIVISO IN QUATTRO about cover charge and service charge: italian menus always state the "cover charge" is called COPERTO and it's a specific quantity of money and not a % on the bill, you will find more info here and probably in some other threads. is is soft: È MORBIDO? (I know that it sounds funny!!! ) extra: UN'ALTRO (meaning "another" is this what you meant?) plate: PIATTO fork: FORCHETTA knife: COLTELLO
Thank you.Those words will certainly help me on my trip.I did click on the link on the service charge but did it really answer the question? Do all restaurants add the service charge on the receipt but not the amount of tip for the waiter? What exactly can i expect to see on the receipt, of course the amount of the meals are included but what else?
mmmmh, I think that the first 10is messages in the thread explain the problem fairly well, did you read the beginning of the thread? Sorry to ask you but I just realized that the link takes you to the middle of the whole thing and as you're new...
What you see on the receipt is the amount of the dishes and the "coperto"x number of people (if it's written on the menu). That's it! You don't need to tip the waiter in Italy. You usually leave a tip only if you're especially satisfied with the service and you wish to show it. You can always round up a few euros if you wish, though!
Concur with Rar re "spicey." When I lived in Vicenza I wanted some hot sausage and went to the butchers. I had a small Italian dictionary with me and saw that the word given for "spicey" was "saporito," so I asked for some "salsicce saporite." The butcher looked at me like I was crazy as he explained that all of his sausages were flavorful, etc etc etc Next time I asked for piccanti which, unfortunately, he did not have.
In the Food/Drink/Recipes Forum, Colleen has a Menu Reader available upon request. It is the first item in bold in that forum. That could be very useful to you.
I would not say un'altro for extra, but say I wanted another plate, I would say un piatto in piu. (Or due piatti in piu, etc.) Good luck on the Pepsi. Coke has won the field most places. Many waiters if asked if service is included will say no, but it really is included in the price of the food. Waiters are as well-paid here as any other workers, unlike the many in other countries who get very little as wages and scarce benefits or none at all.
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