Dining options for non-red meat eater in Italy
 

Wife and I are traveling to Florence, Val D'Orcia region and Venice. I don't eat any red meat. I do eat fish and chicken.

Do most restaurants offer some sort of meatless options?

How about the Cicchetti in Venice?

My wife eats minimal red meat and will partake of the Florentine Bistecca so we want dining options that will make us both happy.

I would think you would find all you want in the land of pasta that is surrounded on many sides by seas.

You will have no problem finding alternatives anyplace in Italy.

are you kidding... lots of Italian cuisine doesn't have red meat as the main dish. Seafood is a specialty in Venice and one of the favorite dishes, eg scampi.

Excellent.

All I've been reading about is the Osso Bucco, Wild Boar, Pancetta and Proscuitto, Bistecca, etc.

I'm glad that I won't starve and can partake of that incredible Italian cuisine.

globetrekker:

Ditto to Christina's query above. Of all the places in Europe, Italy is heaven for the non red meat eater...pastas of great variety, seafood/fish,chicken dishes...my, what a bounty for you. Fret not, and dig in!

Stu T.

Be aware that many restaurants serving bistecca alla fiorentina serve it for two people as the steaks can weigh between 2 and 3 lbs each, more if they are using a steak from the traditional Chianina beef.

La Zucca in Venice is supposed to do wonders with no meat.

Grinisa,

My wife better be hungry!

Of course, have a look at any book of Italian cuisine and your question will be answer, for instance how about:
fishes,such us Orata, baked bream often in white wine,
delicious filets of sogliola with vegetables such us
zucchini and almonds, aragosta (lobster) in different ways, scallops with saffron leek sauce, grilled swordfish called in Italian: tagliata di spada alle erbe,or tuna steaks with fennel, many zuppa of pesce and sea food... cakes of cod cakes, the Venezia Giula has many delicious vegetable dishes like baked onions with cloves,or sweet and sour cabbage, or rice and beans with basil, a typical fare in the country side in Veneto. Soups like crema di zucca e mele, cream of pumpkin and apple , of course pastas of all kinds are wonderful, as well as
risotos with asparragus, or fungi,... specially riso ai funghi porcini e piselli is delicious.Polenta is also a favorite in el Veneto, such as polenta a la griglia with radicchio...many if not all the dishes I quoted at aafterthe fish dish , are specifically from Veneto and nearby.
Vegetables are done with love and care in ITaly, like the eggplant can be sublime or the zuccini flowers(fiori di zucca).
If one thing you will not regret in ITaly is delicious food, meat or no meat. Buon appetito.

Hold it!, I forgot the Italian cheeses,
like parmesan cheese, the best being the Parmesano-Reggiano,the provolone often used as
an integral part of the antipasto, ricotta often used to prepare delicious deserts,
fontina cheese the pride of the valley d'Aosta ideal for fondue, gorgonzola outstanding blue cheese,mascarpone a cheese from Lombardy and Emila-Romagna, it is the ingredient that should be used , and is rarely used here, in tiramisu,
pecorino, any sheep's milk ...etc.
Also ITaly is the land of the vino santo a pleasantly sweet and smooth wine, traditionally served with
biscoti for dipping.
Biscoti is also a fascinating meatless item , they might be weet or dry, salty or sweet.The ones used traditionally with vino santo are the cantuccini .A twicely baked almond biscoti.
Crostini a popular antipasto not to be missed comes only with vegetables or sometimes with chicken liver so you can choose.Crostinis are slices of bread that have been toasted in a broiler or over a charcoal fire, with olive oil and garlic and then spread with a topping.
When in doubt you can always ask for a frittata which is an Italian omelet, probably the only thing I do not like in Italy is a frittata made with leftover pasta. Usually they are made with vegetables.
And to finish the obvious, pizza,focaccia and gelatto....grappa and limoncelo

Your non-red-meat dining options in Italy are WAY better than in the USA.

Sorry , I forgot the most wonderful thing in Italy, its coffee,
sublime coffee.

Red meat is much less popular in Italy than in the US - and in some parts of the country is only a small part of the menu.

Never mind all of the pastas - which you can have as main courses if you want. There's tons of chicken, other types of poultry, all sorts of fish and masses of sea food. Also - numerous vegetarian options.

Q: If I don't eat fish, can I go to McDonald's?

A: Yes, just don't order Filet-O-Fish, and you'll be fine.

Neither lamb nor veal are red meat, you can easily finf them in Italy

In the U.S., "meat" is usually categorized as anything from an animal other than chicken or fish. I don't do meat period which includes "white" meat: Pork, Veal or Lamb.

I probably just opened up a can of worms which will be heavily debated. Sorry.

My main issue is that although some dishes don't have "meat" they are in a sauce or lard that is animal product based.

After reading everyone's responses I am convinced that I'll many options.

Thank you all.

Graziella5b,

You're making me h-u-n-g-r-y!

The areas you are going to do not use lard as a base. In Tuscany it's olive oil, and in Venice it can be olive oil or butter.