Jean

A Venetian acquaintance loves "Motel Seeex" and driving for hours in the mountains of the American West.

Many years ago, a Finnish friend pointed out that our toothpaste (Crest, at least) tasted like root beer.

Interesting to see how others experience our country.

SusanEva

Hi Miaspapa,

Great story. Fascinating about differences in cultural norms.

My Wisconsin family would say the same thing about eels. Joe the barber would probably shake his head in amazement.

Pilates, I hope there are some responses to your question about other travel forums. I am intrigued about your creative idea of reading other travel sites - wish my Italian was farther along than second year of adult night classes!

Pilates

Hooters, KFC, Oh my gosh. Not my cup of tea. HA! But sure, I'd take someone there too if my guests had the desire to go. But I'd have to limit myself to some iced tea at KFC.

MP: Your comment reminded me of my friend in Florence who shakes his head at the lure of Il latini. He told me not to go there but I ignored his advice because it was written up in all the books and it's always crowded. I went there for lunch and realized that he was right. When it comes to the food - nothing special. But on this board I'm in the minority concerning Il Latini. Most people on Fodors LOVE it.

Stu, Here are a couple wonderful authetic northern Italian cuisine restaurants in the West Hollywood area. I know how to drive there, but wish I could remember their names. One is on Robertson between SaMo and Beverly on a northeast corner. Their grilled veges rival my favorite place in Florence. Another is on Robertson on the west side of the street and in the first block north of Wilshire Blvd. Both are owned and operated by Italians. Are you familiar with them?

Thanks SE! Gotta agree with the cousin too.

Good one MTT. ha!

Like AF and others, I too think of burgers, hotdogs, fries, onion rings, popcorn as "American food". But our restaurants have so much to offer. In L.A. you can try genuine foods, owned and operated by immigrants who came from all over the world. To me, that's something to write home about.

It seems (based on the limited trip reports that I've read thus far) that finding the best restaurants isn't as important as seeing the sights we have to offer. Whereas those of us from the states seem to be equally interested in discovering the sights as well as the "best" places to eat.

I was expecting to read recommendations like going to Spagos or Dan Tanas or The Ivy to see celebrities (like we have on our US boards from time to time) but so far I haven't read anything like that.

Another common thing that I've read are the warnings of our A/C usage. Freezing cold air conditioning isn't popular at all in Italy like it is here. I have to agree with the warnings. Some of our stores and restaurants can be freakin' freezing! I always bring a jacket and socks to the movie theater just in case because half way into a film I can get so cold that I can't concentrate on anything but my frost bitten feet and shivering arms.

StCirq

Personally, I've never found one thing on the Olive Garden menu (and the only reason I've ever been there is my 87-year-old mother likes to go there because the waiters are attentive)that is anything like ANY food I've ever eaten in Italy. Not to mention that no one can even pronounce "bruschetta" properly there. And I have to disagree about the house wine. Wouldn't even use it for salad dressing.

twk

"Whereas those of us from the states seem to be equally interested in discovering the sights as well as the "best" places to eat."

There are plenty of threads on this board discussing food, but I dare say that at least half of them have more to do with finding good restaurants in an acceptable price range than sampling the very best gourmet experiences. I think it is fair to say that the true "foodies" (who make a valuable contribution to this board) are a distinct minority.

Pegontheroad

Interesting thread. It reminds me of the time at a Goethe Institute when we had an international night at which everyone prepared a dish from their own country. A woman from New Mexico prepared tacos, which were a great hit with the French women. (She got the taco shells and the taco seasoning from the local "gourmet" store.

I'm always bemused by the talk about the wonderful Italian food. We had some very good meals in Italy, but we had an equal number of really mediocre meals. Merely dousing vegetables in olive oil does not a gastronomic delight make!

tower

Pilates..I certainly know that excellent Italiano restaurant one block north of Wilshire on Robertson. Left hand side going north...just ate there a month ago...alas, neither wife nor I can recall the name since some friends of ours had suggested that we meet there.
We like Spumoni's on Montana..the absolute best variety of gnocchi anywhere in California. Also, believe it or not, some of the best pasta concoctions in town can be found at Marmalade at the Grove or in Sherman Oaks.

Stu T.

Pilates

TWK: Personally, I don't equate "best" with the cost. The best restaurant in my town, "Native Foods", has entrees from 8 to 11 bucks and IMO it is the BEST! YUM!

My statement came from reading questions like where is the best pizza in Rome? Where's the best gelato? etc.

polly229

Funny you should mention Denny's. We were at a conference in Minneapolis in July and for some reason we took a Dutch friend and one from SF to Denny's for breakfast. (First time I have been in a Denny's in 10 yrs. or more and then it was because a bunch of people wanted breakfast afer a night meeting and Denny's was across the street. Normally I avoid chains like the plague.) Anyway, our Dutch friend absolutely loved Denny's and can't wait to return to the US and go again. She particularly loved the "American pancakes". And I suspect getting a huge breakfast for 1/3 the price of a continental in Europe has some appeal. This friend has a yen for American butter, so when I go to the NL, I always freeze a pound or two and take it to her. Last month I took not only the butter but a huge box of Bisquick because last year she had Bisquick pancakes in London served by a mutual expat friend. The places she took me in the NL were quite charming - and generally more reasonably priced that what I locate on my own - but may have been their version of Denny's for all I know. This is just my most recent experience with the US food tastes of Eurpeans but there have been many more that seemed a little odd.

This doesn't surprise me a whole lot, though. About 40 years ago a German pen pal came to the US and visited us. What was his favorite food discovery the whole trip? Wonder Bread! "It's just like cake," he said. Sometimes different seems good just because it's different. I don't eat pancakes in the US, at Denny's or anyplace else, but I do eat Dutch pancakes and poffertjes.

DeirdreStraughan

As an American long-time resident in Italy, I guess I have a somewhat useful perspective. My daughter and I on our trips to the US always want a big American breakfast, since at home we barely eat breakfast at all. We'll take Denny's in a pinch, though IHOP is better and best of all is a New York diner. And there's some American junk food we like to eat when we're there or bring back to Italy with us - brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts in particular.

And we eat every kind of "ethnic" food possible since, as someone pointed out, it's hard to get in Italy (I do my own Indian cooking). Especially Mexican.

On the other hand, my teenage daughter is always relieved to get home where she's allowed to drink wine with her dinner!

best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

beginningwithi.com

Tulips

I always read on this forum that people want to eat where the locals eat, ie non-touristy places. When I recommend restaurants in Antwerp, it's often not the places that I like most; what would be the point of sending a New Yorker to Pazzo, my favorite restaurant in Antwerp, if he can eat like that in New York, probably at a much lower price. I appreciate that Americans visiting Antwerp probably want to eat Belgian food, so I send them to Sir Anthony van Dijk, or Dock's Café.
And when I'm in the US I'd rather eat at Steak and Ale than at a smart French restaurant; so thanks for the tips here; will try IHOP next time!

marigross

The Swiss relatives and European colleagues want three things when they come over:
- chichen wings
- steaks
- mexican food

hanl

I agree with most of the other posters here who are European/living in Europe: most of us travel to experience something different, or something we know is going to be better than what we can experience at home. I for one enjoy eating Mexican/Tex-Mex food when I'm in the US because it's so goddamn awful where I live. And my French husband adores going out for a big American breakfast (with endless coffee refills and servers that introduce themselves by name) as we just can't do that at home.

Also, last time I was in the US I wasn't that impressed with certain of the higher-end restaurants we ate at (they seemed over-priced and the service was often so pretentious, it was cringeworthy) - it was the casual, middle of the road diners and delis that I enjoyed the most, both in terms of food and value for money.

I've never heard of Denny's so I can't realistically compare it with anything I know, but I do get amused when I read posts on this board recommending Flunch in France, for instance. Or recommending a particular chain pub for fish and chips in the UK (when most Brits would get takeaway from a fish and chip shop).

AnnMarie_C

A man I once worked with traveled quite a bit for the department we worked in. He returned from I forget where having eaten one morning at Denny's where he claims to have found a tooth in his eggs. He said to the waiter, bring the cook to my table and have him smile for me.

jill_h

We have a Sicilian friend who lived in the US for several years. His favorite pizza was from Cici's!!! I could not believe it.

saps

When my brother's in-laws come over from England they want to eat every meal at one place...

Carl's Junior!

enroute

Thank you for this treat and a chance to practice Italian. One thing I noticed about their reflecion on American dining experience is utter bewilderment with our air-conditioning preferences.

This one poster quotes coming from 47-degree C heat (around 115F) straight into 10-15 C cold (50 -60F), or so he swears, at some godforsaken Pizza Hut, and having to carry a sweater for that. Too funny!

kenderina

Oh, yes, I forgot..if I go to the States, I have to take my winter clothes in the summer and my summer clothes in winter... AC/heating questions are tough for all of us

chepar

Relatives in both Paris and Copenhagen have said that their families love pancakes. When we visited Paris a few months ago, I made sure to bring some pancake mix for them and they loved it.

When they visit us in Hawaii though - all they want to eat is sushi.

Brazilnut

Pilates,

As a Brazilian, I see nothing wrong with Italian tourists in the US wanting to have a big breakfast at Denny's. I LOVE American breakfasts (brunches even better), and the first thing I want to do when I get to the US is eat breakfast at IHOP. Love fat pancakes with maple syrup and bacon and hash browns on the side, love to drink the endless cups of coffee (of course, hate all the extra lbs. I put on as a result).

I also love Tex/Mex food (Taco Bell), Arby's Roast Beef (love their Reuben), chocolate chip cookies at Dunkin' Donnuts, and huge, endless cups of soda in American fast food restaurants.

Now, a confession: the best Italian food that I ate was certainly not in Rome, but in "Bexiga", an Italian neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brasil, my hometown.