Italian Fine Dining Los Angeles

Do you ever wonder if Italian Fine Dining can mix with a fast culture like we have in Los Angeles? There are some distinctive ways the food is presented and enjoyed in an Italian Fine Dining experience.

When we think about Italian fine dining, it is not some fat Mediterranean man eating a bowl of spaghetti with meatballs in some street café. Italian fine dining is a more exquisite experience than that. Italians are very family oriented and they will look at their meals as a way to spend quality time rather than just a way to keep them nourished. So expect their dinners to be really long. In special occasions, they may even remain seated in the table for hours. But this lengthy meal shows the true beauty of Italian fine dining. Although the food is expected to be scrumptious, at the end of the day it is supposed to be all about experience.

The first batch of food to be served in Italian fine dining is the Aperitivo or the cocktails. This is very important especially that there will be a huge meal after the appetizers are served.  A good example of an Aperitivo is the Campari. Campari is a drink that is an infusion of aromatic plants, bitter herbs and fruit in alcohol and water. Because of this combination of ingredients, the drink tastes from bitter to bittersweet. It is consumed in very small quantities since it contains up to 45% of alcohol.

After the Aperitivo is the Antipasto, which is Italian for "before the meals". The appetizers could be served either hot or cold. A typical Italian meal would serve different kinds of cheeses like the popular mozzarella or provolone. It can also include Italian cured meats like prosciutto or pancetta. The antipasto can also include anchovies, artichoke hearts, olives and peperone (roasted bell pepper). Everything is finished with a drizzling of olive oil. One thing to differentiate the Italian fine dining with is that the Italian appetizer, unlike any other cuisines, is served at the table.  This differs with other cuisines, particularly the French, that serves their while the guests are standing and mingling with other people.

After the Aperitivo  is the Primo. The Primo is the first course in Italian fine dining. This first course will usually be a heavy dish that is rich in carbohydrates. The popular first course dishes are pasta, risotto and polenta. Risotto is a kind of rice dish made of rice that is rich in starch and is usually cooked with fish, peas or meat. Polenta is a traditional dish made of cornmeal. The second course is called the Secondo and usually serves the main dish that can either be of fish or meat. However, the northern regions are known for serving chicken, pork or veal. In regions like Tuscany, dishes derived from wild game are very popular. These main dishes will most likely be accompanied with a side dish or Contorno. A usual Italian side dish will include a salad or even cooked vegetables.

After the two main courses have been served, just like any cuisine dessert usually follows. The first dessert in Italian fine dining is the Formaggio e frutta which literally means cheese and fruits. However as earlier mentioned, Italian cheeses may also be served as appetizers. The actual dessert is called the dolce which includes pastries, cookies and cakes. After the dessert comes the caffé or the coffee.  What is usually served is the Italian coffee or the espresso which is made from roasted dark coffee beans. The espresso is usually served in a demitasse. Finally, the meal ends with a digestivo or a liquors that is drank at the end of a long meal to aid in digestion. Although both have alcoholic content, digestives contain more alcohol than the aperitivo. These digestives are often termed as "coffee killers".