I have been all over Italy for the past decade. From the Alps to Sicily and back. The quality of food in the heavily "touristed" locations in Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan etc. is significantly different than the quality of food in the residential areas of the same cities. The same can be said of the service. When you travel off the beaten path in Italy it is my experience that the quality of the food grows exponentially and the service superb.
I have been to Italy many times and the food and service has been amazing. Especially Sicily. The cheeses and prosciutto have a different taste than in Canada. So much more organic. You can taste the quality of the food. The olives and olive oil are supreme. The desserts are so delicious. I have experienced wonderful service and when i left a tip they appreciated it so much. The restaurants we went to usually added a limoncello at the end of the meal on the house. Can't wait to go there again!
We had a very different experience in Tuscany. So many friendly people, great service, amazing food (but local, regional dishes were much better than generic Italian dishes from an American or Canadian perspective). The Tuscan wine was easy drinking if not exactly mind blowing at our price point. And we didn’t see any crime. But we were away from big crowds and aware of our surroundings. I’d go back again and again.
@@AmandainGeorgia thanks for your comment, a lot of people have said tuscany is a better experience than other parts of Italy, i will visit tuscany next!
@@GoExploreMatt in any case you criticized Italian food or at least you compared it to what is found in North America, so you didn't understand un cazzo or your palate is so addicted to junk food that you can't taste the flavours, then if you have eaten in tourist restaurants where there are Indians or Chinese or Bangladeshis cooking and therefore you have not eaten real Italian food, is another matter, another disappointment is for how you concluded the video, that is, that you would like to try the Macdonald or starbucks, what do you expect from American industrial chains, is the same shit you have there, if you want to do a food tour you have to get out of the big cities and especially the tourist areas, go where the locals go
In general, the things you say are correct: as regards waste, it is correct that the guests of the apartment have to take care of it: the cleaning costs include cleaning the apartment when the guest leaves, but the waste that the guest produces daily are his responsibility. When we talk about food we talk about "food culture" in Italy: this means knowledge regarding the ingredients, how they are cooked, knowledge, but above all strict observance of hygiene and health standards, and the rejection of GMOs or of other additives. In Italy there are also places where the food is bad (usually very touristy places), but what didn't surprise you too much may be that in Italy (compared to other countries) we don't like to "mess" with the food: I have American friends who said that the food and pizzas had no taste: obviously those who are used to using sauces, spices etc. may find Italian food not very tasty. However, I find that tourists should start not considering that in Italy food is only "pizza and pasta": we have many meat and fish dishes, but tourists often only eat pasta. It is true that in Italy, the Government aims to spread the culture of food, but remember that UNESCO has declared that the Mediterranean Diet (pasta, bread, vegetables, fish, oil, etc.) has become the intangible heritage of the humanity, this is due to its intrinsic characteristics, which above all concern quality...The "taste" is different in every person: my grandmother used to say: "not all flavors are mint". Bye bye
italian cuisine is very rich in terms of variety, I am from the south and when I travel north always find dishes I had never heard before as they are very local to that specific area only. Beside lasagna, pizza and they famous ones which you find in most restaurants, there is so many dishes only available in countryside trattorias. Not to mention the variety of different cheese and wines you can find, hundreds of them for which only France can compete in terms of scale. so you probably have tried 2% of Italian cuisine, which is also characterized by the use of few fresh ingredients that work well together, no seasoning, more emphasis on freshness.
I agree with 4 of your points. I am not Italian but have spent a lot of time there. Food is fantastic and a different experience in different areas of Italy, still all fabulous. Seems that before doing your food research, you were eating in touristy spots and those fit into one of your other points, they are scams.
@@AldoGrech55 thanks for your comment, my first time in italy so i had to go to all the tourist places to get it off my list. I did go to local recommendations from my airbnb host and still found the food to be good but not mind blowing.
I guess it is also a matter of taste. I am Australian and it took me a while to get the Italian food gibe as Italian food in Australia is rather different. In fact I took an Italian to an Italian run Italian restaurant in Aus and they did not like it; they cater for Aussie tastes.
You can't judge Italian cuisine by three dishes. Each region has its own specialties, and it wouldn't be enough for you to try them all in ten years. As for wine, it's obvious that you can also find low-quality wine in Italy, but I don't need to tell you that some of the best wines in the world are found in Italy and France. Greetings from Italy. I love Canada.
Lol, as an Italian, let me tell you a few things... People definitely dance on the streets, but it happens only during festivals, held only a few days per year. Every city/town has different events. What you saw on TikTok is not fake, you just weren't there at the right time. The food is AMAZING. I have been living in Australia for 10 years and the difference between the 2 countries is insane. As someone pointed out in another comment, every part of Italy has different food. I can travel 50km from my home town and have something I never had before. It has nothing to do with the greasy, unhealthy, horrible food you have in English-speaking countries. Avoid the tourist restaurants and go where the locals go. The only place in which you will get scammed in Italy are the tourist hotspots, and they are easily avoidable too. Why would you allow a stranger to put a bracelet on you or hand you a rose? Just walk away. If you think that Italy has a lot of scammers, I would recommend against travelling around South East Asia. I've lived in Italy for 24 years and I never got picked pocketed, just put your stuff in your front pocket (it should be common sense) and take care of your belongings. And stop walking around with a fanny pack, scammers will recognise that you are a tourist from 10 km away. As for the service, some people might be rude, but some people are amazing and they really stop to engage in a conversation because they want to have a chat with you and get to know about you. While in the USA, Canada, and Australia they are nice only to be polite, but they don't really care about you. I'm definitely not Italy's poster child, I see many faults in this country, and that's why I left it years ago. However, this is a very shallow description of a beautiful country with some awesome people and some of the best food in the world.
@@TravellingNowhereFast thanks for the comment, really great perspective from an Italian, next time i go to Italy i definitely will explore the beaten path that typical tourists do not visit
Let me know what your HOT takes on Italy are in the comments! Also don't forget to subscribe + LIKE the video!
I have been all over Italy for the past decade. From the Alps to Sicily and back. The quality of food in the heavily "touristed" locations in Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan etc. is significantly different than the quality of food in the residential areas of the same cities. The same can be said of the service. When you travel off the beaten path in Italy it is my experience that the quality of the food grows exponentially and the service superb.
Next time i will definitely be going to less tourist places
I have been to Italy many times and the food and service has been amazing. Especially Sicily. The cheeses and prosciutto have a different taste than in Canada. So much more organic. You can taste the quality of the food. The olives and olive oil are supreme. The desserts are so delicious. I have experienced wonderful service and when i left a tip they appreciated it so much. The restaurants we went to usually added a limoncello at the end of the meal on the house. Can't wait to go there again!
Great video Matt
@@jamesroberts8274 Thanks for watching!!
We had a very different experience in Tuscany. So many friendly people, great service, amazing food (but local, regional dishes were much better than generic Italian dishes from an American or Canadian perspective). The Tuscan wine was easy drinking if not exactly mind blowing at our price point. And we didn’t see any crime. But we were away from big crowds and aware of our surroundings. I’d go back again and again.
@@AmandainGeorgia thanks for your comment, a lot of people have said tuscany is a better experience than other parts of Italy, i will visit tuscany next!
I just came back from Rome and you are spot on. I stayed with a lady who didn’t speak English. She was very nice
next time bring along a gallon of ketchup to add to the pineapple pizza so you can enjoy the real flavors you like
I’m here now. It’s not the greatest.
Creamy garlic dipping sauce as well 😂
@@GoExploreMatt keep eating fast food that real Italian cuisine is not suited to your palate
@@MrNoncredo i don't eat fast food even in Canada 🍁
@@GoExploreMatt in any case you criticized Italian food or at least you compared it to what is found in North America, so you didn't understand un cazzo or your palate is so addicted to junk food that you can't taste the flavours,
then if you have eaten in tourist restaurants where there are Indians or Chinese or Bangladeshis cooking and therefore you have not eaten real Italian food, is another matter, another disappointment is for how you concluded the video, that is, that you would like to try the Macdonald or starbucks, what do you expect from American industrial chains,
is the same shit you have there, if you want to do a food tour you have to get out of the big cities and especially the tourist areas, go where the locals go
In general, the things you say are correct: as regards waste, it is correct that the guests of the apartment have to take care of it: the cleaning costs include cleaning the apartment when the guest leaves, but the waste that the guest produces daily are his responsibility. When we talk about food we talk about "food culture" in Italy: this means knowledge regarding the ingredients, how they are cooked, knowledge, but above all strict observance of hygiene and health standards, and the rejection of GMOs or of other additives. In Italy there are also places where the food is bad (usually very touristy places), but what didn't surprise you too much may be that in Italy (compared to other countries) we don't like to "mess" with the food: I have American friends who said that the food and pizzas had no taste: obviously those who are used to using sauces, spices etc. may find Italian food not very tasty. However, I find that tourists should start not considering that in Italy food is only "pizza and pasta": we have many meat and fish dishes, but tourists often only eat pasta. It is true that in Italy, the Government aims to spread the culture of food, but remember that UNESCO has declared that the Mediterranean Diet (pasta, bread, vegetables, fish, oil, etc.) has become the intangible heritage of the humanity, this is due to its intrinsic characteristics, which above all concern quality...The "taste" is different in every person: my grandmother used to say: "not all flavors are mint". Bye bye
@@cristianadal8034 thanks for your comment!!
Hotels are definitely a better option! They would even message me to ask what time I’d be arriving so they could have my room ready! Love love Italy!
Yes next time will all be 100% hotels for us 😅
thanks for these tips!
You bet!
You are absolutely correct. We are less friendly, especially by an American point of view. We are however genuine in our interactions.
I am happy to see you agree with me 😀 Thanks for watching!
italian cuisine is very rich in terms of variety, I am from the south and when I travel north always find dishes I had never heard before as they are very local to that specific area only. Beside lasagna, pizza and they famous ones which you find in most restaurants, there is so many dishes only available in countryside trattorias. Not to mention the variety of different cheese and wines you can find, hundreds of them for which only France can compete in terms of scale. so you probably have tried 2% of Italian cuisine, which is also characterized by the use of few fresh ingredients that work well together, no seasoning, more emphasis on freshness.
I agree with 4 of your points. I am not Italian but have spent a lot of time there. Food is fantastic and a different experience in different areas of Italy, still all fabulous. Seems that before doing your food research, you were eating in touristy spots and those fit into one of your other points, they are scams.
@@AldoGrech55 thanks for your comment, my first time in italy so i had to go to all the tourist places to get it off my list. I did go to local recommendations from my airbnb host and still found the food to be good but not mind blowing.
I guess it is also a matter of taste. I am Australian and it took me a while to get the Italian food gibe as Italian food in Australia is rather different. In fact I took an Italian to an Italian run Italian restaurant in Aus and they did not like it; they cater for Aussie tastes.
You can't judge Italian cuisine by three dishes. Each region has its own specialties, and it wouldn't be enough for you to try them all in ten years. As for wine, it's obvious that you can also find low-quality wine in Italy, but I don't need to tell you that some of the best wines in the world are found in Italy and France. Greetings from Italy. I love Canada.
Thanks for watching 🇮🇹🇨🇦
Lol, as an Italian, let me tell you a few things... People definitely dance on the streets, but it happens only during festivals, held only a few days per year. Every city/town has different events. What you saw on TikTok is not fake, you just weren't there at the right time.
The food is AMAZING. I have been living in Australia for 10 years and the difference between the 2 countries is insane. As someone pointed out in another comment, every part of Italy has different food. I can travel 50km from my home town and have something I never had before. It has nothing to do with the greasy, unhealthy, horrible food you have in English-speaking countries. Avoid the tourist restaurants and go where the locals go.
The only place in which you will get scammed in Italy are the tourist hotspots, and they are easily avoidable too. Why would you allow a stranger to put a bracelet on you or hand you a rose? Just walk away. If you think that Italy has a lot of scammers, I would recommend against travelling around South East Asia. I've lived in Italy for 24 years and I never got picked pocketed, just put your stuff in your front pocket (it should be common sense) and take care of your belongings. And stop walking around with a fanny pack, scammers will recognise that you are a tourist from 10 km away.
As for the service, some people might be rude, but some people are amazing and they really stop to engage in a conversation because they want to have a chat with you and get to know about you. While in the USA, Canada, and Australia they are nice only to be polite, but they don't really care about you.
I'm definitely not Italy's poster child, I see many faults in this country, and that's why I left it years ago. However, this is a very shallow description of a beautiful country with some awesome people and some of the best food in the world.
@@TravellingNowhereFast thanks for the comment, really great perspective from an Italian, next time i go to Italy i definitely will explore the beaten path that typical tourists do not visit
😮😮😮😮 in US the crime rate is 600% higher than Italy ...
That's why i live in Canada 🇨🇦
finally someone who says the TRUTH about the food in italy
@@andrewspencer6214 Thanks for watching!
italy is an intersting country....
Very! 🇮🇹
Stay in the US
@@JeanneFerrariamas-sr5ml i live in Canada 🇨🇦
Food is okay.
Thanks for watching
Go explore farther away Matt😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@nicolettastrada5976 i will keep exploring, its nice to have money to travel all over the world unlike some people
Stay away from the tourist areas...
It is hard to do that the first time you visit Italy because you want to see all the popular attractions
Paris food is the same: most no better than Applebees
Wow