A triple rivalry: the trattoria, osteria, and ristorante.

By: Hayli Balgobin

As you walk the streets of Italy, you may notice the similar names on the different places to eat. There are three different categories of the food places: trattoria, osteria, and ristorante. Each place has its own set of rules and history. It is important to know the difference between the three of them to understand the significance of the recipe.

A bonsai tree is featured asa center piece at the Osteria, in which there was no center pieve at any other food place.

Abdalla Elsayad, a server at the Osteria San Fiorenzo, described the differences between the three types of food places. He understands that the categories of food are confusing because they are not used in other countries. “It is different than in the states. Here there is a difference between a restaurant, osteria, trattoria, and a bar. A restaurant has all the plates of Italy, and you can fish for whatever you want. Osteria is more like a small place. It used to be for work and perform, and it is traditional food. The trattoria is like the same thing. It’s not something fancy,” said Elsayad

Off to the osteria

Outside eating area at the Osteria; however, there was an inside eating area as well.

The Osteria first appeared in the 7th and 8th century, and they looked a lot different than they do today. You were required to bring your own food, and it was used to room and board travelers. They offered a couple dishes if there was a kitchen, but the main thing they served was wine. The Osteria has now grown to serve simple meals; however some of them do not normally use menus.

The bread served at the osteria with basalmix vinegar on the side.

At the Osteria San Fiorenzo, there are outside, inside, and upstairs seating, and customers can choose where they want to sit. The menus are eight pages long with a variety of options for the appetizer, first course, second course, and desserts. They also provide a two-page wine menu and serve high-quality steaks. Unlike the trattoria, they serve bread and balsamic vinegar as you wait for your meal.

Abdalla Elsayad served plates and took orders for the ustomers. He is from Egypt and came to the osteria because he loves Florenece.

Eslayad explained why the Osteria San Fiorenzo was categorized as an osteria. “This place is an osteria because it is traditional. It is not big enough to be a restaurant and the service is not professional,” Eslayad said. When you got to a restaurant, you have to follow a professional service, and the osteria and trattoria have

a normal service.”

One of the key components between the places of food is their service. A must-try delicacy at the Osteria San Fiorenzo was the cheesecake. They served a slice of cheesecake on a small plate and drizzle it in your flavor of choice. The chocolate drizzle was rich and a sweetness to the tangy cheesecake. The flavors blended very nicely and will leave you satisfied.

Cheesecake served with your choice of drizzle.

That traditional trattoria taste.

The trattoria was created because of the osteria. They were always equipped with a kitchen and its menu was filled with unwritten recipes passed down through generations.

Inside seating of the trattoria with no music playing inside.

The trattoria and osteria are very similar because they are both casual and have traditional style. The main difference between the two is the trattoria is most likely family owned. The food they serve is very fresh because the family takes a lot of pride in their business.

The Accadi Trattoria is a small food place found on small local street, unlike the Osteria San Fiorenzo, which was located on a main road in Florence. They have two seating areas, but they are both inside. Although their two-page menu is completely in Italian, they hand out their wi-fi password on a sheet of paper for tourists to translate the menu on their phones. They did not serve bread with the food; however, they did have a bar to order drinks or wine. Although the servers speak English, the owners of the establishment do not, and they must use a server to translate to their English customers.

The Pasta fresca scarola and acciughe e olive served on a small plate with a coke on the side.

The Pasta fresca scarola and acciughe e olive was a tasteful meal at the Accad Trattoria. All of the ingredients are fresh and homemade. The olives in the pasta adds a salty and savory flavor to the dish. Although there is limited selection of entrees, each dish is mad with love. The trattoria does not play music because all you can hear are the large families and groups of friends talking and laughing. The trattoria is meant to feel like home because you receive a fresh meal, and there is nothing distracting you from talking to your company.

Ring me up at the Ristorante

The ristorante was born because of the middle class. The elite class thought outside eating to be dirty, and they would rather eat in the comfort of their homes with the privilege of their personal servers. However, capitalism caused the middle class to grow, and with them sprouted the ristorante.

Customer Jay Patal said, “We came here because it was the only thing that was open, and we ordered the pizza because we’re in Italy.” The ristorante called El Colonnine was a restaurant made for tourists because it is open late and serves very touristy food. Patal and his friends came to this restaurant because they wanted to have a good time and bond with each other.

However, the El Colonnine has wonderful appetizer called the Burrata con pomodorini secchi e basllico. In the center is a burrata cheese surrounded by roasted and cherry tomatoes, and it was drizzled in olive oil. It was a delectable meal and if you were to eat it as an entrée, it is very filling.

The wine called Vernaccia Di San Gimignano is a white wine, and it is a 2021 with 12% alcohol. It is very classy and has a very strong taste. This wine will add some flavor to your meal and make you feel like you are on top

of the world.

Each of these food place brings something different to the table; however, they are all delicious in their own ways. Sometimes you may find a trattoria that tastes like it should be an osteria, or maybe an osteria that is fancier than a ristorante. No matter where you go, it is important to have an open mind and eat every bite like it is your last.