Why You Won't See Italians Dip Bread In Oil Before A Meal

Few things enrich a piece of bread quite like a generous helping of fat. That might sound a bit crude, but it's true: that's basically what butter is, and bread and butter is such a staple that it's become a byword for "basic." And if you've ever visited an Italian restaurant, you'll find that the little dish of olive oil they provide with their baskets is the perfect accompaniment for hearty, crusty bread. But if you're the sort of person who worries about authenticity, you might find yourself wondering if you're really eating your bread like they do it in the old country. We asked Anthony Scotto Jr., restauranteur of Avenue T Hospitality Group (behind fine Italian restaurants like Luogo and Pelato in Nashville), and he gave us the answer. In short: it's not really authentically Italian, but don't let that stop you.

"Bread service is not an expected item on the table in Italy," Scotto said. "When we are in Italy we think of bread and dinner as two different meals." That means you might be able to go to a bakery and pick up a piece of focaccia (which can taste like love soaked in olive oil) to nosh on, but that's supposed to be a meal in its own right, not a warm-up to something else. And generally speaking, the whole olive oil dip thing just isn't done over there. (Whatever they do with it, though, at least they don't fry chicken in it.)

We certainly understand the desire to avoid making a fool of yourself in Italy — we all saw that episode of "The Sopranos" where Paulie goes to Italy and wonders why he can't get a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce — but that doesn't mean you should swear off all carb and oil-related indulgences. For one thing, Italians do, in fact, enjoy olive oil with their bread in certain contexts. Toasted bread like bruschetta can be drizzled with olive oil and enjoyed as an appetizer in Italy; according to Anthony Scotto, it's "a very common dish," one which diners at Pelato can enjoy as well.

And hey, maybe dipping bread in olive oil before dinner isn't authentically Italian, but it's authentically Italian-American. Just because a certain cuisine changed when it was brought to America doesn't mean it was cheapened or bastardized — it just means it's delicious in a different way. (Let they who hasn't demolished an order from Panda Express cast the first stone.) Scotto, for his part, cheerfully offers bread to his diners. "We have our garlic bread on the menu," he said, "because we wanted to make it more fun and enjoyable than just handing out cold bread. Olive oil for dipping is a must!"