Rick Steves Always Brings This Type Of Book To Restaurants When Traveling

Ever since a childhood trip to Europe with his family to learn about piano manufacturing turned into a lifelong passion for exploration, Rick Steves has established himself as one of the most trusted names in travel. Whether you're watching his show on public television or reading one of his countless guidebooks, you know you're in for sensible advice and Steves' gently inquisitive nature. So, in that spirit, take Steves' advice and bring a phrase book along when you go out to eat in a foreign country.

As Steves posted to his website, perhaps understating matters slightly, "You'll eat better if you understand the basic menu terms." Some words are pretty easy to pick out if you're vaguely familiar with a language — you don't have to be a polyglot to know that "fromage" means "cheese" in French, or that "agua" means "water" in Spanish — but other terms could mean the difference between enjoying your meal, and not. If you have a nut allergy, it could do you some good to know the word for "peanut" in a few different languages, don't you agree? (Either that, or you could confine yourself to the top five allergy-friendly fast food chains if they have locations in a given country, although that kind of defeats the purpose of travel.)

Once you've got your handy dandy phrase book (or translator app, we suppose), you may still need to heed a few of Rick Steves' other tips. Some of them are fairly common sense for anyone who's traveled a bit — he suggests that you venture outside of tourist hot spots, using his trick for sniffing out Italian tourist trap restaurants, and go where the locals eat — but there are still some other useful tidbits you should know. For example, at certain restaurants you will find a daily special; sort of a mix between a Stateside daily special and a prix fixe menu, where an appetizer, entree, and dessert can be ordered together at a certain price. Needless to say, this is a welcome deal for tourists looking to try a nice range of food without breaking the bank.

Something else to keep in mind is that in many European countries, waiters will not rush you away from your table the second your plate is cleared. Instead, they often let you linger for a while, leaving you to drink, nibble, and people watch to your heart's content. It's the kind of thing that makes you feel like part of something bigger, a new perspective that only travel can offer you. Just remember to skip the one soup Rick Steves warns against eating in Paris during the summer; authentic French onion soup tastes best in winter, when its ingredients are in season.