Fast Food, what is authentic Italian

LeoB · 09-07-2009 7:21pm #1

Just back from a holiday in Italy and was thinking about what passes for traditional Italian chips here and what we had a few times away.

Here the chips seem to be really greasy and probably grand after a few pints but I would not think they are great for colosteral. In Italy they were totally different, not greasy at all, in fact crisp and not soggy with grease. So what is authentic Italian fast food. This our 4th year in Italy and I have yet to get chips like we get here.

wow sierra · 09-07-2009 10:42pm

The Italian Chipper is an invention of the Italian emigrant and is not something they brought from the "Old Country". Most Ethnic restaurants bear very little relationship to the countries they come from - the fact that the Balti was invented in Birmingham is a good example, as is the wonderful Chicago deep pan pie pizza.

What is or isnt authentic????? Food styles change and develop through the generations and the food of Italians emigrants, or any other emigrants, is influenced by the tastes of the customers in their new country. Sometimes the changes are for the better.

Been to Italy a few times and love it, but I have to say I hate the Cappucino's you get there - much better in Dublin. And I happen to believe that Lasagne and chips is a perfectly valid meal.:):) Mind you Pizza in Napoli was the best I ever tasted.

Probably a longer answer than you expected, but there you go;);)

LeoB · 09-07-2009 11:20pm

WOW SIERRA, Great reply
The Italian chipper may be the invention of the immigrant but what about the quality of the food we are given? You mention Balti and the deep pan pizza, well I think the chips we now get are more like what is described after a late night session in a working mans club in North of England mind you we dont have the newspaper as wrapping:)

I dont drink coffee and am not a big pizza eater but my kids said the pizza they ate in Italy was delicious. My wife said the cappucino taste varied a bit but she liked them.

Like most things I think the quality of what we got years ago was much better than what we get now. I remember Marco's in Rush and Pete's at the Skerries Rd and the taste was incomparable to what we get now. IMO. If memory serves me a chipper up near the monument was fairly decent, but who knows maybe it was just my taste.

Maybe I should have asked what do you people think of the quality of the fast food places in North Dublin? and where is the best quality?, not the tastest

wow sierra · 09-07-2009 11:45pm

When I moved to Balbriggan the Pop Inn was a really good "authentic Italian!" Chipper. Great chips. Fusciardos on the corner of North Earl Street and ??(the street at the back of Boyers?) had fabulous chips. As did the chipper beside Meaghers in Fairview, Italian but I can't remember the name. I remember in my youth the joke used to be "What do you want? " Answer " Schillachi on crutches" Sad the things I remember!!!! If you are too young to remember Italia 90 that will be lost on you!!!

Back (slighty!) on topic - in Balbriggan I think Borza's have the best Chips. Castellini Chianti is a very good Italian Restaurant with authentic Italian waiters your wife would like. (Sorry!) and good Italian food.

LeoB · 10-07-2009 12:02am

I well remember Italia 90 and a few World Cups before that also. As I said I am not a regular in the chipper it was just the difference struck me when I came home from Italy.
Will have to try Borza some Sunday on way home where in Balbriggan is it? Is it the one across from debruen and up a bit?
Street at back of Boyers, Marlborough Street?

biezo57 · 10-07-2009 12:06am

the borza in dalkey is legendary
it does everything aswell as a top notch fish and chips:rolleyes:

Frank Spencer · 10-07-2009 11:13am

LeoB wrote: »

I well remember Italia 90 and a few World Cups before that also. As I said I am not a regular in the chipper it was just the difference struck me when I came home from Italy.
Will have to try Borza some Sunday on way home where in Balbriggan is it? Is it the one across from debruen and up a bit?
Street at back of Boyers, Marlborough Street?

It's in one of the units beside Super Valu. Opposite the community college. I know quite a few people who go there now rather than the Deli burger.

I have also found the new chipper in Ballyboughal nice, definately on par with the rest of them anyway.

Bluetonic · 10-07-2009 11:32am

LeoB wrote: »

Will have to try Borza some Sunday on way home where in Balbriggan is it? Is it the one across from debruen and up a bit?

Funnily enough Libero who owns the Borza up at Supervalu used to own a chipper across from DeBrun where the chinese is now, back in the mid 1990s.

kmick · 10-07-2009 11:50am

Chips - I doubt you could describe these as a classic italian food. Potatoes would not be a staple over there.

meditraitor · 10-07-2009 12:03pm

kmick wrote: »

Chips - I doubt you could describe these as a classic italian food. Potatoes would not be a staple over there.

Ever been to the north of Italy, they love their spuds.....;)

Italian quisine is amazingly diverse and every region has its own. . . . its possible to get fried potoatoes similiar to "italian chippys" over there, go into Caoi (italian fastfood outlet) any day at lunch and they have greasy slices of potatoe on the menu similiar to chips.

Have to agree that Libero's chips are only great ..... and his pizza

LeoB · 10-07-2009 7:55pm

kmick wrote: »

Chips - I doubt you could describe these as a classic italian food. Potatoes would not be a staple over there.

I was not on about or trying to describe chips as classic Italian food, just making the point about what I was served over there and what I was served here. Hard to believe they came from the same vegatable.

I have travelled a fair bit in Italy and potatoes are quite popular in restauraunts and used in quite a few dishes.

Fast Food, what is authentic Italian

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