60 Another Dictionary

I could not resist the temptation, and once more I brought back a full-sized dictionary from my trip. [See blog 46. Buying A Dictionary When in Italy]. This time it was the full-size all-Italian Hazon – Dizionario Garzanti di Italiano 2.0. The reason I chose it was that it offered a CD with a “speakaggio”. This feature allows you to hear the word spoken. Although there are other dictionaries that offer the same feature, or at least one that I saw, I like some of Hazon’s other features.

However, the Hazon is not my favourite dictionary because of the annoying requirement of having to re-insert the CD every three months. What happens when the CD wears out or becomes damaged, I don’t really know. For this reason, if I could have found a Sabatini with the same feature I would have bought it instead of the Hazon.

I bought my dictionary from Feltrinelli, the largest bookstore in Bologna and located opposite the two towers. They were offering a 30% discount, but when I went to pay with my Visa the cashier pulled out a Feltrinelli card and went into a long tirade that I didn’t understand, and as I didn’t want another card, I did not buy the books. It was not until the following Monday when the sale was over that I discovered that the Feltrinelli card is not a payment card but a ‘membership” card that gives an automatic discount in any Feltrinelli store! Oh well, I did get the publisher’s 15% discount anyway.

This may sound excessive but when I am reading I have all three dictionaries open on my computer, and each has a role to play. I use the Italian-to-English Hazon as my standard, but note that a bilingual is not as complete as an all-Italian dictionary. I use the all-Italian Garzanti when I want to hear the way a word is pronounced, and I use the all-Italian Sabatini when I want to check on the conjugation of a verb. Overkill perhaps, but pleasurable.

November 2013.
I complained to Hazon about the need to insert my CD 4 years after I bought the Italian-English dictionary, and I am pleased to write that they have rectified the problem. In version 2.2 I no longer need to insert the disc every so often. I gather there is a new edition of the Italian-Italian dictionary [2013]. Note that the "speakaggio" is now called "Pronuncia audio".

59 Not My Favourite Restaurants in Bologna

I hate nothing more than to eat in a restaurant frequented by North American co-eds, or crass Americans. For this reason I list Pizzeria BRACE on via San Vitale 15 as a restaurant to avoid. It may have good pizzas, which I didn’t order, but whatever good it had was spoilt by the noisy co-eds and the loud-mouthed waiter who obviously thought that he had to pander to these kids.

Let me explain what I mean by crass Americans lest I am accused of tarring all Americans with the same brush. While eating at a restaurant, the table next to mine had a group of Americans including one LOUD woman and a younger male who obviously was studying in Bologna and acting as guide. Whatever he ordered came with French fries, and he called the waitress over and asked for Ketchup! She politely but firmly explained that he was eating at an Italian restaurant and Ketchup is not part of the Italian cuisine. Hallelujah!

I made the mistake of eating at the Pizzeria Spacca Napoli on Via San Vitale 45/a. After a long wait, all my dishes arrived at the same time – they had been re-heated. Perhaps my mistake was in not ordering pizza. I would list Trattoria Anna Maria Via Belle Arte 17A as one that could be avoided although it came highly recommended. It obviously is famous, with many German tourists and walls plastered with letters of praise. I had lasagne bolognese which cost 13.50 euros. It was a small helping and dry. The total bill came to 28 euros, and all I had with the pasta was a simple salad, a quarter carafe of wine, coffee and a half litre of water. If the food had been good I would not have minded the price, but frankly, I would abandon this restaurant to the Germans.

58 My Favourite Restaurants in Bologna

In this blog I will list my favourite restaurants. My requirements were good food, ambience, waiters who spoke Italian to you, and reasonably priced.
My favourite was:

OSTERIA DELLE DONAZELLEVia della Donazelle 4/3 off Via Independenza not far from Via Ugo Bassi.
COPERTO . . . . . . . 1.5
Lasagna . . . . . . . . . 7.5
Pork Grilled . . . . . . 6.9
Mineral H2O .5L . . 1.5
1/4 carafe red . . . . . 3
Coffee . . . . . . . . . . .1
Total . . . . . . . . . . 21.4
To reach this restaurant you have to go down a lane and turn right and walk down some steps. I enjoyed the ambience. I believe it caters to the literary set, and while it offers a menu in English – for me this is always a bad sign—it was all Italian inside. The waitress asked if I wanted a menu in English or Italian and I answered in Italian. She was happy to speak Italian to me. The lasagna was delicate. Twice I took friends to this restaurant.

Trattoria Fondazza
Via Fondazza 35 Walk on Strada Maggiore away from the two towers until you reach via Fondazza and turn right.
COPERTO . . . . . . .1.5
Lasagna . . . . . . . . .7.5
Insalata mista . . . .5
1/4 carafe . . . . . . . 2.5
Total . . . . . . . . . .16.5
Excellent lasagne served only on Saturdays. A no-nonsense place, for locals. I went several times.

Lo Squero Ristorante Pizzeria
Via Saragozza 65/E second restaurant from the gates
COPERTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Frittura Calamare/Gambetti . . . . 12
Melanzana griglia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1/4 carafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Caffe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.5
Had an excellent plate of squid and prawns
"Traditional pasta" like Tortellini con Ragu costs 6 to 8 euros
Went back and had steak for 8 euros
This restaurant caters to German tourists, but nonetheless it serves good food, especially seafood. The second time I had a snotty old waiter who insisted on speaking English, at least to begin with.

Trattoria RossoVia Augusto Righi
Set meal . . 10e
1/4 carafe . . 2
A no-nonsense place, it serves a set meal as well as a la carte. I went several times.

Ristorante Rosso San Martino
Piazza S Martino 3/B Located just up from Piazza Verdi
COPERTO . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.5
Tagliatelle/Ragu . . . . . . . .7
Insalata mista . . . . . . . . . . 3
1/4 carafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Caffe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14.5

Fixed meal . . .10 e
It has both a fixed dinner, which I tried the first time, and à la carte. Went several times, and brought my friends. Mainly locals.

If you want a cheap meal and don’t mind the surroundings – in this case a self-service cafateria, then try:
BASS'OTTO BARUGO BASSI 8
Set meal . . . . 9 euros
1/4 bottle . . .0.95

It wasn’t until my last day that I discovered Trattoria Leonidas -- famous for serving traditional Bolognese dishes. It is located on via Allemana off Strada Maggiore not far from the two towers. Unfortunately, I only went once. I would have gone back more often if I had discovered this restaurant earlier in my stay.

In my next blog I will continue on restaurants I visited in Bologna.

57 A Typical Italian Dinner

A typical full Italian dinner has several courses:
Antipasto
Primo piatto or first “plate,” i.e. course, e.g. pasta or soup
Secondo piatto or second course – meat or fish
Contorni or side dishes – potatoes, vegetables
Dolce – dessert
Cheese

Not too many people, especially among the younger generation, have this full meal except on special occasions. Many people now have a selection from the above. If you have a coffee, make sure you don’t order a cappucino or you will be seen as a typical crass North American.

Unlike a typical North American restaurant where everything is served on one plate, in Italy the main course is served separate from potatoes and vegetables. These are ordered separately and served separately. The reason for this is that you should be able to enjoy the taste of individual dishes. Each dish has its own taste, and the way the restaurants [or home] serve it allows you to savour the food. It is an excellent idea, and so don’t wolf your meal down but savour each mouthful!

I ate out every night during my stay of five weeks and so I had to keep within my budget. I would limit myself to a first or second course and a salad with wine and a coffee. Since I love pasta, it was not difficult to concentrate on it. Occasionally, for variation, I would choose the second course and a side dish of vegetables. The salads were wonderful, and if you want a meal almost in itself, have an insalatone [large salad]. The first time I ordered one I wasn’t prepared for its size!

Italy has such wonderful gelato [ice cream] that my “dessert” was usually a gelato once a day, and not necessarily after the meal.

In my next blog I will list my favourite restaurants I ate at over my five weeks in Bologna.