TOP FIVE: Advice for Dining Abroad

No matter where you are, you’ve got to eat!  And, you might as well eat well!  A rule of thumb for me when in new city is not to dine at chain restaurants.  An important part of new culture experience is the “taste” of each city.   Admittedly, this can be challenging when traveling with my children, who are lured by the familiar menu of meals wrapped in bright characters accompanied by the current toy rage.  LOL!   The below traveler-penned tips, when followed, should make your dining experiences more enjoyable. 

5 – Having waitressed in my earlier years, I am a generous tipper.  I witnessed acquaintances sweat over tipping – nervous they will incorrectly tally appropriate gratuity.  So, let’s get this one out of the way so you are able to enjoy your meal without a nervous stomach.  Gratuity varies across the globe.  Some countries have legislated gratuity in meal costs. The Gault-Millau Guide to Paris & Provence says, “French law mandates that the service charge, 15 percent, always be included in the menu prices. You are not obliged to leave an additional tip, but it is good form to leave a little more if the service was satisfactory.” Before you determine your tip, “make sure it isn't already included; in France & Italy for example, many cafes have a surcharge for sitting at tables.  A custom in several European countries is to round your bill up to the next whole dollar amount.  Please visit http://www.esquire.com/the-side/MARIANI/guide-to-tipping-031908 for comprehensive travel tipping advisory.

4 – Ask locals their recommendation on good dining.  A hole-in-the-wall often offers the best flavor and variety.  In Ocala, FL, off of main street Silver Springs Boulevard sits a run-down restaurant, Rick’s.  Yet, on any given Sunday, there is a line out the door, and around the corner of patrons awaiting a table.  The locals know something that travelers don’t.  The food is authentic, hometown cooking at reasonable prices.  This dining theory can translate into any culture or country.  Who better to ask than the ones that live there, the ones whose good opinion is sought for repeat business?  “Avoid local restaurants with English menu translations/ an American/British flag on a sign out front,” admonishes Mandy Meffert, a well-traveled American. “It's going to be a tourist trap, where the food isn't the star because they know you're transient.”  And business owners don’t really care if you come again, because they know thousands of tourists will look for an easy-read menu all week long.  
               
3 - BE ADVENTUROUS: Sometimes the greatest satisfaction comes with exploring new and unfamiliar foods.  Don't hesitate to try something new, especially local drink specialties which are often unavailable elsewhere. Eat everything, don't get too hung up on exactly what a dish is before you order it. Do not eat at an American restaurant under any circumstances.  Try the local food, and if you like a well done steak, learn the word for ‘cremate’ in French. They tend to show meat the fire and serve it.

You shouldn't be alarmed if you are at a restaurant and see young kids with their parents enjoying a small glass of wine/beer/cider with dinner. It's okay for the most part when the parents are around as long as they are over 5 and the child isn't intoxicated. The legal drinking age in the UK is 18 otherwise, and in some parts of Europe, 16.            

2 - If you just have to have a “cheeseburger and fries”, there is an advantageous time to indulge.  Go to the tourist-trap places at 4pm or so, when you're tired from walking and want a beer or a snack to tide you over 'til dinner. At that point -- a touristy place with outdoor seating for people watching is ideal!

1 - Americans lead a fast paced life.  Regrettably, the heightened pace often translates into our mealtime.  Extend your meal. Europeans are never in a hurry when it comes to eating. Instead, they savor the food and camaraderie of a good meal by extending it well into the evening.  Thus, if you are in a rush, you will usually have to alert your server that you are ready to pay.  She or he will rarely hurry you to do so. To risk sounding cliché, savor the flavor.  Chew your food slowly.  Put your fork down in between bites.  Incorporating a few easy steps into your mealtime routine will enable you to enhance your dining experience, whether dining abroad or in the comfort of your own home.  

Happy eating!

Bon appétit ! [French]                       

T'boftë mire![Albian]                         

Yoqimli ishtaha! [Uzbek]  

On egin! [Basque]                            

Bon pro'! [Genoese]                          

Afiyet olsun! [Turkish]

Jätku leiba! (Estonian - used when joining the table)

Head isu! (Estonian - used when leaving the table) Selamat makan! [Indonesian]

Guten Appetit! Mahlzeit! [German]

En Guete! [Swiss German]Bonum appetitionem! [Latin]

L-ikla t-tajba [Maltese]

Poftă bună! [Romanian]

¡Buen provecho! ¡Buen apetito! [Spanish]

For a more thorough list of how to say “Happy Eating” in other languages, please visit: http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/bonappetit.html