A supermarket is a self-service store that offers a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized in sections. If you want to surprise a friend or family member with a bottle of wine, dessert, etc. Call the restaurant in advance to let us know the details and note that gift cards will not be processed until payment has been received. We don't accept credit card information over the phone.
There are many Italians who still do their daily (or almost daily) shopping in a number of stores: the butcher shop, the product store, etc. However, there are larger multi-purpose grocery stores in both large and small cities. As you can probably guess, the quality of fresh food isn't necessarily that good in larger markets, but they win the race for convenience. Smaller multi-purpose grocery stores are referred to as “Alimentari”, while a larger store is a “supermarket”.
EAT Food Market offers the convenience and quality of a fresh food market. Nearly all grocery stores start with the produce department and then cover the walls with Meat, Seafood, Deli & Bakery. The shopping rules are a little different at the markets than at the supermarket, so here's what you need to know. You can do some online searches for the destinations in your itinerary to find out when and where the food markets are in the cities you visit, or ask the tourist information office when you arrive.
Organic foods are foods that are made without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other artificial treatments. The FDA goes on to say that they considered the term “natural” to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives, regardless of source) had been included or added to a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food. And if you're on vacation with your own kitchen, picking up food is one of the first orders of business. I have always found the colors, smells and sounds of outdoor food markets in Italy attractive, even if I wasn't making any purchases.
Keep in mind that even if you're not going to buy anything at a market or plan to cook anything, walking through an Italian market can also help you choose food. Here's what you need to know about shopping at Italian grocery stores and outdoor food markets. The delicatessen store, like the bakery or the meat and seafood departments, will be located along the supermarket wall. Visiting an Italian supermarket or outdoor market can be a fun experience during your trip to Italy, even if you're not storing the fridge in the rented apartment or collecting supplies for a picnic.
