"Italian culture is one where people like things to be done just so. Rules are important, and nowhere is this more evident than in Italian dining. Whether you are dealing with a fast-casual joint at a train station - where you must pay for your selections before even heading to the counter - or a fine dining institution, where courses are carefully planned out, you will be expected to follow the rules of the establishment, whether it pleases you or not."
"One thing to know about Italian food in Italy is that it's not always going to be like what they serve at your local restaurant in Akron, Ohio. And it's not remotely going to resemble what you get at an Olive Garden. In other words, don't try to order fettuccine Alfredo, mac and cheese, or spaghetti with meatballs. These dishes are firmly American, perhaps Italian-American, but have nothing to do with the motherland."
Italian culture places high value on rules and precise procedures, and dining etiquette embodies this preference. Restaurants expect patrons to follow establishment-specific protocols, from paying for selections before ordering at train-station fast-casual counters to accepting carefully planned courses at fine dining venues. The customer is not always considered right. Dining rules aim to maximize the experience for all and signal that the establishment knows what it is doing. Many Americanized dishes such as fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti with meatballs, and mac and cheese are not typical in Italy. Alfredo originally consisted only of butter and Parmesan.
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