Italian food products and cuisine have infiltrated just about every corner of the globe, but nothing compares to trying classic Italian dishes at their source-and there's so much more than pizza, pasta, and gelato. Don't expect to find the same dishes on menus all over the country. From carbonara in Rome to the best street food in Palermo, each Italian region has its own recipes.
Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink. The original osterias date all the way back to the Roman Empire. If you go to Ostia Antica or Pompeii, you find the osterias of the era. They were like bed-and-breakfasts, with rooms for rent above the dining room where people could listen to music.
Mushrooms are a popular pizza topping already, but if you want to take things a step further, consider turning them into a gluten-free, breadless pizza crust with a pizza-inspired stuffing. Pepperoni is a quintessential pizza ingredient, one with plenty of creative uses in various recipes. In the case of stuffed mushrooms, pepperoni will inspire a pizza flavor profile with the help of cheese and sauce.
There are many made-up celebrations these days, but at least National Pizza Week delivers something tasty. Coming in hot on the heels of so-called quitter's day, when many people abandon their New Year's resolutions, pizza shops around the U.S. will be tossing around some deals that could save customers some dough. Of course, many people don't need an excuse to eat pizza-on any given day, about 11% of Americans do so, according to a study released in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.