Contorno: This is the vegetable side that is served at the same time as your secondo (second course).
Formaggie e Frutta: This is a fruit and/or cheese. This is served either at the same time as secondo (second course) or right after.
Dolce: This is dessert--finally! Tiramisu and panna cotta are both very popular Italian desserts. I love tiramisu and order it at most places we visit.
I went to a restaurant near my house called La Magolfa. I tried a full Italian meal (or as much as we could eat of one) with my friends! We had penne al pesto (pesto pasta) for the primo (first course), pesce (fish) for the secondo (second course), grilled patatine (potatoes) for our contorno (side dish) and tiramisu for dolce (dessert)!
All of the food was delicous! Each course that came out was just as good or better than the last.
I also felt that having different courses helped me appreciate the taste of the food. The waiters bring your food one dish at a time to slow down the process. They expect dinner to take two to three hours, so they don’t rush you! My friends and I enjoyed our food and we told each other funny stories while we ate.
