A recent trend shows young Italians may be straying from the longstanding tradition of eating family meals at their parents’ house every night, instead favoring a new appetizer-heavy dining concept served in bars, called apericena. Mamma has reigned as queen of the Italian kitchen for what seems like forever, with mamma’s or nonna’s cooking a symbol of home. That is undoubtedly still true, but these days, more Italian students are opting for culinary independence – and more mothers are working outside the home and spending less time in the kitchen.
Similar to Spanish tapas, apericena offers a buffet of light courses – salad, pasta, bruschetta, risotto, meat and fish, and vegetables – served hot or cold, as well as desserts, for a low price of around 10€. The price includes one drink, and the food is enough to fill up before going out to a club – appealing to students who perhaps can’t afford a nice dinner out.
The concept, a play on the word “aperitivo,” is popping up mostly in northern Italy and Rome; visitors looking to experience apericena can find it in areas with dense student populations such as Florence, Padua, Pisa and Bologna. In Milan, the Exotic near the university serves a buffet on Monday nights, while diners in Turin can eat on a terrace nightly at the film-themed Lobelix Café. Florence’s Kitsch Bar and Bar Pappagallo in Rome have also embraced the concept.
By Kathy McCabe
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