I've spent over a month in Italy....
 

over the span of my life, most recently a week about 3 months ago, and have never had a tasty dish.

I've enjoyed some cheese pizza with marinara sauce, have loved gelato, have enjoyed some corner deli sandwiches, but have never truly enjoyed a sit down meal.

I have tried all the recommendations of guide books, locals, hoteliers, people who have been there before and have never experienced anything as good as Olive Garden, and I detest the OG.

I've eaten in the North, Central and Southern. The closest meal to anything good was in the shitty city of Naples, and a meal of Calamari in Venice.

What gives those that have also traveled and have lived there?

Can I ask why you don't like Italian food? What is it that you don't find delicious?

The time spent on my mission has made me something of an Italian food snob. I've only found one place in Salt Lake that I would say is authentic; everything else has been "Americanized" by excessive amounts of sauce or ingredients.

I have had many great meals in Italy, but perhaps our taste buds are greatly divergent.

I enjoy the salted hams, the cheeses, the pastas. To have spent that much time in Italy and not to enjoy the food is truly odd.

I love American Italian food. I can't think of anything better than Olive Oil or Balsamic Vinegar as far as food enhancement is concerned. I love, absolutely love Caputo's. The salads are so full of flavor explosion it's almost orgasmic. The fusion of tastes is incredible.

I've enjoyed the hams and cheeses I've had on hard rolls in corner delis. I enjoy Toast, but I haven't enjoyed a sit down pasta meal.

On my last trip I asked for suggestions from multiple different sources, consulted various books, decided on a restaurant, and upon arrival of the first pasta dish I almost puked. I had some great Octupus, but was extremely disappointed otherwise.

I have asked multiple people, and am not the only one who feels this way about cuisine in the boot country.

Who doesn't love Caputo's though? There is rarely a thread that mentions good food in SLC, especially deli or Italian that doesn't mention Caputo's.

Well, either you're the harshest culinary critic ever, or you've had extremely bad luck.

I've had a great meal in Venice, many in Vicenza, Modena, the Lakes District, including the mountains as well such as Asiago, Cinque Terre, even in some of the auotstrade sections.

True, true.

Next time you take your wife there, get one Italian Sausage Sub, and a Tri-Salad Sampler, with anti-pasti, pesto and bread salads. Return and tell me how it went. I'm sure two hours after consumption your mouth will still be buzzing.

I'm easily satisfied. I've tried traditional dishes, regional dishes, and just haven't been happy.

In the Cinque Terre I've had a decent pesto dish but nothing like a pesto sauce you'd have at Paradise Bakery.

I will definitely try the Italian Sausage Sub. I've been impressed with the Pork Loin and Meatball, but I'm always game to try something new. In fact, maybe I'll eat there for lunch tomorrow.