The ninth most popular item found on Italian restaurants was somewhat of a surprise for me, possibly because I rarely order it, the mixed antipasto plate. Though it varies widely today given the numerous regional Italian influences and levels of creativity, it usually features a mixture of Italian-style cured meats, cheeses, and some preserved vegetables served at room temperature. They might have names like “Cold Mixed Appetizers,” “Antipasto Misto – An array of imported cold cuts and cheese,” or “Tavolloza di antipasti meridionali – Array of house made southern Italian antipasto.”
This tradition at Italian restaurants in America extends back probably a hundred years or so, if not longer. The first restaurants offering these used the Neapolitan model of antipasti – probably because they were from Naples – arranged on a single small plate. The items were recognizable to most southern Italians and readily enjoyable for most diners regardless of heritage. The assortment usually included the cured meats and southern Italian style that were available here plus preserved vegetables like roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and mushrooms, and olives. It was an inexpensive way to start a meal.
In 1927 at Colosimo’s, “America’s Finest Italian Restaurant” at 2126-28 S. Wabash Avenue in Chicago – which might have been involved in other activities in addition to dining – they served a creation for “Appetizers a la Colosimo” as part of their $1.50 multi-course dinner. At Little Joe’s in Los Angeles in the late 1930s, it was “Assorted Hors d’Oeuvres.” As menus increased in size, these would be the first appetizer listed under Antipasti Freddi (“cold appetizers” as opposed to “Antipasti Caldi / hot appetizers”). Some form was a very common sight through the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and, interestingly, even today, if in revised and updated form.
Like the previous article, this data is from over 300 current and recent Italian restaurants in thirty-five states in a wide variety of price ranges.
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