Meanwhile the owner of a kosher restaurant in Rome’s historic Ghetto quarter dismissed a row over Mr Zuckerberg not leaving a tip when he and his new wife ate there during their two-day stay in the capital.
Umberto Pavoncello said the failure to leave a tip for a lunch which cost 32 euros (£26) was of no consequence and said he was considering renaming one of the restaurant’s signature dishes – deep-fried courgette flowers – after Mr Zuckerberg.
Should be zucchini of course, it being Italy, but my they are delicious. Still one of my memories of having lived over there as a child. The flower (after the little bud for the zucchini itself has started to grow, of course,) in a very light batter (similar to tempura?) and then fried in olive oil.
8 responses so far ↓
1 john b // May 31, 2012 at 7:31 am
No, in a British newspaper it should be “courgette flowers” or “fiori di zucchina“. “Zucchini flowers” would be the same as “legs of grenouille”.
2 Shinsei67 // May 31, 2012 at 9:30 am
The special thing about tempura batter is that lumps are deliberately left in.
This supposedly creates the fluffy yet crisp texture.
Not sure if this is what they do in Rome.
3 Shinsei67 // May 31, 2012 at 9:31 am
“Zuckerberg has taste?”
More likely Mrs Zuckerberg has taste.
Tim adds: “More likely Mrs Zuckerberg has taste.”
Not entirely sure that works. She is, after all, Mrs. Zuckerberg.
4 Matthew L // May 31, 2012 at 10:14 am
That much money makes up for an awful lot of gaucherie.
5 Chris // May 31, 2012 at 10:21 am
Pumpkin flowers are pretty delish, too. I had gnocchi con fiori di zucca for the first time in Trastevere earlier this month.
6 John Fembup // May 31, 2012 at 12:40 pm
So the owner expresses indifference that his waiter employee was not tipped for providing a service?
Seems to me the owner will eventually run out of the waiter’s money.
7 Michael Jennings // May 31, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Presumably the waiter had already been paid by his employer for providing said service.
There is not a strong tipping culture in Italy. You might tip a little bit, but it is not ubiquitous. This fascination that Americans have with how much people tip, even in places where people usually don’t is tiresome and provincial, frankly.
I hope Zuckerberg is enjoying his honeymoon.
8 Thomas Gibbon // May 31, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Yup, tipping here is minimal. Also FWIW it’s bad form to tip the owner.
Had fiori di zucchine fritti for lunch today. Fried in extra virgin olive oil. One shouldn’t really, but sod it.
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