In Italy, unlike in the United States, you don't typically order an appetizer, main course, and dessert. There are more courses available for each meal, usually smaller than the ones you would find in New York or Chicago. You could skip a course (or three) if you wanted to, but in general, a full meal will appear on the menu as follows:

• Apertivo, a pre-meal aperitif such as vermouth

• Antipasto, similar to an appetizer and always served before the meal

• Primo, your first course, typically carbohydrate-rich dishes such as pasta or risotto

• Secondo, your second course, almost always fish or meat

• Contorno, a side dish such as vegetables, especially if your secondo does not include a salad

• Formaggio e frutta, your first dessert, literally translated as “cheese and fruit”

• Dolce, your main dessert, such as gelato or tartufo

• Caffé, your post-dinner coffee or espresso

• Digestivo, a post-meal drink such as grappa or limoncello, intended to aid digestion

Note that restaurants in Italy don't all fall into the same category of “full service.” A bar or caffé, for instance, will serve only drinks. An osteria typically serves local food, sometimes without a written menu and based solely on what is available in the daily markets. A paninoteca is a sandwich shop, while a pizzeria is the place to grab a slice with cheese. A trattoria is an informal restaurant, often family owned, while a ristorante is the full bore of upscale service and printed menus.