House Call
Don't be discouraged from ordering the house wine, says chef Dante Boccuzzi. "Our house wine is something that's been specifically chosen," he says of the Dante Red Zephyr, a red wine from Puglia, Italy. "Just because something is labeled •the house' doesn't necessarily mean that it's cheap or poor quality."
Expand Your Palate
Be adventurous when dining out, says Amp 150 chef Jeff Jarrett, who serves up unexpected ingredients such as rabbit, quail, bison and alligator on his menu. "There's just a whole world of things out there that people are missing if they don't try them," he says. "You just have to trust the chefs to guide you in the right direction."
Go Small
You can never order too many small plates, says Rockefeller's executive chef Jill Vedaa. But if you need some guidance, she suggests picking one item per person with the understanding that you'll try each other's dish. "I think being able to share your food with the people you're with is one of the best ways to eat," she says.
Moniker Mistakes
cibreo italian kitchen (si — bray — oh)
Owner Scott Kuhn chose the name after visiting a restaurant in Italy with the same moniker. While the restaurant has had its share of mispronunciations, Kuhn says most people end up calling it "that Italian place."
EL Carnicero (el — kar — nih — sehr — oh)
Commonly shortened to El C, the name was chosen after the Mexican wrestling legend of El Carnicero who returns to his passion of cooking, says chef and owner Eric Williams. The restaurant is often mixed up as El Carcinero, which people think means "dirty cigarettes."
Orale! Contemporary Mexican cuisine (oh — rah — lay)
Chef Roberto Rodriguez explains that while Orale is not a word, it is popular Mexican slang meaning "something exciting" or "something happening." The name often gets recognized by those who have traveled to Mexico.
Provenance (pro — vuh — naance)
Often mistaken as Provence, this Cleveland Museum of Art restaurant's name holds a lot of significance, says chef Douglas Katz. In the art world, provenance is the history of ownership of a work of art.
