We recently posted on our Instagram that olive oil and balsamic vinegar are for salad and not bread, and our followers had a lot of opinions on it!
Now we’ll start by explaining ourselves. It’s an Italian food rule that you don’t dip bread in olive oil (swirl of balsamic vinegar optional). If you ever go to Italy, you’ll notice they don’t put olive oil at the table when they serve you bread, typically before the appetizer comes out but also sometimes with your main meal. There are a couple reasons why this rule exists. 1) Extra virgin olive oil is expensive. 2) If a communal bowl of olive oil is placed in the middle of the table, diners will have to share. 3) There’s the potential for drips.
And as for the balsamic vinegar, well, Italians don’t put balsamic on bread. It’s also expensive, and Italians don’t feel it should be wasted on bread—rather, they use it (in combination with olive oil) for salads.
Of course, at Mulino, we’re a bit more lenient and say to each their own! So if you really want to dip your bread in olive oil and balsamic, go right ahead. In the end, it’s up to you, and we want you to enjoy your experience at Mulino in whatever way will make you the happiest!
We hope to see you at the restaurant soon—whether you’re dipping your bread in olive oil and balsamic or not.
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