I’ve seen diners, Chinese carry-out places, fast food restaurants, and Greek restaurants that are open all night. However, I’ve never heard of an Italian restaurant that was open 24 hours a day. Why not?
Plenty of Italian pizza joints open 24 hours in NY. They serve pasta 'n stuff, too.
Chinese food has carved out a niche of cheap and ubiquitous. Diners (I’d lump these together with Greek places, because of the heavy historic Greek involvement) cater disproportionately to individuals (think the counter-seating) and people needing basic food at any time. Italian places (over generalization) skew toward family-style, big meal, presentation. Not the sort of thing many families are up for at 3:00 a.m. (See above exception of pizza and calzone joints). Not a lot of late night German or Thai or French (or for that matter, steakhouse) places open – though you’ll find a few all-night French brasserie-type places in large cities in Europe or U.S. if you really need steak frites at 5:15 a.m. (and who doesn’t?).
Italians just aren’t 24/7 type people.
Elmwood - you may be interested to know that there are many communities in the U.S. in which there are NO 24-hour restaurants. Not even diners. And I’m not talking about Bum-Fuck-Nowhere, either … I’m talking about metro areas of 400,000 people (e.g. Jackson, MS).
Even in a “party” city like New Orleans, where I spent my first 29 years of life, the 24-hour choices are severely limited. You’re pretty much left with truck-stop fare or (sometimes pretty good) bar food. Additionally, there is a suprisingly good Chinese place open until 2 a.m. But that’s about it.
I live in Washington DC, and am trying hard to think of 24 hour places. All I can come up with is an upscale cafe that’s open 24 hours on weekends, a diner open 24 hours on weekends, and IHOP.
There is a pretty good 24-hour, primarily pasta-serving Italian restaurant in Seattle’s university district.
Captain Amazing,
When I Google on the terms “restaurants,” “Washington,” “D.C.,” and “open 24 hours,” this link is at the top of the list:
http://www.ytic.com/search/minfo.asp?type=f3
Click on Open 24 Hours for a short list of 24-hour places and on Late Dining for a huge list of late dining places.
Yet another reason I love Chicago. We have Italian food available 24 hours. I can get dim sum at 3 AM and the best Thai fried rice place is open 10PM -5AM.