To the editor:

Bruschetta is what I would consider the ultimate in summer snacks: sweet tomatoes, savory basil and balsamic vinegar piled atop a crispy garlicky toast. Unfortunately, as it applies to local restaurants in both Lawrence and Kansas City, ordering my favorite dish has become an issue. This is not because of the lack of great makers of bruschetta in the area, but because of the lack of culinary knowledge of the staff serving it.

It never fails that when I order bruschetta (pronounced brus’ket’ta; the “sch” is pronounced as it is in “school”), the person taking my order goes out of their way to “correct” me with the Missouri/Kansas-fied bastardization “brus Shet’ ta.” Not only does this make the server look like a fool, as well as show the lack of culinary knowledge of the establishment in which the dish is being served, it insults the person ordering who is being corrected with an incorrect pronunciation.

The word bruschetta comes from the Roman word “bruscare,” which means to roast over coals, or to toast. It has become a running joke between my friends and me. I order, and then we wait and cringe. It never fails.

To restaurants, please, please retrain your employees. Knowing how to pronounce each dish is the bare minimum of requirements for a server to be able to explain, offer, and serve at a food establishment.

Aaron Clary,

Lawrence