If your only touchpoint for Italian cuisine was, say, Olive Garden, what would you expect to find in a typical trattoria or osteria in Italy? It's quite possible you'd think minestrone, eggplant parmigiana, lasagna classico, chicken tortellini Alfredo, and endless garlic breadsticks were traditional fare.

But, alas, many of these items were perfected in Italian American kitchens, most decidedly garlic bread, an item that you're not likely to find on any menus from Milan to Palermo. Stateside, though, it's a staple of beloved "red sauce" Italian restaurants and pizza parlors. So what gave rise to garlic bread and who should get the thank you note?