Last week was my birthday. I never dreamed I would turn 30 while living
in Italy. To celebrate, David and I went
to a restaurant called ‘La Drogherria Rossa’.
It was only 2 blocks from our apartment.
La Drogheria is a gourmet restaurant set in an old apothecary shop,
which was special for me, since I used to work in a pharmacy. We had such a special meal there- I will
never forget it. It was more than just a
meal- it was an experience.
We sat down
at the table, and the waiter immediately brought us bread, water, and
wine. Soon after, an older gentleman
with pink glasses (this seems to be the style in Italy- I’ve seen many men with
red or pink frames) came over and asked us what we’d like. We were never given a menu- he simply told us
the three dishes of pasta he was serving that day. I asked him what he recommended, and he said
he’d bring us each a sample of his specialties- the tagliatelle al ragu (the
traditional Bologna dish)- and his own creation, cheese ravioli with sautéed zucchini
flowers.
For the 2nd course,
we again asked him what he recommended, and he said he’d bring us each
something different. He served David a
steak fillet in balsamic vinaigrette. I
was served a plate of cold, thinly sliced veal with a tarragon cream
sauce. We ate at an outside table at a
leisurely pace, just enjoying being together on my birthday. The owner sat at a table right next to us
drinking with a few friends. He chatted with
us during the meal, talking about his hometown in the south and how Italian
cuisine differs depending on the region.
During the course of the meal, he also had waiters bring around plates
of food for us to try. He would say,
“Here, this is bread made in the style of my hometown- try a piece.” Or, “this is a traditional pasta where I come
from- you must try it.” That pasta was
really spicy! He brought us a bottle of
red wine for our meal, but his friend at the next table also offered us a taste
of the sparkling white wine he was drinking.
As I said- this was more than a meal, it was an experience. I felt like I was in an episode of Anthony
Bourdain’s ‘No Reservations’.
The waiter
asked if we wanted dessert, so I ordered an espresso. After our plates were cleared away and I was
thinking “I never want to eat again, I’m so full” the waiter set more plates in
front of us. The anticipation was
exciting- what would he bring us next?
The answer was a fresh slice of watermelon, which was a really
refreshing way to end the meal. The
owner said it was really nice to see 2 people talking and enjoying being with
each other. He asked us if we were on
our honeymoon. We told him no, we have
been married almost 6 years now. He said
he has been married 22 years, and is hoping to make it another 30 with his
wife.
By this point it was 3:00 (the end
of lunch in Italy) and the restaurant was empty except for us. We shook hands with the owner and told him
everything was ‘molto bene’ and ‘piacere’ (a pleasure). His friend was excited that we could speak a
few words in Italian and raised his wineglass to us in a toast as we said
goodbye. It was an experience that I
will remember fondly, and the perfect way to spend my birthday.
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