I arrive first and am immediately impressed with the big open space and high-fueled energy. I am asked if I'd like to wait at the table, which is welcoming. No, "We can't seat you until everyone in your party has arrived." I like this place before I've sampled even one bit of food.
By 8, everyone has arrived; Brooke is held up and comes a few minutes later.
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| l to r: ronda, janice, shari, pam, me, Zelia |
Despite an animated, polished-looking crowd, the acoustics are great, and shouting isn't needed to converse.
Shari, who's been here many times, takes over the ordering. We start with some excellent red wine, and a couple of appetizers: the house salad (perfect) and zucca fritta (impossible to describe but magnificent).
The pizzas are paper thin, but the crusts hold up and do not give in to the weight of the generous toppings. In other words, Marta's thin crust is amazing. We order three kinds of pizzas: one with potatoes (okay but not great), one with house-made stracciatella cheese (very good but would probably not order next time), and the table's favorite: a "pizza rosse" with pork sausage, mozzarella, cremini mushrooms, and pecorino cheese (a must!).
We all love the restaurant. And the company, as always, is even better than the food.
We've been celebrating each others' birthdays now for a few years. I hope we'll be doing it for at least another thirty!
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