A Birthday to Remember

I’ve been in Italy for over a week now, and one observation I’ve made about this country is that everything is slower here.  Including the Internet.  And while it can be slightly inconvenient and frustrating at times, I think a slower lifestyle is overall a much healthier one.  Italians take their time in everything they do, but especially when it comes to meals.  They rarely take food to go.  Many coffee places don’t even have to-go cups.  If you are going to eat or drink, you are also going to relax.  The Italian culture forces you to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy the present moment. 

I’ve already had several wonderful dining experiences in Italy – I’ve sampled all the staples including pasta, pizza, cappuccino, gelato, wine, and so.  But the meal I want to feature in this post is my birthday dinner, a three-and-a-half-hour affair that I will never ever forget.  Three of my good friends from BC are also studying in Florence, so we made a reservation for four at a little place called La Giostra.  The restaurant is very traditional Italian, priding itself on its personalized service, intimate atmosphere, and impeccable cuisine.  The first few pages of the menu explained the history of the restaurant and the family who runs it, as well as the 400-year-old building in which we were eating.  The restaurant owner insisted on the motto, “slow food is the best food.”   I sat there thinking to myself, I think I’m gonna like this place. 

Moments after being seated at our table in the back corner of the restaurant, my three friends and I were each given a complimentary glass of champagne.  Next came the appetizer platter, also complimentary.  It was huge!  Bruschetta, roasted peppers and mushrooms, slices of classic Italian cold cuts, stuffed zucchini, you name it. 

We also ordered a bottle of Chianti, seeing as it was my twenty-first and when in Florence…

Then we chose four main dishes to split family-style – the ravioli with spinach and ricotta, the penne with a gorgonzola and pear sauce, the seafood risotto, and the fillet drenched in balsamic sauce.  Every bite was amazing.  My mouth is honestly watering just writing about it. 

Couldn’t skip dessert!  We ordered the tiramasu and this special vanilla ice cream with fresh berries on top.  Great way to end the meal. 

While I was in the bathroom, my friends told the waiter that it was my birthday.  A few minutes later, he brought out a huge chocolate cake with candles and all the waiters sang to me!  Then they took the cake away…and never brought us any of it.  We found this absolutely hilarious.  Not that we needed any more food at this point, mind you, but who brings you a cake to make a birthday wish and then never lets you eat any?  The Italians, that’s who. 

Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me for this occasion, but you’re going to have to trust me when I say that everything about the evening was just beautiful – the food, the setting, and the company.  Ringing in my twenty-first in Florence was memorable to say the least!  I’m a very lucky girl.