Eats Like a Chicken, Drinks Like a Fish

​Last night’s dinner deserves its own special recounting.  Concetta, the wife of the chef shows up at our doorstop promptly at 7:00 pm to lead us to our mysterious dinner appointment.  We don’t know where we are going.  Will it be to a restaurant or even to a car to drive somewhere? Concetta as it turns out is the same age as me and another notable feature is her pink hair.  She comes across as brusque.  Gives us a follow me and we begin winding down the winding alleys while she carries on a banter with everyone we pass. These alleys literally are just tiny sidewalks between the ancient stone houses and steep steps.  Soon we arrive at what is their home and we are brought inside to a dining room with two beautifully already set tables.   After being greeted by their very adorable and friendly beagle we are once again somewhat brusquely directed to sit down.  So at this point I am feeling a little bit uncomfortable not sure what is in store for us.  Mario, the chef greets us at this point.  Of course no English language is available to us so we know we are in for a full immersion experience!  

Immediately the first bottle of wine comes out.  It is their homemade wine which is a really delicious red made from Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo grapes.  

Very quickly the first pasta course arrives. It is a simple but astonishingly flavorful strongozzi with porcini and tomatoes.  We learn it is made with their own homemade olive oil.  As we eat Concetta and Mario standby asking questions, starting to share their stories and Mario seems to relish our pleasure eating his food. When it is time  for another bottle of wine he heads out of the room.  Doug shouts , Mario can I come with you?  He says yes and Doug gets to experience the inner sanctum of his home products.  

So during the meal, we are actively conversing with the couple.  There are framed posters on the wall and we learn Mario is a musician and used to play in a rock band.  The posters show him in his youth in his band which I think was called the James Rogers Combo.  Mario is also a painter and there are some beautiful paintings on the wall. Doug learned from him in the food cellar that he also has done ironwork.  

Back to food.  Shawn can’t finish her pasta.  It was a very generous portion.  So as Mario returns and takes her plate,  He says something that I interpret as , you eat like a chicken.  So as I interpret his words to English.  Concetta looks perplexed.  So I say in Italian what I think he said to us and with great hilarity she corrects me to say, that he is giving the leftovers to the chickens.  Nothing is wasted.  

So more wine flows and the second course comes out which after having us guess what it is.  She is saying in Italian that it is a very famous dish in America and the word thanks is in there.  We are stumped and finally , ah yes, it is turkey.  It is so amazing which is a word I have never used to describe turkey ever in my life.  I ask him for “il suo segreto”. (His secret) and he explains the heat is important over the fire and it is simple onion and his vinegar.  It us one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten.  

So the wine continues to flow. Meanwhile, Concetta’s sister, Stefania arrives and they all sit down at the other table and are eating their dinner with us.  They are having polpette (meatballs) in a pea and onion sauce and Mario brings us some of that as well to sample.  So conversation keeps going.  It turns out that Concetta cones from Naples and I explain my great grandparents from my mothers side are from Naples and from there I think I become teased by Mario in people from Naples jokes.  Although I can’t be sure!   

Then dessert arrives along which is a simple gelato but accompanied by four homemade digestivos made by Concetta.  There was a limoncello, a sambuco (elderberry liquor) a mint liquor and one that was made from fennel.  They were all amazing.  We notice that Shawn is hitting them all pretty hard and someone says, she eats like a chicken but drinks like a fish!   

Sadly we have to leave to stumble up the hill.  We arrived as strangers but we are departing as family.  Warm hugs and kisses from our hosts and we head out the door to find our way home.  A truly memorable meal in every way.