Journey Standing Still

It was extraordinary! At first glance, the restaurant was so dark you would think you would need a flashlight as you walked through the entryway. Waiters and waitresses bustled going between the kitchen and the numerous dining rooms. This was fine dining at its best!

The dining rooms were as large as I imagined with stately looking black tablecloths over every table. That however, was not the first thing competing for your attention. It seemed the interior was designed to reflect an Italian street right down to simple balconies that were attached to the very walls. Another section look like shop windows illuminated like you just happened to be walking along the street.

It seemed every inch of space had been used, including the twinkling lights strung from a velvety black ceiling, like you were eating outdoors at a café while the stars twinkled overhead.

The waiters and waitresses were as formal as I had ever seen, these weren’t part-time waitresses at fast food restaurants straight out of high school, the men and women were poised in their black and white outfits as they took your orders but gave you plenty of time to make up your mind.

Like many Italian restaurants, they served bread as an appetizer accompanied by a unique eggplant spread which put one in mind of some form of gelatin (though it probably tasted better than that). It's almost a given someone orders a bottle of wine with dinner, with a meal like this it's almost required.

Amid lively conversation, the menus were passed around and while you’re trying to make up your mind you end up giving yourself a crash course in Italian. It's enough to speak to the authenticity of the food, more than spaghetti and meatballs and pizza.

The food is as exquisite as everything else. A top-of-the-line steak that takes up two thirds of the plate that looks as good as it smells. Dishes where the garnish is just as important as the rest of the food preparation because you eat with your eyes first.

The pasta is perfect; set off by a soft, velvety sauce. Every nuance savored and contemplated-definitely appreciated.

The desserts, the restaurant’s pride and joy, are the perfect way to end such an extraordinary meal. They are light and airy, but not too sweet. The tiramisu melts in your mouth, the cream, chocolate, cherries and chocolate wafers, mere accents to something so simple yet beyond description.

Even as the hour grows late the restaurant is still lively. The conversation having taken on a life of its own punctuated by the crackle of the sparklers that set the crème brûlée; which draws gasps and laughter from the tables nearby.

The roses, long stemmed and elegant, are a parting gift to the ladies for a wonderful evening. Standing out classy in a beauty of their own against the black tablecloths, which are still as elegant as before.

Then you can leave, feeling like you been to another world, another country, without ever leaving home.