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Cave Dining Last April, Don and I dined in a cozy cave. Well, sort of. It was a memorable, cave-like, dining adventure. Osteria Rottezzia Birreria? I photographed this sign, to help me remember the name of our wonderful restaurant. I was confused by the name. What was that letter with the bird figure? That's an R! Osteria means tavern. Birreria means brewery. I'm not sure what Rottezzia means. Maybe it means cave or tunnel, since our tavern/brewery/restaurant had a few! Soriano ne Cimino Don and I found the curious restaurant in the charming Italian town of Soriano nel Cimino. About an hour north of Rome. In my photo you can see a large blocky church, rising up on the right. The church seems determined to be as tall as the castle on the hill. Our little restaurant is out of view, but the arrow sort of points near the entrance. Near the San Nicola What's so important about explaining where we found our cozy restaurant? I guess the location was a part of the dining adventure. Plus, there was a curious connection between the church and the cave-like restaurant. The first morning of our stay in Soriano, we wandered over to see San Nicola, the community's main church. Then we headed down a staircase, between the church and more buildings. We passed beneath a sign for Rottezzia and found the entrance halfway down. Looking up from below, the church building created a massive wall, on the left. To the right, the restaurant seemed to be, part building and part rocky hillside. I headed for the door under the canopy, to inquire about reservations later. Tavern in a Cavern A very kind young man was setting up for the day and gave me a quick tour. I followed him from the little bar, through a maze of passages. Tunnels and Stairs I only know a few words of Italian, so I wasn't able to get the full story. But the little caves and tunnels evidently had something to do with excavation. This is where the stone was removed in the late 17th century, to build San Nicola! I suddenly pictured that massive blocky church we'd seen up close and from a distance. That's a lot of stone! The Red Carpet I followed my young guide down the red carpet. It felt like a mining cave... in Hollywood! The passage was much darker than my photos, but my eyes adjusted. Storage and Shelter I was excited to peek into some spaces that appeared to be old wine cellars. I learned later that these areas were used for storage, but also as bomb shelters, in WWII. I've been in quite a few caves in my time. I've even slept in a couple. So these cave-like spaces didn't fool me. There were no stalactites or stalagmites... no bats. But these hollow areas were in some ways more fascinating than any of the natural caves I've explored. I wish I knew more about how the rock was removed, hundreds of years ago. And who were the people who hid here, when planes bombed the city in 1944? It's sobering to think about. Many Levels I have no idea when this carved out space became a restaurant. I hurried through, wondering what the restaurant would look like the next evening, when we came to dine. Dining with a View We could have requested a table with this lovely view. But I was excited about the cozy cave experience. The young man took our reservation and we returned the next evening. Our Room Our server Nilo, greeted us when we arrived at 8. He took us to a rocky space with 4 tables. I should have asked Nilo what our room was named. I'll bet the staff has their own nicknames for each of the areas. I will name it the B-L Room. Our space was between levels. Between Levels I've loved levels since I was a kid and split-level homes were in vogue. Luckily Don and I don't have issues with all the ups and downs, within Rottezzia. Our wooden table gave us a view of an upper sitting area. Behind us there was an opening with more stairs, leading down to more passages. Food and Drink! In no time, Nilo had our white cloth covered in good things. We ordered a carafe of wine and the Flan di Funghi... appetizer. The mushroom flan with black cabbage and local cheese cream, was so odd and delicious! Pasta! We each ordered very similar pasta dishes. Mine was Fettucini con Crema di Funghi. (I enjoyed my second mushroom themed dish!) The fresh noodles and salty bacon were quite flavorful. Don's Tonnarello all Carbonara had similar ingredients, but was made with thick, round noodles. I think I actually preferred his. Hmmm? Closer inspection of photos and I see flat noodles in both. Info for Later We finished up and thanked Nilo. He had been gracious and attentive. I was eager to ask him what was written on this framed wall display. But I let him attend to some other guests who had finally joined our room. I took a photo and will eventually translate it. Good Night It was a pleasant walk home to our hotel Palazzo Catalani. We met up with one of the kitties, we'd seen on our walk over One of the pair accompanied us to our hotel. What a pleasant way to end a pleasant dining adventure.
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Road Trip Lunch This is where Don "took me to lunch" last June. It was the first day of our Texas-Oregon-Texas Road Trip. Don knows I love a drive-in and he knows I love a small town. On that day, he happened to know there was a drive-in, in Post, Texas. C.W. Post's Small Texas Town Post is a curious little town. It was founded in 1907, by the man who brought us Post Cereal. The history is definitely worth Googling. The more I read about Mr. Post's Utopian dream town, the more I want to know. I was glad Don picked this small town to support for our lunch stop. Holly's Drive-In It was after 1 pm, when Don pulled off of US 84. Yay! A drive-in, with actual curb service! And who was Holly anyway? I was eager to find out. Inside Dining It was actually too hot to eat in the car, so we headed inside. I had a feeling the interior hadn't changed much in 50 years. The walls in the dining space were covered with framed photos and articles. I was drawn to the table near the family portraits. Was Holly the woman in the large frame, posing with her husband and children? Football Photos While we waited for our food, I studied the popcorn ceiling and painted paneling and the brick-ish walls. This space probably looked pretty much the same when Holly's opened in 1971. I studied the images on the wall and read the captions... "Matt Holly" and "Coach Holly" I realized quickly, Holly was a last name. Burger and Tots! Before long we were devouring our tasty burger and dog! Much better than fast food lunch! Don was very excited about his cheeseburger and tots, as you can tell. I had a taste and it reminded me of my favorite Steak-N-Shake burgers. I was equally excited about my chili cheese dog! I was actually pretty glad I wasn't eating my sloppy lunch in the car! The Holly's After dining beneath the Holly Family, I had some questions when we headed to the counter after our meal. A very pleasant young woman told us that the Holly Family still owned the drive-in. She pointed to the woman in the portrait and said "Mary is here today!" She went to get her from a small office area. Mary Mary was a bit baffled at first, wondering why some diners wanted to meet her. But we ended up having a great chat about the family photos. First she laughed and noted how much younger she looked in the family portrait. Then she frowned and pointed to the empty space between the 2 lower photos. There were a few minutes of worry about the missing photo of Matt. Mary explained that Matt was the child she was pregnant with, when the family portrait was taken. A photo of Little Matt holding a trophy had been added to the display later. It was placed between the 2 photos of his parents. But where was the portrait of the family's baby? Matt Rescued Moments later, Mary's daughter-in-law came to the rescue, holding Matt's smiling face in a broken frame. She said it had fallen recently. Mary fiddled with the frame a bit and fretted over how faded the image was. She told us that Matt was holding a trophy that he'd gotten while participating in the the annual Mr. Post Contest. (Some kind of "cute kid" contest, I believe) I'm guessing Matt collected quite a few trophies over the years. His mother pointed to the walls and said those were all photos of Matt, when he was a young football player and later a coach. Good Stop Good Folks The lunch rush was over, so Mary was able to fill us in on all the kids and what they were now doing. She was clearly a proud mom and grandmother. Her granddaughter now helps out at Holly's. Mrs. Holly seemed genuinely pleased that we'd stopped in, at the beginning of our road trip. We told her we would be headed back to Texas in a couple weeks, traveling with our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. She seemed delighted that we might stop in again. She shook our hands and wished us safe travels. Unfortunately, we took a different route. It would have been fun to have introduced some of our family to some of Mary's. Maybe another time!
Lahaina 2005 The recent news of devastating fires in Maui have stirred up emotions for all. You don't need to have any connection to Hawaii, to feel the heaviness of loss. I found myself digging through old photos and recalled a family trip that included a visit to Lahaina. I remember this sweet old boat. Luau in Lahaina In 2005, Don and I visited Maui during our kids' high school spring break. One of our best memories was of an evening filled with food and dance in Lahaina... when we attended a luau. The Banyan Tree Before going to the dinner and show, we stopped to see the giant Banyan Tree we'd heard about. This tree is symbol of hope for the destroyed community. Evidently the charred tree is showing signs of life. Oceanside Luau I have no notes of specifics about our oceanfront, Polynesian Luau experience. But as I look at old photos, I remember the evening felt heavenly. When I Google for Lahaina images now, I see that the multi-storied building on the right, is still standing. The lower building, behind the dining tables is gone. "Feast at LeLe" Below is a slideshow of photos I found from our dining adventure that evening. The name LeLe is the ancient name for Lahaina. The dancers performed above the beach, where the royal family of Maui once gathered for feasts and entertainment. It's nice to be reminded of the fun evening we shared. A five course meal with dance performances, reflecting the foods and culture from the Pacific Nations... all with a backdrop of the sun, setting over the ocean. I know there was a Luau performance the night before the fires. I wonder what we'll learn about the guests and performers and staff... Mama's Fish House I searched for more memorable dining spots and found a few photos from Mama's Fish House, in Paia. I have fond memories of our dinner at this restaurant on the North Shore, about 30 miles from Lahaina. I believe it has been spared. Evening I remember the incredible view, when we arrived. We did a little posing before heading inside. Was this Ku'au Bay? I wish I remembered more. When the Christenson Family opened Mama's, in 1973, tourists rarely stopped by the North Shore. It seemed fairly quiet except for surfers, 30+ years later. in 2005. Interior I remember the festive decor and the tropical dress of our servers. I wish I had photos. But back then I didn't blog. I took photos of the kids mostly. No one was in the habit of taking pictures of their food back then! Obviously, there were some tropical drinks, at least for the parents. And a beautiful view from the table. Food & View I don't recall what we ate as we enjoyed our view that evening. I'm sure there was fish on our table! I'm not sure that our family could afford a meal at Mama's today. I look at the menu and see "Tristan Island Lobster Tails" for $95.00. Then again, I would be happy to be there right now and support Mama's, or any Maui business that is open. I'm sure shops and restaurants that were spared will not be supported by tourists for a while. After Dinner I remember finishing our meal and walking out on the sand, lit with torches. I told Scott to have a seat and pose on the boat. My camera flash kind of blasted the scene as he began to sit. I don't recall if Scott was being funny in this pose. But he looks sad... kind of like we all feel, thinking about what Maui has dealt with in the past weeks. Sunrise in Maui It's been troubling to see the news and to imagine the horrors that so many experienced. But, just like signs of hope with The Banyan Tree surviving... a sunrise in Maui is also a sign of hope and a new day. I'll end with that.
On the Road in 2019 A few years ago, Don and I stopped for lunch at an old train station. I love a good building! It was in October, 2019. We were on a trip from Portland to Sacramento. McMenamins Chain We usually go for Mom and Pop places when we travel. We avoid chain restaurants, but we're always up for a McMenamins owned hotel or restaurant experience. They rescue old properties! Southern Pacific Depot This is how the town of Roseburg and its train station looked, about 100 years ago. The original was built in 1872. The current building was completed in 1912. These photos were displayed on the wall, inside the restaurant. That's another reason I like McMenamins owned businesses. They spotlight history. I like being reminded of the day, when train travel was popular! I always have lots of questions, when we dine in old restaurants/buildings. It's often hard to get answers from young staff. In McMenamins owned properties, you can count on lots of shared history on the walls. Lighting You can also count on lots of curious light fixtures. We've experienced 9 of these festive properties, in Oregon and Washington. There's always a fun mix of interesting architecture, whimsical art and refurbished antiques. Walls and Ceiling In this photo, you can sort of see the original 16-foot vaulted ceiling. The tongue-and-groove fir wainscoting, is also original. Besides old photographs, I spotted lots of intriguing, train themed artwork on the walls. Love a Good Bathroom I love a decorated bathroom. Thumbs up to this painted designs. I appreciated the preserved (I assume) stalls and tile. I hate it when historic features are removed. It helped me picture the traveling ladies from a century ago, stopping in to powder their noses! Food Some of those traveling ladies, kept an eye on Don while he ate his lunch. The menu was just basic pub food, but we were both satisfied. Don was happy with the curry flavor, in his tuna sandwich. I was happy he shared his fries! My Aztec Salad had crispy greens and bright-fresh avocado and corn chips. Just the right amount! It's been over 3.5 years since Don and I enjoyed our sandwich and salad, in the depot. Back in the October of 2019, we didn't know a pandemic was coming in 2020. We didn't know we'd have a grandchild born in Oregon, in 2021. One More Stop at the Depot! Little did we know that we would stop on another road trip in 2023. This time we were traveling with our daughter and son-in-law and their 2 year old Charlie! She approved of the crayons! We had a great little lunch, tucked into a cozy corner, near the old wood-burning stove. Charlie and Don toasted, like they did at pretty much every meal on our drive to Texas! Now this sweet girl and her parents live 2.5 hours from us! Not sure if we'll ever pass through Roseburg again. I'm glad we made this recent stop!
First Meal in Rome This past April, Don and I lucked into a wonderful meal at Caffe Rosati, in Rome. I knew nothing of its history. It was about 8 pm on Good Friday, when Don and I approached this old school Italian restaurant. We had no reservations and we were wearing the same clothes we'd put on in Texas, about 30 hours before. We were famished and delighted when we got a table. It was our first (actually our only) meal in Rome. Where is Caffe Rosati? For 100 years, Caffe Rosati has been housed in the building to the right of the Twin Churches, overlooking Rome's Piazza del Popolo. To the left of the churches, there is another iconic cafe in a similar-looking building. There's such a connection between the rival cafes and the twin churches and the historic piazza, I'm inspired to indulge in some rambling about more than dinner, on this post! Earlier... in Piazza del Popolo I spotted both cafes earlier, when on a brisk walk to avoid a jet-lag nap. Both of the cafe patios had spectacular views of the urban square, with the Egyptian obelisk, lion statues, fountains and entertaining crowds. Piazza del Popolo is located within the north gate of the city. It was the city's main entrance during the Roman Empire. On Good Friday, the area was happily buzzing with pedestrian-only traffic. Just 25 years earlier, noisy cars filled the space. Further back in time, there were worse things than cars in the square. Public executions were held here for centuries. I'm glad I didn't know that, during our visit. Twin Churches in The Trident At the south end of the plaza, I couldn't miss the Twin Churches, since our hotel was tucked right between them, on Via del Corso. When I booked our hotel, I didn't know it was connected to Santa Maria in Montesanto, on the left. I didn't know that the church had also been known as Church of the Artists, once artists became a part of the Sunday masses. By the 1950's Piazza Del Popolo and the cafes, had became magnets for artists and writers and intellectuals. Caffe Canova I was hungry on my walk, so I quickly noticed the 2 cafes, on opposite sides of the piazza. On the east, near the Artist's Church, I found Caffe Canova, with classic white tablecloths. Canova opened in the fifties and was named for a sculptor whose studio was just down the road. Federico Fellini lived nearby and was a frequent guest. Now the cafe has a gallery of photos and sketches, featuring the famous film director. Caffe Rosati on the West I find symmetry satisfying. So I was intrigued that we had twin churches and twin cafes! Although both the churches and cafes aren't really identical. At around 5 pm, Caffe Rosati looked just as inviting as Canova. It had a lovely view of the piazza and the evening light glowed on Santa Maria dei Miracoli. Wandering on Empty Stomachs After walking the Piazza Del Popolo, Don joined me, wandering further. We forgot our hunger as we absorbed the festive flavor of every street and market. There were many food options. I even recognized a cafe in Borghese Gardens, where my family dined in 1969, when I was 11. Tempting! We found the Piazza della Rotonda near the Pantheon, jammed with cafe tables. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn sipped drinks in this piazza, in Roman Holiday. I think the cafe's a store now. We peered in windows and saw yummy gelato options and less yummy meats. Finally we ended our wandering at the Vatican at dusk. Bellissimo! After we absorbed the surprisingly peaceful St. Peter's Square, we let our aching feet take us back. Appealing at Night It was around 8 when we reached Piazza del Popolo. We thought about just grabbing pizza to go, but our eyes were drawn to Caffe Rosati. The patio looked extra inviting at night, but I was pretty sure the empty tables were reserved. It was Good Friday. A holiday weekend. Artistic and Literary Cafe Back in the early fifties, tables at Rosati were often occupied by intellectual regulars, who met up to discuss and debate and ponder. Artists, writers, filmmakers, philosophers... Many movies like Roman Holiday filmed scenes, not far from Rosati. I read that many of the stars and crew also enjoyed Rosati's and Canova's, after location shoots. Rosati and Canova continued to lure intellectuals throughout the sixties. It sounds like most stayed loyal to one or the other. I'm guessing that these days, both cafes probably serve more tourists than artists. Dining Inside The patio tables were reserved, but we were lucky enough to be seated in the beautiful dining room, just past the palm. I had expected to be eating pizza in our hotel... and suddenly we were walking into a classic Art Nouveau ristorante, with red velvet chairs! Tourist Photos I acted more like a tourist than an artist, when I quickly snapped photos of the beautiful wood cases, that held sweets. The carved wood was as impressive as the designs on the floor. I imagined the morning, when the cases were full of breakfast pastries and the smell of coffee filled the cafe. At Last! We were seated in the back of the room near a dramatic wood staircase, that didn't appear to be in use. There was a helpful mirror behind Don, that gave me a view of the room. Our server, Dino greeted us in his white jacket and took our drink orders. First we guzzled water and sighed at the comfort of our cushy chairs, after the hours we'd spent in Lufthanza's economy seats. Cheers I told Don he could relax, I was not going to ask Dino to take our photo. We toasted to Rome, with my red wine and Don's Aperol Spritz. I held onto my bread like I was afraid someone might take it away. My first bread in Italy! Cheers to that. I would have cheered twice if I'd had butter. I forget that butter isn't always served with bread in Italy! Food The menu was a bit pricey, but we were paying for the location and ambiance! I'm glad I only looked at reviews, later. There was a lot of whining going on, which makes it clear that the only people writing reviews were Americans who had hoped for an Olive Garden meal. My "Ravioli con ricotta e spinaci al pomodoro" was just right. It was a small amount, but perfect for me. The spinach filling and sauce was just what I needed. "Pennette Rosati" Don loves olives, capers and tuna, so he found the perfect dish on the menu. While we enjoyed our first Italian feast, we amused ourselves with a little people watching. I'm guessing many were locals having a holiday meal. No English spoken! A tiny dog at one nearby table was much quieter than a babbling baby at another. Both seemed very sweet. We never figured out the mystery table beside us. The table of 3 guests didn't look like VIPS, but their courses kept coming and the waiter and manager hovered nervously, attending to every need! Hmmm? Chatting with Dino If Don and I had practiced our Italian better, we could have asked Dino about the mystery guests. He seemed to be less rushed by the time we finished up. He spoke minimal English but seemed delighted to know we were from Texas. We weren't sure why, but we were glad to have a little cheerful banter before we headed off. Heading Out As we walked out towards the Piazza, I yearned to know about the history of the century-old restaurant. I wish we could have caught the eye of some elderly local, dining alone. Maybe the lonely diner would have had a cute dog that appreciated some patting. We could have started a nice converstaion... ... because the diner would speak English well and would also have a great memory. We'd ask questions about Rome in the 1950's and we'd hear wonderful stories about what Rosati was like when the tables were filled with interesting or famous people.. Canova at Night That didn't happen, so we crossed the piazza and peeked at the other cafe. I didn't spot any artists sketching, or any writers jotting notes. But I did see empty tables. If only we hadn't been about ready to drop dead from exhaustion, we could have ended the evening with with a cappuccino and dessert at Canova. Via del Corso & Trident Suites We didn't. We just headed down the street that divides the Twin Churches. After a few steps we found the giant door in the building, where our hotel was housed. We had planned our one night in Rome, as a quick rest stop, before starting our 2-week Italy travels. But our short Rome visit, meant that my memories will never be jumbled. I will always distinctly remember arriving with aching feet and huge appetites. Our Rosati dinner was a perfect oasis, on a lively holiday in Rome.
Now I'm left with cravings to return and do it even better! |
The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
November 2023
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