Pino will be coming to L’Aquila three times weekly for a couple of years now, as his company is restoring an apartment complex (three buildings) damaged in the devastating April 2009 earthquake.
If I do not have tours on one of the days he comes to L’Aquila to check on his jobsite, I join him “for the ride.” He heads to the jobsite; I head to an Internet cafe’ to work. We meet for a lunch of Abruzzo goodness.
On a recent trip, we feasted on simple but tasty abruzzese home-cooking in a nondescript modern ristorante outside of the centro.
View from our ristorante
A non-descript moden structure..but what food!
The woodpile outdoors a good sign: food cooked over the fire inside
But what food.
Have a look:
For Pino, first an antipasto
A touch of olive oil on Pino’s antipasto.
For me, chicory as antipasto
I chose pasta all’amatriciana – ( and mamma mia, what a huge portion!)
At a table near us, pasta alla carbonara
Waiter Silvio serves Pino his steak
Other happy clients:
And our lunch ended with a stroke of good luck: our waiter, Silvio, accidentally spilled our red wine all over the table. Che fortuna! Spilling red wine brings good luck and Silvio spilled a good amount: easy to dip the finger in it for dabbing the back of the ear. I did it a few times: an Italian superstition links this to the arrival of wealth.
Hmm. In the meantime, Pino’s restoration work goes on in L’Aquila. I’ll look forward to more jaunts there with him. And another dose of good luck.
Thanks, Silvio, for spilling our red wine! Che fortuna!
Read more about L’Aquila – and good eating – here
Read about another favorite L’Aquila restaurant
Read about – and see! – L’Aquila and restoration
Find out why we so love Abruzzo
Read more on the 2009 earthquake damage in Abruzzo
Read about memorable Abruzzo adventures
Read about an enchanting Abruzzo hill town
Read about news on an Abruzzo fortified town
Read about an appreciated cultural contribution to L’Aquila from Pino
Read about inexpensive good-eating in L’Aquila
