7 years and 1 day

[mizarchivist]

Yesterday marked one of those landmarks that not as many married couples see as would perhaps be ideal. I believe my mother in law joked some months back about the fabled "7 year itch." This is the woman who merits the mushroom treatment: feed her shit and keep her in the dark. Truly, better this way. If you met her, you'd agree. Anyway, I laughed and told her it was really not an issue.
The celebratory plan was to go to the North End for dinner. I wanted to go someplace good and small and off the beaten track. Well, got 2 of 3, as Al Dente was not remarkable
The sort of restaurant that has loaves of bread on par with the ones at Stop and Shop, iceberg lettuce dependent salads, cafeteria quality cutlery, and stem wear that is the sort reminicent of having Carlo Rossi jug wine at my ex boyfriend's dad's house with our spaghetti.
Note to self: don't get suckered into the maitre'd offering to show you the specials menu at the door while you're reading the regular menu. Ah well! The point was I was with quiet_elegance, there was food and it was hot. The Berenger Cabernet defnitely the high point of my meal :) We walked around to Cafe della Sport on Hanover St that's within spitting distance of Mike's, which is where I've bought my cannoli the past few times I was on a pastery quest. They fill the shells to order, not just sitting about getting gross. This establishment is exactly the sort of place I saw on every corner in Livorno. It was a very pleasant evening and now there's a mandate to find a better restaurant (Edit: in the North End) than Al Dente for our next night out. If anyone has suggestions, feel free to chime in. Like I said: small, good, but not touristy and not requiring a mortgage in order to pay.

Comments

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on your anniversary, by the way. :)

[docorion.livejournal.com]

Well, as regards restaurants it's been too long; the good, inexpensive ones change too often. I like Villa Francesca, but they fail your pricing criterion.

As regards pastry, I *love* Modern Pastry, towards the Haymarket end of Hanover Street. They, too, fill the shells only when you order; their torrone (heck, their everything else in the bakery) is to die for, and they have fresh marzipan every 3 out of 5 days, sort of at random but *fresh*, not the plastic candy of Mike's. Family owned; the father (the baker/pastry maker) still works there part time (irony department: he's diabetic, and cannot eat pretty much anything he makes), while the kids (son and daughter in law, IIRC) run the place from a business standpoint.

Mmm, baby. Now I want some marzipan...

[sweetmmeblue.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the anniv guys. Glad to have known you this long.

[arc-stormcrow.livejournal.com]

Ohhhhh.... cannoli. Mmm....

Congrats! :)

[drwex]

Woot woot! Hard for me to believe I've known you longer than you've been married. I really can't picture the two of you separately unless I try hard.

Mazal tov.

[mizarchivist]

FYI:
note the edit. North end restaurant recommendations are the order of the day- Thanks for the other suggestions, but that wasn't what I meant, as such.

[caulay.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on reaching this milestone and I'm sure there are many more to follow.

[lifecollage.livejournal.com]

Happiversary, my friends. In't love grand?

[samuraizergling.livejournal.com]

Holy Crap. Has it really been Seven years (and now Two days)?

Jeez, pretty soon were all gonna have to start growing up, Tink!

SZ

[sauergeek.livejournal.com]

find a better restaurant

I've usually had better luck, and lower prices, with restaurants on Salem St, which is (roughly) parallel to Hanover St, to the west. I don't know any of the places I've been by name; I've mostly picked them by walking by and reading menus.

[mizarchivist]

ironically, we were on Salem St (I think)- We saw about 4 or 5 restaurants and simply picked poorly. Next time I'll make Q_E pick. Thanks for the input :)