Today, Bill and I visited Dr. Blair in Stuttgart to get my stitches removed after last week’s procedure. I was happy to see him because the stitches were annoying and all too secure. He removed them, gave me a quick once over, and told me the next procedure will be four months from now. Apparently, that’s sooner than the standard six months. I guess I healed up nicely.
I asked Dr. Blair to tell me what exactly happened during last week’s surgery. He gave me a layman’s description of what he did. I said, “So you just did the sinus lift?” He answered affirmatively. All he really needed to do was tell me he’d done the sinus lift because I’d already Googled the hell out of it. The next operation will be to place the screw for the implant and it supposedly will not be as involved or potentially traumatic as the sinus lift was. He even said I might not need Ativan, though I will probably request it anyway. It was nice not being nervous before he did his thing.
After setting up the next procedure appointment for May, Bill and I went to the Markthalle to pick up a few Italian goodies. I have gotten hooked on Italian tuna since our trip to Vicenza and I wanted to get some more pasta and wine. I probably could have spent more money on chocolate, but decided not to. I don’t need any more temptations in the house.
Though it was three o’clock and a lot of places were shut down for a pause, we did manage to find a table at Positano, a pizzeria and restaurant near Dr. Blair’s office in downtown Stuttgart. The place was dimly lit and almost empty when we arrived. We got there at the same time as another party did. There are several small dining rooms in what appears to be an old building overlooking Calwer Strasse. Cell phone reception is poor in there.
The restaurant has an extensive menu that offers a broad range of dishes. I was tempted to try one of their Italian pasta dishes but opted for the zander filet special instead. Bill went for a penne pasta with spinach and gorgonzola cheese sauce dish. We both had a glass of Chianti and shared a bottle of San Pellegrino.
Obligatory shot of Bill. Nice generous pour of wine.
Zander filet special with white wine sauce. I was afraid it would come with mushrooms and it did. The vegetables were supposed to be fresh, but weren’t really. Bill took the mushrooms from me, sparing me from angst. This dish was 9,30 euros.
Bill’s pasta with spinach and gorgonzola. I would have probably enjoyed that, though the protein was more what I needed. The bread was nice, fresh, and crusty.
And two generously sized salads also came with our orders. They were splashed with balsamic vinegar. I didn’t notice the oil and vinegar the waiter placed on the table next to us. I would have liked some oil with my salad to cut some of the acid in the vinegar.
I couldn’t help but notice the very passionate French pop music that played over the sound system. At first, I thought we were listening to vintage Celine Dion, but it turned out to be Lara Fabian. I had never heard of her before. She has great pipes, though it’s not the kind of music I’d necessarily choose to listen to left to my own devices.
To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed by Positano. The food was fine, but it wasn’t anything special. What you get there is reasonably priced and they don’t shut down the kitchen at 2:00pm; so if you find yourself in Stuttgart after lunch hours, you can always go there for something to eat. But I probably would pick another restaurant over that one, given a choice. The waiter was competent and basically pleasant. I don’t think he spoke English. We finished our late lunch with a round of espresso.
You have to go up a flight of stairs to get to the dining room.
They cater to the after lunch crowd.
Not bad. Not great.
The total bill before tip was 37 euros. If you’re hungry after 2:00pm and want something reasonably priced, it’s a good bet. I’ve had better Italian food elsewhere, though.