Takeout Easter from Little Italy of Wiesbaden!

When Bill and I first discovered Wiesbaden in 2018, we found Little Italy, which is a tiny Italian place in the downtown area. From our first visit, in October 2018, we were warmly welcomed at this place, which has a very friendly manager who speaks perfect English. Before COVID-19 struck, we were semi regulars at this restaurant, especially on Sundays at lunchtime.

Unfortunately, vaccine rollout has been very slow in Germany. We’re still kind of on lockdown. Fortunately, we were spared the “hard lockdown” Chancellor Angela Merkle wanted to impose over the Easter holiday, but things are still pretty much closed all over the place. It really sucks and I’m tired of it. But at least I’m not sick.

Anyway, the other day, Bill noticed that Little Italy was offering a special holiday menu for Easter. Since it’s been months since we last visited this restaurant, we decided to order for Easter. It wasn’t really for the holiday, per se. Bill and I are not very religious at all. But this was a good excuse to have some professionally prepared food. Below is a screenshot of Little Italy’s Easter menu, priced at 45,90 euros per person.

Bill loves lamb. I don’t care for it, so I was happy to see they were offering a filet of sole roulade. We both like duck, so the duck carpaccio antipasto was a hit. I am also a fan of profiteroles. He sent off an email order to the manager, who confirmed quickly.

This afternoon, when Bill went to downtown Wiesbaden to pick up our order, he encountered pretty tough parking… It seems that despite the lockdown and Mrs. Merkle’s pleas for everyone to stay home, a lot of people were walking around the city center. Consequently, parking was in short supply. Luckily, the folks at Little Italy had everything packed up nicely. Bill said when he went into the restaurant to get our food, the manager had his phone and was glad to see him. I think he was getting ready to call Bill to see if/when he was coming!

Below are some photos from our Easter repast, which was a very nice and welcome change of pace. The dogs thought so, too… I only wish we could have enjoyed it in person. But Bill broke out the wedding china and silverware and all was lovely, even if the Beastie Boys were playing over the HomePod at one point.

The duck carpaccio was surprisingly good. It was served chilled, with a sundried tomato chutney that married beautifully with the duck breast. The duck was sliced thin, making it easy to enjoy. The portion size was generous. I think of the three courses, I liked the duck carpaccio the most.

Bill loved his lamb. I didn’t try it because I don’t care for lamb. But he also mentioned loving the potatoes, and he has some left for tomorrow’s lunch. Likewise, I managed two of the filet of sole roulades, generously stuffed with spinach cooked to perfection with almonds and Parmesan cheese. I enjoyed the way this was presented, with the garlic risotto and cherry tomatoes. It was excellent. Little Italy also sent along some homemade bread, but Bill forgot to put out the bread plates.

I love profiteroles. This dessert was good, but it could have been better. For one thing, I’m pretty sure the chocolate sauce was good old Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. I remember it well from my childhood. The pastry was tasty, but nothing extraordinary. I have had better… but for the price and convenience, I’m not complaining. I know if we were dining at the restaurant itself, we would have probably had something that doesn’t travel so easily, yet was a bit more impressive.

I’m really hoping that COVID-19 restrictions will loosen up soon. I am so tired of being locked down. I want to get out and do things again. But today’s Easter meal was a nice reminder of what’s to come when the virus is finally beaten into submission… and trust me, it will be. This isn’t the first pandemic. It just feels like it to us.

Anyway, many thanks to Little Italy for yet another nice Sunday meal, and to Bill for ordering it, paying for it, and picking it up. He even did the plating. I found myself a real keeper… And I hope that soon, we can go back to enjoying restaurants in person instead of just at home.

For us, Easter will always be meaningful, not just because it’s the day Christ rose from the grave, but also because it’s the day his ex wife delivered divorce papers while they were visiting Bill’s dad’s house in 2000. She wasn’t expecting Bill would agree to the split, but he did… and twenty-one years later, he’s living a sweet life. So Happy Easter, everybody! I hope you had a great day!

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A marvelous afternoon at Little Italy…

Regular readers of my main blog may notice that I’ve been kind of crabby lately. I was especially irritable yesterday, since I was trying to write the blog post I posted earlier today while listening to kids outside my window shrieking and trying to respond to a private message. I get really cranky when I’m trying to write and can’t concentrate on what I’m doing. I probably should have been on ADD meds when I was a kid because I am very easily distracted. On top of that, I had a tension headache, and Bill was bugging me about going to AAFES. We did need to go to AAFES (military run department store), even though I hate going there, especially now that everyone has to wear face masks.

Military facilities are even more anal retentive about COVID-19 protocol than other places are. Although the guards have stopped giving drivers the third degree every time they enter the gates, there’s still a very strict mask requirement, entry and exit protocol, and handwashing detail. And while it may be necessary for sparing people from getting sick, I also remember that not too long ago, it was not uncommon to find the restrooms at AAFES in pretty disgusting shape. I have pictures of ones I encountered in Stuttgart as well as vivid memories of the remnants of other people’s dumps lingering in the toilets at the food courts. So while enforcing the over-the-top COVID-19 requirements may be a very good idea right now, they seem rather disingenuous to me after a lifetime of patronizing the BX/PX (AAFES).

I finally gave up on the blog post after trying to upload a few photos. I came back to my post, only to find that over half of it was somehow wiped out. After uttering a few choice words at the computer screen, I went downstairs, where Bill was busily “beagle proofing” (although Arran is probably more of a pointer than a beagle). He asked me if I was hungry. I legitimately wasn’t, although I knew that we were about to hit the dreaded “pause” hour of 2:00pm. Bill proposed picking up a pizza from Pizza Hut, because I had mentioned getting a pizza somewhere (I meant at a real restaurant). I used to like Pizza Hut pizzas, but they have really gone downhill over the past ten years or so.

So anyway, we went to AAFES. I dutifully put on the fucking mask and washed my hands, rushing to pick up the few items I needed… expensive Lancome face cream for my middle aged face, ponytail holders for my growing grey hair, and a couple of new dog toys for Arran to replace the ones he’s destroyed. I love that Arran is ten and still loves his toys. I don’t love that he only recently quit using my favorite rug as a Hundetoilet. God help us when the new pooch moves in, sometime soon. Bill picked up some more shit bags for the dog walking, of which we could soon be legally compelled to do twice as much of at some point soon (though I doubt it will be enforced).

As we were waiting in the obnoxious checkout line that stretched down the lotion and skincare aisle, Bill asked me what I wanted to do about lunch. I had no desire to eat in the food court, so initially, I said we should go by Five Guys and get takeout. But then I remembered Little Italy, a great restaurant I’ve blogged about several times since our move to Wiesbaden. There is a Little Italy on post. That’s not the one I’m writing about now. I am referring to a small restaurant in the heart of Wiesbaden, where they serve lovely Italian dishes, nice wines, and luscious desserts. Before the pandemic, we used to go there fairly often. Yesterday was our first time back since February, I think.

Bill made a reservation on OpenTable.de, noting that Little Italy does not take an afternoon pause. We got there at about 2:15pm. The proprietor, a friendly bald guy who speaks English, looked slightly panicked when Bill announced our arrival. Bill then noticed that the entire dining room was set as if there was going to be a large party. But when Bill said we had a reservation, he told us to find a table outside. The weather was glorious, so that was a pleasure to do.

A lovely young woman came over to take our drink order and have us sign the paperwork for contract tracing. Bill got me a glass of white wine from Sicily. He got himself a white wine from Lugano. Then, we both ordered dishes from the specials, presented on a chalk board in front of us. Bill had saltimbocca made of dorade. I had a salmon filet with rucola pesto, mashed sweet potatoes, and ratatouille (pisto).

A familiar place. We love to have late Sunday lunches at Little Italy.

While we were waiting for our food, a large group of well-dressed people showed up. I soon gathered that this was why the proprietor had looked a little stressed when we arrived. There were bottles of bubbly chilling in ice buckets until umbrellas near us. I had mistakenly thought they had set up a little wine stand, but no, that was for the people partying at Little Italy. Hopefully, none of them were carriers of the COVID-19 virus, since they weren’t wearing masks.

A tiny little blonde girl of about three came over to play with the Champagne bottles pictured in the gallery above. She had huge blue eyes and was sincerely adorable. We smiled at her while she played with the bubbly bottles and the nearby decorative water fountain. A few minutes later, I heard her shrieking as her mom struggled to contain her. Finally, mom put her in the stroller and methodically strapped her down while she wailed. I figured it was probably nap time for her… having been cranky myself a little while ago, I could commiserate, too.

I soon forgot about being cranky as we enjoyed lunch. I mostly enjoyed the bright colors of my dish, even if I’m not the biggest ratatouille or sweet potato fan. I managed to finish most of it, with Bill’s help. Bill really loved the dorade, which was accented with sage and bacon. He said he would definitely order it again if he had the opportunity.

As we were eating, the little blonde girl came outside. I watched her pick her nose while her grandmother smoked a cigarette. It occurred to me that kids are just so unabashed and unashamed about anything. Maybe watching that tiny girl explore the world around her without a mask is why I found this morning’s New York Times article about training kids to wear masks so very depressing. The masks have the effect of making communication and exploration more difficult, especially for the youngest among us. But, with any luck, there will be an effective vaccine or treatment that will make this brave new pandemic world less ominous and irritating. I always wanted to have children, but I am grateful I’m not a parent dealing with this pandemic stuff right now. I think it would drive me crazy.

For dessert, I had limoncello sorbet with mangos and pears, while Bill had tiramisu. Neither of us really needed dessert, but the weather was just so nice, and I was enjoying being out and about, watching people celebrate in a normal way. I used to take doing stuff on the weekends for granted. Now, when we get to have lunch somewhere nice, it’s a real treat. Maybe that’s one of the silver linings to the COVID-19 situation. I’ve often said that every bad situation has its positives. I don’t take a nice meal at a good restaurant for granted as I might have in 2019…

The bill was about 89 euros. Bill gave our lovely waitress a 100 euro note and said “Stimmt”. We really had a nice time. I hope we can do it again sometime soon. Then we came home and I set to work trying to wash the stench out of Arran’s Klo on my blue carpet. It’s now outside drying… and I fear that my efforts may have been for naught. Oh well… at least we had a good meal, and hopefully, we’ll stay healthy.

Sundays

Another Sunday shopping trip…

Bill and I are taking a road trip to France for Christmas. We’re bringing Arran with us, so we’ll be staying in self-catered places. My friend, Audra, lives in Nimes, and we’ll be seeing her and her family, as well as stopping in Beaune on the way there and back.

I wanted to pick up a few things on the installation at Hainerberg yesterday– stuff like supplies for wrapping Christmas presents and such, and a few groceries, since I felt like making a dessert I hadn’t had in years, a cherry cream cheese pie. So we took the Mini out of the garage and went to AAFES and the commissary. The Mini needed to be driven, since it gets less action thanks to the new car. We ran into one of Bill’s co-workers at the PX, while we were standing in line to pay. Then we picked up our stuff at the commissary, and headed into Wiesbaden for lunch.

I wasn’t in the mood to screw around as we looked for lunch. It took awhile to find a parking spot. It was impossible at our usual garage, which became “Besezt” as we were driving up and down looking for a free spot. We were successful at the next garage, at the Kurhaus. We had to park on the second floor, though, because that garage was also packed. I was a little worried that it would be hard to find a restaurant that wasn’t crowded, but I needn’t have fretted. Little Italy was wide open at about 1:30pm. Better yet, when we walked inside, were immediately recognized and warmly welcomed!

I was impressed by the waiter, who even remembered what Bill had the last time we were there. To put this into perspective, without looking it up on the blog, I don’t even know when we were last there! I guess it was a couple of months ago. Little Italy has become a favorite restaurant, though. The food never disappoints; the service is good and very friendly; and it’s not hard to get in and out of there. Here are some pictures from our lunch.

Our lunch at Little Italy was nice and leisurely. At one point, they cranked up the music by mistake, and the older Germans that were in there with us started laughing. I’ve noticed that Germans seem to enjoy quirky, slapstick humor, and people who act like fools. I think it’s because the culture here is a lot more serious and uptight than American culture is. In many ways, I like it… but I do get a kick out of what they find funny.

Arran was happy to see us when we got home. After we let him out and fed him dinner, he went to lie down in the living room. Bill went upstairs for a moment, then came back downstairs looking a little pale. He said, “For a split second, I could have sworn I saw Arran upstairs, flitting past me, but he’s down here. So now I wonder if it was Zane.”

“So you think that was Zane’s ghost?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Bill nodded. “I guess he’s going to hang around until we find a new dog.”

We usually get new dogs within a month of losing one, but it’s easier to do that in the United States. There, people don’t hold it against us that we’re Americans affiliated with the military. We also don’t travel as much or as often there. We decided to wait on getting a new dog until after our road trip to France, since we’re going to need to take time breaking it in. To be honest, as much as I want another dog, I feel a little apprehensive about the process of getting one. I guess that when the time is right, the right dog will show up.

It’s always heartbreaking to look at Facebook memories at this time of year. In December 2009, Zane joined our family as a young dog. In December 2012, MacGregor was dying of cancer. Both are gone now, and they were both wonderful dogs. I miss them… and I don’t know how another dog will fill Zane’s pawprints. But I also know that I’ve never regretted a single dog we’ve taken in, and somehow they all manage to be wonderful in their own special ways. I much prefer dogs and other animals to most people, too. Pets love you for who you are and don’t screw you over.

Bill’s mom is coming here next month, so I don’t know how much searching we will do in January. I suspect we might have a new friend in the spring… We’ll see.

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Another delightful Sunday lunch at Little Italy in Wiesbaden…

Bill and I decided not to go anywhere yesterday, since we had some much needed rain. Today, we decided on a low key lunch at Little Italy in Wiesbaden. We’ve been there several times, having discovered it last fall when we were househunting. We’ve never been disappointed any time we’ve visited. The service is always professional and friendly and the food is outstanding. Here are some photos from today’s repast.

They always bring the sandwich board with a list of the day’s specials. Today was no different. Our very pleasant waiter thought we were Germans at first, then apologized when he heard us speaking English. We told him we were flattered that he mistook us for locals. It means we’ve done alright blending in. I think it helps not to be really loud, which I’ve noticed Americans tend to be in Europe.

The tree outside was all decorated. I’m not sure what for… but it was pretty, and lots of people stopped by to admire it.

We decided to have specials today, as opposed to the pizza and pasta offered every day. Actually, I don’t think we’ve ever tried the usual stuff in the menu. The specials are always enticing and beautifully presented. We ordered San Pellegrino and a nice white wine from Sicily, and the waiter brought us fresh wheat bread and olive oil with tomato paste and balsamic vinegar.

I went outside my comfort zone and ordered burrata with sliced cherry tomatoes, basil oil, onions, and balsamic vinegar. I usually don’t eat raw tomatoes, but these were so good… red, ripe, and sweet as candy. Bill is also one to shun raw tomatoes, but he eagerly helped me with this dish.

Bill had a mango and avocado tartar, served on a bed on beets and ginger. I liked Bill’s appetizer as much as I did mine. These were both pretty substantial. We probably should have split one, but then I wouldn’t have these beautiful, colorful photos for my blog.

For the main course, I settled on grilled salmon with lemon sauce. The green side dish was very interesting. It was peas and spinach pureed together until it had the consistency of mashed potatoes. I really liked it and would love to have this at home as an alternative to the usual sides. It was a bit rich, though, so I wasn’t able to come close to finishing it.

The waiter recommended the grilled octopus (pulpo) with shrimp and capellini with olive oil, garlic, and vegetables. Bill really enjoyed it. I tried it and noticed the octopus and shrimps were perfect… not overdone and rubbery.

The wine… this went very well with our choices and the waiter was good about keeping our glasses filled.

Finally, after a glorious long lunch, we were ready for dessert. We weren’t offered any specials today, so we went with some favorites…

I went with zabaione with vanilla ice cream. It’s basically warm egg whites with marsala and white wine. Add the ice cream and it goes from being a soupy creation to the ultimate comfort food… rich, thick, and creamy, like custard. It was so delicious!

Bill had the tiramisu. It’s probably the best in Wiesbaden. On our first visit last fall, we reversed our dessert choices. I had tiramisu and Bill had the zabaione.

All told, we spent about 2.5 hours and 125 euros before the tip. Once again, it was a wonderful lunch… and we won’t need to touch dinner tonight, since we are quite full from this lunch. I think Little Italy is becoming like O’steria da Gino’s in Nagold did down near Stuttgart. It’s kind of our go to place, although it’s not as necessary to make reservations there as it is at Gino’s.

What a beautiful way to end the weekend! I should mention that Little Italy has air conditioning, too, which makes sitting inside a pleasure, even when it’s hot outside. Fortunately, the temperature broke yesterday, so it wasn’t so bad. We sat inside anyway and people watched as we talked about the events of the month. Hard to believe July is almost over and we survived unscathed. Knocking on wood, cuz’ there are still three days left.

Hessen

A decadent Sunday lunch at Little Italy Cucina Italiana in Wiesbaden…

Back in October of 2018, Bill and I visited Wiesbaden for the first time. Our purpose was to househunt. We stayed in Town Hotel Wiesbaden, a small hotel downtown, with our two dogs, so we tried several restaurants near the hotel. Little Italy Cucina Italiana was one of the restaurants we dined at, and you can read my write up of that experience here on this blog.

Today, we needed to visit our local military installation for some supplies. I needed some high-end make up and Bill needed to get my car set up for fueling. We stopped by AAFES first, and ended up having a very entertaining and longwinded chat with the customer service guy, who’s lived in Wiesbaden since 1974. He got my Mini Cooper squared away with a fuel ration card and told us all about the history of the military in the area at the same time. I probably would have enjoyed chatting with him all day, and he seemed willing, but we had more shopping to do. So once we had my makeup in hand, we headed for the commissary.

We bought some food staples, but discovered we forgot the Bisquik once we got home. There’s always something we miss! Sadly, it’s not as easy to rectify things in Wiesbaden, since there’s only one commissary as opposed to the four in the Stuttgart area. Nevertheless, I got us some cleaning supplies and junk food I’ve been craving and definitely shouldn’t be eating. Then we stopped by the Shoppette for some wine to help ring in the new year.

After we were finished shopping, it was about 2:00pm. We went to Wiesbaden, parked, and headed into the city center. Our journey took us past Little Italy Cucina Italiana. Neither Bill nor I really felt like hunting for a place to eat and it was clear the restaurant was not taking a pause. In we walked, and we were warmly greeted by a lovely waitress who spoke excellent English.

Last time we ate at Little Italy, we dined outside. This is possible in most weather, since they have installed heaters over the tables. Inside, the dining room is very tiny, as are the tables. We took a corner table that was situated very close to another table. Fortunately, it wasn’t busy.

I told Bill I was in the mood for a really beautiful lunch. Lo and behold, that’s what I got. As we listened to 80s era pop hits remade into smooth jazz, Bill and I ate our way through three dynamite courses. Feast your eyes…

Out front. I noticed the English speaking proprietor in the window. I remembered him from last time. He’s very friendly and good at suggesting things. The guy walking into the restaurant was memorable. He appeared to be waiting for a staff member and walked in as if he owned the place. He had on skinny jeans, walked with a confident swagger, and shook the proprietor’s hand as he caught his reflection in the mirror and fixed his hair.

This is about half of the dining room. It’s not the smallest restaurant I’ve ever been to, but it’s pretty small.

The “bar”.

Obligatory shot of Bill.

We started with super fresh bread, olive oil with tomato paste, and San Pellegrino…

And excellent red wines by the glass.

The last time we visited, I was intrigued by a raw tuna and avocado appetizer. I didn’t order it the last time, since it was almost 20 euros and I figured it would be big. Bill and I split it this time. I’m glad we split it. It was delicious and super fresh, but a lot for one person. It was citrusy tuna with avocado bits, along with a tiny salad. Topped with a bread stick and garnished with pomegranate seeds that helped cut the saltiness, this was a lovely starter. At the end, I got just a hint of ginger.

My main dish was spaghetti sepia, basically dyed with squid ink, and served with creamy hummer (lobster) sauce and shrimp. I managed half, since I was saving room for dessert. This was a bit heavy, but satisfying. Next time, I’d have it without the starter.

Bill went with Osso Bucco, basically a veal pot roast served with a tomato and carrot sauce, and garnished with quince. Again, a bit heavy, but delicious. I don’t eat a lot of veal, but I did try this dish. If you like very tender, flavorful meat that falls off the bone, this is for you.

Our lunch was very leisurely and enjoyable. The staff wasn’t rushed, so the service was excellent and the food was delightful. It was interesting to people watch, too. This restaurant is located on a somewhat busy street that brings a lot of foot traffic. I noticed this restaurant is very popular with Italians, too. Always a good sign in an Italian restaurant in Germany!

I couldn’t resist having dessert. I gave some thought to having something off the regular menu, but our bald friend had a suggestion. He had “baba”, which was basically like a very decadent sponge cake soaked in rum, served with candied cherries, and topped with chocolate ganache. It wasn’t too large and came in two pieces, so it was perfect for sharing.

Yummy! The perfect end to a lovely meal.

Bill had an espresso, while I finished my Primitivo.

All told, we spent about 100 euros before the tip, which Bill paid for with a credit card. The proprietor asked us if we had his phone number. I’m sure he doesn’t mind guests like us, since we ate a lot and tipped well. And it was very obvious we were having a good time… I left there gushing, “What a fabulous meal!”

The proprietor wished us a happy new year, then told us next time we’re “boring”, to give him a call. I had to laugh, since our old veterinarian in Herrenberg made the same error. There must be something in German grammar that causes people to say “boring” when they mean “bored”. But hell, I don’t speak German worth a damn, so I can’t make too much fun. I just thought it was funny. I’ve been called a lot of things, but boring isn’t one of them.

We really like Little Italy and I think we’ll probably be regulars. The food is always good. The service is friendly and professional. And we’re always warmed welcomed by the man in charge. That makes it a winning destination… especially since they don’t seem to take an afternoon pause and we like to eat lunch late.

I got a couple of shots of the action at the ice skating rink. Looks like there will be quite a party in Wiesbaden tomorrow night!

Incidentally, I still haven’t finished yesterday’s Five Guys cheeseburger… I better start walking my dogs more before my ass gets its own zip code.

Hessen, house hunting

Whirlwind trip to Wiesbaden– our quest to find new dog friendly digs… Part six

We had absolutely glorious weather all weekend. It was unseasonably warm in Wiesbaden yesterday, so we decided to take a stroll with the dogs, give them a chance to stretch their legs and us a chance to see a little more of the city. I managed to grab a few more photos and we ran into a fellow beagle owner, who stopped us and enthused about how cute Zane and Arran are. She showed us a picture of her beagle and I quipped to Bill that having a beagle in Germany is kind of like having a Mini Cooper in the States. It’s like you’re in a special club!

Below are some pictures from our walk.

Another picture of that beautiful tree in the park.

Wiesbaden has so many fountains! They’re everywhere!

My friend Susanne says this reminds her of the Salt Lake Temple, only it’s a different color and isn’t LDS.

We really didn’t even get the chance to explore the other beautiful landmarks in Wiesbaden… I can see I’m going to have my work cut out for me as I get to know Wiesbaden and Mainz.

Wiesbaden is a very international city– I would say moreso than Stuttgart, which seems more traditional to me. We saw a lot of Muslims in Wiesbaden, some of whom were openly praying in the park. I saw many women of Middle Eastern descent dressed head to toe in black, as well as some just in headscarves. We also saw a group of men sitting on a blanket with one older guy sitting in a chair. It was something I don’t see a lot of where I live now.

A little bit later, we decided to have dinner, even though I was still pretty satisfied after our Thai food extravaganza. We passed a couple of Italian restaurants and I decided I wanted Italian food for dinner. We ended up at Little Italy, which is a tiny restaurant just around the corner from our hotel.

We were looking at the specials, which were written on a portable chalkboard, when a man in a chef’s uniform came out and invited us to sit down. It was pleasant weather, so we sat outside. The chef pointed out blankets and a heat lamp over our table, in case we got cold.

Our waiter impressed us by being at least tri-lingual– he spoke English, German, and Italian. When he heard me speak English, he was genuinely surprised. Apparently, we pass quite well for Germans, although his boss in the chef’s outfit quickly figured out we’re Americans.

Bill chose this lovely Super Tuscan wine to go with dinner…

This came with the bread… olive oil with a dollop of very fresh tomato paste.

He had a Parmesan tartufo, which consisted of tagliatelle encased in a small Parmesan “bowl” and topped with sliced truffles. We usually see this made in a big Parmesan cheese wheel, but they do it differently at Little Italy, probably because it’s a very small restaurant.

I had risotto with prawns, onions, and lemongrass. It was topped with a breadstick. I really enjoyed this because it was just the right size and very simple.

Just after we finished eating, we were thinking about dessert, when a very well-dressed, attractive, petite, older Italian woman sat down at the table next to ours. She had perfectly manicured nails painted fuchsia, although she wasn’t wearing any makeup. We noticed the staff at Little Italy knew her and greeted her by name as she sipped a glass of prosecco. After a few minutes, she struck up a conversation with us. It turned out she organizes high end luxury vacations, which Bill and I have been known to enjoy on occasion (although we didn’t tell her that).

She told us she hadn’t eaten for two days because she’d been so stuffed at a wedding and she decided that last night, she needed to eat. So she stopped by Little Italy and ordered spaghetti with branzino. Before we knew it, this lady was telling us stories about people she’d taken on trips, including one memorable tale about how she’d rented a Mercedes limo to take a client to an opera in Vicenza and the car broke down at a swimming pool.

Bill told her about how he’d been in Vicenza just last week and had Baccalà Mantecato, a Venetian specialty. He hadn’t cared for it. It’s salted cod with lots of olive oil served with polenta, which sounds okay to me… but apparently, it sat very heavily on Bill’s stomach. Our new acquaintance was impressed that Bill had tried it.

Then she showed us pictures of herself and her friends at Carnival in Venice. They were wearing masks they had made in Venice. As she enjoyed her dinner, more people who worked in the restaurant came over and said hello. They were obviously happy to see her, although I got the sense that maybe the chef guy might have thought of her as being too chatty. She certainly chatted us up, and told us her name is Paola. I won’t be surprised if we run into her again. We have a knack for running into people. Actually, I have a real knack for it– always have, even before I met Bill.

I decided to have tiramisu for dessert. It was very light and creamy, with ladyfingers that tasted more like angel food cake.

Bill had Zabaione with ice cream… this stuff was absolutely sinful. It’s like very rich creamy custard made with marsala wine, with a ball of ice cream in the middle. I tasted it and could practically feel my ass expanding.

As we enjoyed dessert, Paola told us about a friend of hers who had died. She had gone on a trip and was feeling kind of blue when she noticed a cloud shaped like an angel. She said it was like her friend, Sue, telling her to enjoy her life. Paola came across as very extraverted. I’m not sure what made her decide to talk to us. It might have been because Bill looks like a sweet teddy bear and is basically like that most of the time.

Paola told us that she had wanted to go out and talk to someone. She said she had gone to the sauna and then the movies, and decided to have dinner out because she needed company. She thanked us for talking to her, since she lives alone. It was our pleasure. She’s a very interesting lady. That experience kind of drove home that Wiesbaden is probably going to be different in many ways… although it also occurs to me that a week ago, we met Germans from Wiesbaden at the Cannstatter Fest. Maybe it’s one of God’s little signs that we’re in for something new and exciting. I sure hope so. But I especially hope we find a house that won’t drive me batty.

Incidentally, my German friend, Susanne, found Paola’s Internet presence, based on my description of her in the post… Paola might be a good person to know, since I love my food and wine experiences.

We’ll definitely be back to this restaurant, too. It was a great find!

Our drive back to Stuttgart was mostly uneventful, except that a trucker tried to run us off the road while laying on his horn. I think maybe Bill was trying to pass him as he was speeding up to prevent being passed. Consequently, he may have been cut off through his own fault. He backed off when he looked into our car and saw me with my iPad. I suppose I could have taken a picture of his very aggressive driving. He acted like a total lunatic and probably shouldn’t be a trucker anymore.

Our next door neighbor was in her yard when we drove up. She greeted us warmly and asked me about my singing. She is also a singer… and she likes Van Halen. I’m going to miss her when we go. But now that I’ve seen Wiesbaden, I know that there will be new friends to be made there.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Little Italy Cucina Italiana