A birthday celebration

Yesterday was Ken's birthday.  I tried to tempt him into buying some Italian clothes for his birthday but he was not ready to take the plunge.  Ah!  I knew how to get his attention, Italian wine.  I went into a local wine store.  Unlike Wellesley, Milan is not dry!  What followed was an interesting conversation with the salesman.  My knowledge of wine is limited and his English was very limited.  I suggested Piedmont as a region and he said, instead, what about Amarone.  I knew Ken likes these wines so I said fine.  I explained this was a special gift and he asked price range which was easy to communicate.  I needed to convey to him that I wanted a bottle that we could drink now rather than waiting 10 years -- bere adesso - appeared to communicate that message.  In Italian he explained to me why the bottle he brought out was a good choice - he drew pictures of the hill and where the vines were located.  I kept shaking my head in agreement. The deal was complete.  As luck would have it, it turned out to be an interesting bottle - Morar Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2004.  Ken was pleased.  We then checked to see what types of cheese and food would go well with it - duck with balsamic vinegar, stews, beef short ribs.  In other words, hearty fare.  We might hold off to cooler weather and invite a small group to share the wine. (Speaking of weather, Ken reports that we can expect moderate weather through October and then the fun begins - rain and some snow for 4 months.  He was told not as much snow as Boston and probably slightly warmer temperatures.)

Last night we wanted a celebratory dinner and choose a restaurant around the corner.  We had dropped in last week to check it out and the waiter remembered the professor from Boston.  Its specialty is Sardinian dishes.  We asked for suggestions and had quite an evening.  As soon as we were seated we were given glasses of prosecco and brushetta.  The waiter suggested specialties of the house - clams and mussels zuppa, Sardinian pasta with mini lobsters and clams; and a grilled seafood dish with mixed fish, squid, and we think crayfish.  For dessert we shared a Sardinian specialty - sweet cheese and cream in a light crust with a drizzle of honey.  As a farewell the waiter brought us blackberry liquor poured into iced glasses.  We arrived earlier - 7:30.  By 9 others arrived.  The attention from the staff was quite amazing and we paid for the wine but the other drinks were on the house.  We know we will return with our visitors.   A note:  The restaurant is located across the street from a large ditch that used to be one of Milan's canals.  There are pictures from the early 1900s of boots on the canal.  The restaurant's name represents sand, sabbia, that used to line the canal.

The chief, Ken, the waiter

The Restaurant

Interior