Sunday, May 24, 2009

sunday lunch





After the Brancacci Chapel, there is lunch. The Trattoria del Carmine anchoring one side of the piazza has been calling to us all weekend. Little did we know it’s one of our good Livornese friend’s favorite spots in Florence. It is perfect inside. Simple, and warm on the cool, rainy day. The tables are packed with locals. Families out for lunch—they’ll be ordering the beefsteak; or tables for two with older couples out on dates, smiling, flirting and holding hands. We have been eating, eating, and eating, and while we are hungry, we cannot eat too much. We order with reserve. A half carafe of red wine. A plate of prosciutto, a cup of consommé (I haven’t had comsomme since dining at my grandmother’s when I was sixteen!), grilled dorade with lemon expertly filleted by our waiter, tableside. A plate of spring asparagus with a fried egg. I finish with a selection of cheese which is delicious, but proves too much. Caffe at the finish. We take the long way home to walk it all off, and I think I will never be able to eat again, or at least I need to lie down right here on this cobbled sidewalk and take a nap. At least until I find a pair of spring green driving shoes on sale in a store that flauts the convention that all stores are closed on Sunday afternoons…..

3 comments:

Lady Christian of a Middle Vermont Township said...

I just got the updated version of your book from your publisher. I'm curious how you decided on the new name?

So far, I'm enjoying it -- but I have to be careful when I read it, because your writing can cause tremendous hunger pangs.

As a foodie who grew up in southern-to-middle VT, I'm glad that you both decided to follow the breadcrumbs back to to the Green Mountain state, after your tour-de-force in Italia.

Cheers to you, I hope the book trail is treating you well.

Unknown said...

Hey! Thank you so much. Funny thing--The title is the original title and the original publisher didn't go for it. So it's nice to come full circle. It's taken from one of the essays in the Winter section....

So far so good on the book trail. We leave for Chicago on Monday for 4 days of bookin' it in the windy city. Thanks for the good thoughts!

-Deirdre

Deirdre Heekin said...

Okay--trying again, as I'm not Alexandra! And somehow was in her blog file!

Hey! Thank you so much. Funny thing--The title is the original title and the original publisher didn't go for it. So it's nice to come full circle. It's taken from one of the essays in the Winter section....

So far so good on the book trail. We leave for Chicago on Monday for 4 days of bookin' it in the windy city. Thanks for the good thoughts!

-Deirdre

June 19, 2009 11:15 AM