Food

I never knew good food could give you an adrenaline rush until Saturday, January 24th, the best food day of my life. I'm not sure how the rest of my life will measure up after this day of taste explosion followed by taste explosion. Let me explain.

Morning: the Chocolate Fair. We heard about a chocolate fair that was going on all weekend so Chelsea, Callan, Alysse, Keith and I decided to go. The fair consisted of different chocolate and candy stores that set up tables underneath tents in Piazza Santa Croce (out in front of the church--Michelangelo and Galileo are buried there). There were probably forty plus tables full of chocolate everything. Oh my gosh. One of my favorite things (though it seems wrong to even try to pick a favorite) was the hot chocolate, and I mean hot chocolate. None of this Swiss Miss stuff in Italy--the hot chocolate is literally melted chocolate that you drink. Just think of the smoothest, richest dark chocolate you've ever had, heated up and turned into a drink. Yes, it was that good.

Some other highlights of the day: free samples of tons of different kinds of chocolate, chocolate truffles rolled in peanuts which tasted like Rocher candy but, of course, better, all sorts of cute chocolate animals (lots of piggies, Liz) that were too cute to eat but I would have eaten if I had to, and the chocolate cream puffs. I would fly out to Italy once a year just to come to the Chocolate Fair each time it reappears in its magical, cacao splendor. As Keith so eloquently put it: "Screw Disney World. The Chocolate Fair is the happiest place on earth!."

After the Chocolate Fair, I opted to go shoe shopping instead of with the rest of the guys to the serial killer museum. This was a good decision because a) I bought two pairs of shoes (on sale, Mom) and b) Chelsea fainted after the first ten minutes. Falling down, on the floor, out cold fainted. It was after they told the story of Elizabeth Batheroy, a woman who killed 600 people and drank their blood. She didn't even make it to Jack the Ripper.

After this little excursion, we prepared for our "fancy dinner." The five of us plus our roommates Kim and Kayla and our friends Katie, Dana, and Shira decided to splurge and have a really nice meal at this restaurant called Acqua al Due. They also have a restaurant in San Diego. It was easily one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Like a good half-Italian I wrote down everything I had.

For dinner I had the following: For the first course I had caprese salad (a classic). For the second course I had a pasta sampler with five kinds of "surprise" pastas--blue cheese macaroni, mushroom and tomato sauce over farfalle, eggplant tomato sauce over penne, broccoli sauce over some pasta I didn't know, and my favorite pasta ever, gnocchi in a roasted red pepper sauce. This gnocchi was incredible--it was rich yet light and fluffy, not overly starchy--and the sauce was to die for. I might as well have died because I have yet to have a pasta here to beat it.

For the third course I ordered carpaccio served over arugula with pecorino cheese which was delicious. I also tried Katie's balsamic steak and that was easily the best steak I ever ate. Then for dessert we had the dessert sampler, four surprise desserts: panna cotta, tiramisu, chocolate cake, and strawberry cheesecake. They also served complimentary strawberry wine which made me giggle not because I had too much of it but because my stomach was the happiest it has ever been.

It was also just such a joyful time, really enjoying a meal. The company was wonderful and we just took our time enjoying each bite, sharing a little bit, and talking about what we ate. Eating was an experience that night, not just a necessary function. There's so much value in simply taking your time when you eat. Try it--take your time to taste your food, really talk with your friends about the food and more, sip your wine, and channel a little of the Italian spirit. It's addicting.