We've just had a very memorable lunch at an Italian restaurant.
Part of what made it special was that we didn't look at the menu or order things... the chef just brought us little bits different things to try, from time to time. It was very relaxed. (Usually I spend too much time trying to work out what would be "best" to have.) The lovely sunny day helped too.
The secret to how it's done? You find a nice Italian restaurant, where they make their own fresh pasta (they don't even have pizza on the menu). You go in and say you maybe want to book the whole restaurant for a big family lunch in a few weeks time, on a day when they'd otherwise be quiet. You talk about what kind of food they specialise in... and then you say, let's have some lunch now, and the manager just brings some examples of his cooking... some grilled vegetables, some olives, some sliced meat .... some unusual pink ravioli with asparagus .... a glass of wine .... a few gnocchi in a smoky sauce ... a cup of coffee ... some cheese with honey ... some grappa, the good stuff ... not too much of anything... whatever he comes up with .... while you chat about the arrangements ...
