Monday, December 08, 2003

Grappa Thoughts

This article below from the Times -- A Dynamo and Her Daughters Turn Leftovers to Gold --illustrates many things I observed while in Italy.

For example, it seemed that most businesses are still family owned and operated. It was not uncommon to enter an establishment and have three or four generations represented.

Also -- Grappa has become very chic. I have a story about it from this trip...

...but first a small digression into the past:

My first Grappa encounter was in the early law school era. In those days, I occasionally frequented a bar called The Clipper which is located across the Eastport bridge by the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

The Clipper is the only establishment with a respectable dance floor and decent live music within walking distance of the Yard. All the other bars are tiny in comparison with postage stamp sized areas masquerading as dance floors.

Coincidently -- at the time -- I add this qualifier as I have not danced at the Clipper for years.... But, at the time -- the owner of the Clipper was a damn good real estate attorney who hailed from the same town in Pennsylvania as my father's family. This man was familiar with my grandfather´s bar and other businesses from the 1950s and 60s.

He was also Italian -- who´d have thought? -- and loved the Grappa. He used to inflict a glass on me ever so often.

Ack.

The stuff smells like really old stinky cheese and can take your head off. Not for the timid.

I prefer the mellow flavors of Lemoncello, Baileys or other aperitifs -- but Grappa sure can fix what ails you in a hurry.

End of digression.

The Grappa experience from this trip was while in Florence. A bohemian business fellow from Rome that I met while shopping near the Plaza Navarone drove up to have dinner with us. We went to a fab restaurant and ate and ate... I think I mentioned this adventure below about Florence.

Well... much to my surprise, he ordered Grappa as his post dessert beverage.

Yes, Grappa has come a long way.

Also of interest in the Times article is how the lady broke her wrist while trying to beat her table mates to the check.

D and I play a very competitive game of "snake the check" with certain relatives -- who are reading this -- you know who you are. However, our pouncing and maneuvering to ensure the check comes to one of us has yet to result in physical injury.

Although there was one recent dinner at The Red Barn -- the best place for steak in San Antonio -- which comes to mind. The placement of the check required an agressive sudden dive by Deatra which almost -- but not quite -- flipped the table over... (heh)

But enough of my jabbering.

We are back in Madrid. Currently, I am trying to get a table at Lhardy´s for lunch, and thanks to a Spanish friend have had a dinner table at Casa Lucio secured for weeks. All is well.

Tomorrow we leave for Texas. Which is probably a good thing.

I miss my dog and I am sure my yard needs some attention.

posted by Bohica at 3:51 AM