Sunday's, in my family, are "family and food" days. We all go to church together in the morning, and in the afternoon we either make some new extravagant dinner, or pick a new place to eat. This past Sunday we decided to choose a new place, and boy am I glad.
We all loaded up into our van and drove the hour to Columbus to check out an Italian Restauraunt that is so famous around our town. All 10 of our legs felt like jello from the long car ride, but we mangaged to stagger in. The restauraunt was in a strange location, it sat farther off of the street than most, and seemed hidden from the public. But, my Dad managed to find it. When I stepped into the restauraunt, I instantly felt at home. It was warm and cozy, and smelled of warm, freshly baked bread. Along the walls were pictures of famous women and gentlemen, pieces of Italian and American culture and much more. In that intstant I felt more at home than I ever have upon entering a restauraunt. The waiter ushered us to our booth. We all sat down and looked at the menu. I scowered over it, overwhelmed by the seemingly endless possibilities. While we tried to decide on our dinner, the waiter brought us some salad and breadsticks to indulge in, and my goodness were they excellent! I am a sucker for a good Ceaser salad and Buca's salad was close to perfection. The lettuce was crisp and fresh, the cheese on the salad was not too heavy, but enough to taste, and finally the dressing. The dressing was so savory... yum! I could have ate just the salad for the rest of my dinner. It was delicious. While indulging in my wonderful salad, I finally decided that I would share the lasagna with my brother. The lasagna had nine layers each filled with ricotta, mozzerella, provolone, and parmesean cheese topped off with their famous meat sauce baked to ooey gooey perfection. Yea, sounds amazing right? As I sat and waited for my food, I just took in the scenery around me. My family all smiling and joking, the ladies across from us smiling and nodding at one another's conversation, the baby crying in the booth next to us, and finally another look at the walls around me filled with history and life. As I sat there, I realized this is what food is all about. |
Food was about bringing people together from all walks of life. I realized, I didn't care what circumstances I was facing in the "real world", at that moment in time I was in a restaurant with the people that mattered most to me. By the time I came to this philisophical conclusion, my food was ready and my brain was very tired. Alas, the moment had come!
The waiter set my food down in front of me and it seemed as though the world around me went still. This was the moment that I had been waiting for all night. I picked up my fork and tenderly took a chunk of 3 layers. I braced myself for the shock to my tastebuds. I slowly put the noodley glob in my mouth and gasped in surprise. It was the best lasagna I had ever eaten. I left Buca Sunday having such a positive outlook on life. I had experienced one of the best dinners I had ever tasted. And shared memories and laughs with people that I love with all of my heart. Buca di Beppo was truly an amazing experience. |