It’s dinnertime in Bellagio – a picturesque little town on the shore of Lake Como, in northern Italy. The town is a nest of stone-paved alleyways that meander up and down the hillside next to the lake. We’ve been out exploring, with an eye out for a restaurant that looks interesting. We just found one. Oh boy…
Dinnertime was in full swing and the place was jam-packed. I went in to find out if we had any chance of getting a table. Inside, servers were running around like crazy. Wine bottles opening. Plates full of pasta whizzing by. Glasses tinkling… It was like a friendly little Italian beehive in there.
“No no no! I come get you !”
One of the servers came over to me. We had a brief conversation, half in english and half in italian. He said he wouldn’t have a table available for an hour or so. There was a wine bar across the alleyway from the restaurant, so I suggested that we go hang out there and come back in an hour.
I asked him if I could put my name on a list so we wouldn’t lose our spot. He said, “No no no! I come get you in the wine bar!” I felt kind of bad. This guy had enough to do without worrying about chasing us down in the joint across the street when our table was ready. But on the other hand, it certainly did simplify things!
“Va bene!”, I said. “Va bene” means “Okie dokie.” It can also mean “No problemo”, “Think nothing of it”, “Neat!”, “Count me in!”, “That will do nicely”, and much more, depending on the situation. If you can say “va bene”, you’re halfway there with your italian.
The Wine Bar
We walked across the alleyway and into the wine bar. Inside, it looked like it had been a cellar or cave in a previous life. Stone walls formed wide arches as they rose up to the low ceiling. Even though the walls looked ancient, the décor inside was sleek and modern.
There was a row of little tables along a wall. One was free, so we slid in. The three people working there seemed to be doing everything. In fact, they WERE doing everything. This was their place – and it showed, because they seemed to be enjoying themselves almost as much as everyone else in the place. I’m not much into the “woo woo” stuff, (as my sister would say), but there was a good energy in there.
We each ordered a glass of wine. They showed up in the biggest wine glasses I’d ever seen. I wanted to ask the guy if I could take one home to use for an aquarium, but fortunately for me, I didn’t know how to say “aquarium” in italian. (It’s “aquario.” I should have just taken a guess!)
We hadn’t ordered anything, but they brought us a plate full of little tidbits to munch on. Everything was delicious. (Think pesto, bread, olives, piece of parmesan sliced off the block…). We were sipping and munching and having a good time when the guy from across the street came to get us. Our table was ready. Va bene!
The Pace Speeds Up…
Inside, the restaurant was still hoppin’. Servers were hustling in every direction. As soon as we sat down, someone handed us a wine list, menus, and asked us what type of water we wanted, regular or “gas.” “Gas” means “sparkling”, or carbonated water. They drink a lot of it over here, so we might as well do the same. We told him “gas”, so he poured us a couple of glasses and left the bottle for us to help ourselves to.
In no time, another guy came by and dropped off some bread. Oil and balsamic were already on the table. Yet another guy arrived and asked if we knew what we wanted to drink. We ordered a bottle of vino.
The wine showed up in no time, and so did the next guy, who wanted to take our order. Things were happening fast!
We’d been through this routine before, but it had been a while. People here don’t take a lot of time to think about what they’re going to order. The ordering part of the meal happens faster than it does back home. It’s not that they rush you, but if you take too long, some servers can get this “Well, are you gonna decide today or what?” look on their faces. You don’t want that.
Once you’ve ordered, though, it’s another story. You can stay at your table until closing time if you want. And a lot of people do. But servers like to get the ordering taken care of pronto. Probably because, unlike back home, they don’t start preparing your dinner until after you’ve ordered. Except, of course, for the stuff that may have been simmering all day. Mmmm.
Luckily for us, the menu was short. We were able to order without getting “The Look.” We had bread. We had water, and we had wine. Now we could sit back, relax, and take in the sights, sounds, and smells. Especially the smells. La vita è bella!
To be continued…
