Tuesday 25 October 2016

La Vita e Bella!




Now, I don’t remember the war but sometimes, when The Mary is talking about her weekend, it sort of sounds like she’s in the middle of WW3 and that was only wee Maddie’s birthday party! 

Madison insisted on a Frozen theme and I felt as if I was in a Disney movie which was ‘begging to be transformed into an Ice extravaganza’!  The wee Maddie used her chilling powers to turn people to ice sculptures with her deathly, cold stare as soon as anyone went near the sweets.   She also threatened them with a nuclear-powered look if they asked for one.  

That wean scares the life right out of me!

So, in order to warm up after the weekend, The Mary and I are going to La Vita at George Square expecting a warm reception and some fantastic food.  
The website states that it’s “The Best Italian in Glasgow…”   Well I’d say…let others be the judge of that!

La Vita is run by the Arcari family.  The business was started by Mario Acari who was born just after WW2 in a small village called Picinicso nella provincia diFrosinone in the Lazio region of Italy.  Mario arrived in Scotland with a poor understanding of English and initially struggled to get work but through determination and hard graft he eventually opened his own restaurant.  This is now a flourishing business run by Antonio and Marco.

Picinicso was where D.H. Lawrence once lived and was inspired to write “The Lost Girl”.

I can totally relate to that story because I, myself, was lost in Italy for a while but that was another time and place.  I’ve been the Lazio region and it’s encircled by mountains where families worked on the surrounding lands in order to make a living.  Because of the damage caused to the area in wartime  many people left to build better lives in other parts of the world.

Last night The Mary and I decided to give it a shot.  Not actually going to other parts of the world…just Up That Toon to George Square to try out La Vita!

The first person we met going through the door was Yorick who was very enthusiastic and quickly showed us to our table.  We choose from the early, pre-theatre offering because, alas, I felt a theatrical theme coming on!  I started to talk about Hamlet and The Mary asked if I wanted a “shot” of her vaporiser?  I was confused, she was confused and ‘Alas poor Yorick’ stood and stared as we tried to control the hysterics. 

The Mary ordered the lemon sole, fish and chips and I ordered fried chicken with fancy coloured mash and we were very excited.  Mary did not order the Focaccia because she cannot see how anyone can possilbe beat Celino’s.  She feels she’s reached a Focaccia Plateau!  



When the food arrived I had the worst case of food envy I have ever had in my entire life and The Mary was delighted with the fact that she had, by far, the superior dish.  Actually I gave the chicken a bad rep but it was actually very good and well seasoned.  I'd been so disappointed at not selecting the fish but that wasn't the poor chicken's fault.  I'm sure the chicken did it's very best to please me as they do.  I really do love chicken but...I will have the fabulous fish the next time.

The Mary conceded and let me taste the fish.  I started to cry hysterically and again poor Yorick, not realising I was crying, misunderstood and came over and started to join in with a fit of the giggles.   

I gave him the Maddie stare and he quickly moved away. 

We finished off with Nonna’s apple crumble which was baked to perfection and was served with ‘drizzles of delicious custard’.  Well, we had to drizzle it ourselves but it was fabulous just the same.

The Mary asked me who’s Granny had made the cake and said I wasn’t sure but it might have been the owner-like Italian guy’s who turned up and gave a few instructions to the staff, looked at the takings, then left again.  He’s obviously a very busy man.  



Me and The Mary had wanted to congratulate him on making it to the finals of The Scottish Italian Awards; in the Best Family Restaurant category but...

 “Well may it sort that this portentous figure comes armed through our watch; so like the king” ... 

that it might just lose that friendly, family feel! 

Or maybe that delicious fish and crumble will see them through.

“We doubt it nothing: heartily farewell.
William Shakespeare

Ci Vediamo!
Mx


(For the sake of the infidels; Lines from Hamlet are in Italics)

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