It Starts With An "S"

We had our office Christmas lunch yesterday at a wonderful small Italian restaurant in Hamilton and it was a great time. I arrived as usual leaving my reading glasses in the car and in the twilight of the restaurant there was no way I could read the menu. I am used to this dilemma, and even though I have 8 or 9 pairs of reading glasses scattered around my life on desks, in cars etc., I often forget them when out.

Some wonderful friend offered to read it to me and another eventually offered me his glasses, but it was too late by then. I am just vain enough to pretend I can read anyway, and if I hold the menu close to a light source, and squint just so, I can usually make out enough to order.

I found the pasta dishes easily enough as headings are usually large. It was just a matter of looking down the menu and finding ingredients I liked together. I found chicken and tomatoes plus stuff I couldn’t see, and when the waitress came around I pointed to the proper spot on the page and said I’d like this. I asked for a salad, and she explained what they had so I didn’t have to find it on the menu. I was set.

The others ordered their lunches, and we had drinks and laughed and chatted. Finally the salads arrived and afterwards the main course. It was placed in front of me and I could see it contained chicken and tomatoes as well as other stuff and fettuccine, which I also had seen. It was good and to this moment I have no idea what it was called.

As I ordered first, I was served first and what I got was mine, I knew. However Ed, several over on my right, was about to receive his plate from several she had and she asked what he had ordered. He had no idea? Ed was paying the same amount of attention as I was, although he had on his reading glasses. He simply responded, “I don’t know, it started with and S”

Even in the end, when he took some home, we had to look in the box because what she had written on top never started with the S. We have no idea if he ever got what he ordered because he didn’t know what it was.

I like that. I couldn’t see what I ordered and still don’t know what was in it and he doesn’t know what he ordered or if it was what he ate. However, Ed’s did start with an S!

Editors note: Now that it's a few days later I looked it up, here are the dishes.

Fettuccine con Pollo alla Fiorentina (has chicken and tomato)

Julienne chicken breast, mushrooms, red onions, spinach simmered in a fresh plum tomato sauce and tossed with fettuccine.

Spaghettini con Pollo Aglio (Started with an S)

Morsels of chicken breast sautéed with mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes in a garlic,

olive oil sauce tossed with spaghettini and topped with feta cheese.