The Only Good Italian Restaurant
by Bill Russo
In my travels from Maine to Florida and on West through Texas to Arizona and California, I have found that there really is only one chain of Italian Restaurants worthy of the name.
It's a group of establishments carrying the interesting handle, "Joe's Pit". There are just 83 'pits' in the 48 interlocking states of the nation, so you might not be able to find one near you - even if you look it up using its Paisan name: Buca di Beppo (loosely translated as the Pit of Joe).
Lucky for me, Joe likes South Florida, so there's one near me. Alas there are none in New England, where I spend summers - so I wish my sister, who lives near Boston, would open up a real Italian restaurant.
She couldn't miss. She's named Marie like 87 per cent of all Italian girls and she learned Sicilian and Italian cooking from our Nonna and Mama.
I'll try to talk her into opening up this summer. You'll be able to come to dinner and have Pasta Lenticchie, Giant size ravioli as big as your hand - the way they are supposed to be, Lasagna so sweet you'll swear it was made with chianti (which it might have been!), and don't forget the Gi-Gis….they are little dough balls drenched in honey.
We will call my sister's restaurant, Mariooch's Cucina. Since she spends most of her summer in New Hampshire at the lake, this probably isn't going to happen.
Next best thing? Find a Joe's Pit (Buca di Beppo) near you. If you live in Boston, the nearest one is Atlantic City. But as of right now (mid-year 2020) just about everything is closed due to the virus. But by July, it's a safe bet to assume the Pit will be open....both Joe's Pit and the gambling pits!
Pizza from Joe's Pit - Family Style
Bill Russo is a writer who spends winters in the tropics of Florida (near Miami) and summers on Cape Cod. Bill has dozens of books and short stories on all major sites like Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, and More.
Check out his audio dramatizations of his stories on Short Story Theater. It's Free to Listen....here's the strange tale of a Native American young woman who had the most beautiful singing voice in the world, but who was so homely none of the braves would allow her in their wigwams - she did have one admirer, The Great Fish! Listen for free.. https://www.spreaker.com/user/11578348/ah-soo-the-ugly-and-talented
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