Garga - 05.03.06

Meena has a friend who has a friend who lived in Florence once. This friend-of-a-friend e-mailed us a list of restaurants to try. So far, she is hitting it out of the park. Tonight we are at a small place called Garga. We start out with pasta Magnifico, wherein we learn what cheesy, creamy pasta sauces have been missing all these years (it's lemon and orange zest -- not to mention a light hand on the cream). Entrees of steak and tuna follow. I am in steak heaven here in Tuscany. They love to serve the stuff. Cheesecake and tiramisu for dessert, capped by an espresso. No grappa tonight, but it's just as well since we've gotten well into the house wine again.

Meena goes home especially pleased because, in addition to being full of divine food, she has mastered two key Italian restaurant phrases: "ho una prenotazione" (I have a reservation) and "il conto, per favore" (Check, please -- especially critical since the Italians simply won't bring it without being asked).