There are people who are gifted at creating home wherever they are. Sometimes they travel frequently, and do it to have a sense of home while they are away, sometimes they have transplanted themselves far from their home, and need that little bit of comfort. In the case of Michela, her family home in Tuscany is very far from the Brooklyn block she now makes her home in, but you wouldn’t really know it, because she brought her homeland with her. It is everywhere you look, from the pots of herbs growing all around the garden, to the strings of white lights and the unending hospitality she offers guests.
I am addicted to Eatwith.com experiences, and this one was another in a string of excellent meals, but it truly stands out as a perfect evening. We hopped a train quite early, and spent some time at Coney Island before it was time for dinner. It was a stunningly beautiful day and Coney Island was shockingly clean and uncrowded. We had a very light lunch at Chelsea Market, before we left Manhattan, and supplemented it with a small snack at Coney Island. Knowing well that Italians never let anyone leave the dinner table hungry, we made sure we didn’t eat heavily during the day!
We wandered further north in Brooklyn, well before dinner time, to have time to walk and explore the neighborhood. We were so glad we did, as we now count a transplant from Palermo, Sicily, among our travel friends, and we will stop in at Ciao Pizza to see him again when we are next in the city. He sat with us to talk European politics over coffee, and we thoroughly enjoyed both his coffee and his company.
The home Michela and her husband inhabit has been in his family for a hundred years, and they have very much made it their own. He greeted us at the front of the house and led us around to the garden where wine and appetizers were already standing by! It was somewhat of a family party that evening, as we were joined by his sister and her fellow, which was lovely. We all chatted, drank wine, and enjoyed Michela’s beautiful food until well after midnight. The time truly just slipped away. The food was sublime, the company welcoming and fun, and the weather was perfect. The entire meal was beautifully planned and orchestrated, with courses flowing perfectly. We left with enough of a sense of who they are, that we would gladly welcome them at our home in Alabama if they ever travel south.
If you find yourself in New York, it is worth a short journey to Brooklyn, to dine under the stars in Tuscany. Michela is a most excellent hostess, and a very accomplished chef.
Vagabond.Belle 