Monday night's dinner - Ok so a lot of dishes are not photographed - sorry, not sorry. We had not seen Jenny in over a year maybe eighteen months. And despite seeing Cara occasionally, she doesn't get much time off, so this was a good "catch up" on her life too. We had egg rolls, Beijing duck dinner (includes soup and rice), walnut shrimp, and beef chow fun with crispy rice noodles. Fun evening, because, fun people. Manager Kelly filled us in on the family. Her oldest daughter is in highschool!
Dinner Tuesday night at Little Lark. (FB doesn't know it) We had two starters, two pizzas, and shared an ice cream sandwich. We'd go back for the ice cream sandwich in a minute. (Make that 30 seconds!) Terrific service from Megan L.
We went originally to have PINSA but sadly they only serve them on Thursdays. The pizzas are served as noted on the menu because we asked for an alteration and were told - very nicely - they come the way they are listed. I chose the pan pizza with pepperoni and hot honey. I would skip the ricotta. Phil ordered the special fennel pizza and he wished he could add sausage to the toppings. Oh well. Have a drink at the bar and order the ice cream sandwich. You'll go home happy.
Place is on Rockwell just south of Belmont. Lovely outdoor patio and bar. We might get back on a Thursday to try the pinsa and have "a couple, two, tree" ice cream sandwiches.
Wednesday: One more stop at Sochi Saigonese Kitchen before I head back home to Sevilla. Menu items marked. The "globe" was the view across the street from the window. After a close taste testing of the two "rolls" I am coming in with my first place vote - original egg roll for the win. I think the lettuce wrap and sauce, while making it messier to eat, also creates a perfect combination of flavor and textures. All good - which is why it gets a second visit over the summer despite a list of dozens of restaurants to visit while in the States.
Meanwhile, back home things go on- Yes, we have a carrito. We actually used it to move into and fill our apartment in Sevilla with all the dishes, glasses, pots and pans, towels etc. we don't have a car. I would go to the store and buy things and P would fill the carrito take it home and come back for more. I'd fill it again and he'd haul another carrito full to the apartment. Eventually, we were done with the basics. While P does most of the grocery shopping, I do additional grocery runs and trips to the Chinese store with the carrito. It really does make life so much easier. I guess because we were already Medicare age when we moved to Spain we never had a phase of "never getting one of those." It's our "new car".
Let’s Talk About Los Carritos (from Be Savvy Spain)
You know the ones. Those little shopping trolleys being pulled through practically every Spanish town by an abuela who clearly has her life far more organised than the rest of us.
To the mercado. To Mercadona. To the frutería. To the butcher. Sometimes apparently just out for a walk because el carrito is coming whether groceries are involved or not.
When you first move to Spain, you notice them. Oh, that’s cute. Very Spanish. Then you’re trying to get past three of them strategically parked across the entrance to the mercado while their owners are having an emergency 17-minute conversation about Carmen’s daughter and you think: Right. Carritos.
But give it time. Because eventually something happens. You start wanting one. And suddenly you understand the genius. Why are you carrying six plastic bags home with the handles slowly removing circulation from your fingers when María is casually rolling 14 kilos of potatoes, a watermelon, two bottles of olive oil and half the pescadería behind her?
Who’s the clever one now? But our favourite thing about los carritos isn’t really the carrito. It’s the pace of life that comes with them. Our abuelas don’t power-walk through the mercado wearing an Apple Watch desperately trying to close three rings before lunch. They have time. Time to greet the butcher. Time to inspect every tomato individually because standards exist. Time to ask the fishmonger what came in this morning. Time to discuss the weather.
And, naturally, time to stop directly in the middle of the pavement for a conversation that begins with “Niña, ¿cómo estás?” and somehow ends 25 minutes later with a detailed medical update on six people you have never met. Nobody appears particularly concerned about being late.
And yet… everything gets done.
That’s one of those little lessons about Spain that doesn’t appear in a relocation guide. Not everything needs to be done faster. Not every journey needs to be optimised. Sometimes you can simply walk to the shops, buy what you need, talk to people along the way and roll your groceries home behind you. No aching arms. No car. No frantic “I’ll just quickly pop into Mercadona.” Just you and your carrito.
And yes, newcomers, you may be looking at them now thinking: “Absolutely not. I’m never owning one of those.” We have news. First you understand the carrito. Then you respect the carrito. Then you start comparing models. And one day you’ll find yourself discussing wheel size and insulated compartments with an enthusiasm you once reserved for cars.
Integration complete.
So yes, we have a carrito - we bought it before we even moved into our apartment in Sevella.
Got my rabbit before I left for Sevilla❣️ We had eaten at Osteria Langhe earlier this summer but due to delivery issues they had no coniglio. So we knew we had to return for our "fix." The rabbit was as good as ever. It was also great to spend some time with Aldo catching up on his recent and future travel. Highly recommend this place for all their pasta but it's unmatched in my opinion for the coniglio preparation. Warm and welcoming service and a good wine list that isn't priced with outrageous mark ups! It's been in our regular rotation for more than a decade.
The world has a big loss with this one. 💔💔💔 We go on... next week is not too full but the following is fully booked and the next week as well... so stayed tuned as we head into the fall....
