This past low-key weekend consisted of work, family and good conversation at one of my new favorite restaurants, D’Amico’s Place in Bloomfield. After Saturday’s coverage of the new UPMC East facility in Monroeville, Marshall (my car) and I headed past the 40^th street Bridge to meet up with my cousin for a relaxing afternoon with her older brother and girlfriend.

I haven’t had a good, old fashioned Italian dinner since, well, I’ve been in Italy. Over there, once you are sat, the table becomes yours for the entire night. Restaurant owners and waiters don’t expect their customers to get up and leave once they are done eating; you don’t even receive your check until you ask for it from the waiter. You are encouraged to sit, relax, enjoy and appreciate your food and the people you are with. Time is not a problem.

As of late, my reverse culture shock has hit me especially hard in regards to restaurants. Sometimes I feel rushed or awkward because I’m used to Italian culture going out to eat. At D’Amico’s, meaning “Of the friend” in Italian, I felt right at home. I spoke with the owner about his family in Italy and his friends in Torino, where I used to live. He even brought out “un café,” or some espresso, for us, pictured in the accompanied photo. It was exactly what the doctor ordered: real Italian cooking, service and people. Sitting outside and enjoying the beautiful Pittsburgh weather, cocktails and food was especially relaxing for a Saturday afternoon that morphed into the evening. We were there for three and a half hours, doing all the Italians back home proud.