Tuesday, July 15, 2008

We couldn't catch a flight to Rome ...

... so my friend Carol Pucci and I settled for a nice lunch in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood at La Vita e Bella, the cool little Sicilian place where Michelle and McCumber and Mich and I all have enjoyed numerous great meals.


Carol and I decided to get together when she joined Facebook recently and we "friended" each other there. In real life we've been friends for more than 20 years, since I started working at the Seattle Times, although we haven't seen each other in ages. Carol's Facebook profile had a photo of her and some friends at a little restaurant that I thought I recognized from Italy. Sure enough, she confirmed, the restaurant was Orso, in Rome. It wasn't the place I was thinking of, where Michelle and I dined near the Spanish Steps, but it might have been the spot Kaye recommended -- renowned for its antipasti -- and it's located very close to where Michelle and I stayed on our recent trip.

Anyway, when Carol and I set up our lunch date we joked about meeting at Orso. I'll buy lunch, I said, if she picked up the cab fare. In the end, we were happy to meet yesterday at La Vita.

It was really nice to reconnect. When Carol and I worked together she was the Times business editor -- Mich's boss, in fact -- but she has since moved to what she must get tired of hearing is the greatest job in Seattle journalism. She's the Times' travel writer. For "work" she trots the globe meeting cool people, eating great meals and writing stories.

We talked about travel and work and our lives, and when I mentioned Michelle she said, "Hey, I've been to the town of Nicolosi!" Here and here are stories she wrote from there.

Carol loved it in Nicolosi, and all of Sicily, and encouraged us to go. One of these days.

4 comments:

mich said...

How cool! I miss seeing Pucci. And that's one of my favorite lunch spots.

Carol, if you're looking in: Hi, and I hope work is treating you OK these days.

freda said...

Man, I am so jealous, that is a job I would come out of retirement for. Would she like a translator? assistant? gofer?

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this post! I've heard a lot about Pucci over the years and was happy to be able to put a face to the name.

So nice that the two of you re-connected. I read her Nicolosi stories and could so relate since Dad's parents both came from Sicily.

She mentions ricotta cake. Have you ever had Aunt Chickie's Ricotta Cake? If you and Michelle ever want to try it..I have the recipe.

Thanks for bringing another colorful and interesting addition to the blog.

freda said...

Hi Rita, Michelle's paternal grandfather's family came from Sicily too. Small world, maybe your families knew each other way back. Ricotta cake, that sounds interesting, I would love to see the receipe.