Tonight I came home and felt like a real New Yorker. I emailed Rick and suggested stopping at Bella Cucina on the way home. I've been having pasta cravings, and I figured they could take care of that.
What made me feel like a New Yorker was that after work, on the way home, I swung into this cute Italian place (that sports the same curtains I used to have in my house in Portsmouth) and sat at a 4 top in the middle of the dining room. It was pretty quiet around 6:30. We ordered drinks and looked at the menu. Rick had an early bird special - a garden salad to start and a slice of lasagne. I had a pasta craving as I mentioned, and red sauce wasn't doing it. I ordered the carbonara - yes I know - calorie city only beaten by Fettucini Alfredo. At least it has protien from the eggs :)
This is a place where you feel comfortable coming to eat alone, as well as meeting friends. One guy yells across the dining room (not really that big) "Hey! How can you be late? You only live around the corner!" He was probably 70 or so, and the seniors had a big table set up for them. It was cute.
But the fact that I didn't have to go out of my way for dinner - on the way home, no cooking, no cleaning up, and just what I was craving. That felt like a NYC benefit to me :)
OK now I need the chick to clean my apartment, and the chick to do my laundry.......
12 hours ago