It’s been several days that we’ve been back from holiday and I’ve been hankering for authentic Italian food since. The lure of anything genuinely cooked was strong, especially after enjoying German food prepared the German way, and Italian being one of my favorites to the point of cooking some for us at home, I wanted to enjoy the same but from someone professional. Like the one restaurant in Amsterdam that was recommended by an Italian colleague, I was hoping to find an equal if not better one in Rotterdam, and more importantly, as I discovered it wasn’t very common, was open for lunch! After a few options rose to the top of a growing list, I settled on this one osteria that I hoped would make all three in our party happy. Surprisingly the restaurant was busy when we got there, to the point of us almost not getting seated, another sign that perhaps the worst is indeed over for the food industry here, but get in we did and after excitedly looking at the menu, I knew with confidence that it was all going to be fine.

True enough the antipasti of polpette (meatballs) and calamari, generous serving of tomato soup with a side of spaghetti aglio e olio, and panna cotta for dessert were delicious, exactly what I was looking for. Good food complemented with great service and a light-filled atmosphere on a slow Sunday was what we all needed that day. As a way to balance out the thousands of calories we just ingested, a brisk walk around nearby Kralingse lake followed – not a bad way at all to compensate for such a culinary splurge. With these food adventures added to our regular get togethers with a friend, I’ve learned to appreciate our weekly trips to Rotterdam even more. There are actually several places I’ve already pinned on my Google map that I’m looking forward to, and am thankful that I can still imagine the opportunities to come. Who knows what the future holds in these uncertain times. Carpe diem – or in this case, Carpe diet!