Taste of (Little) Italy during a Power Down in Fargo's First Snowstorm of the Season!!!!!

Inviting and Warm

Done with Care

Minnestrone Soup and Ham Sandwich

This is a restaurant newly relocated to the second floor above the Avalon on 1st St. North right off Broadway in Fargo.  Today they were scheduled to be open from 11 to 2 pm and again in the evening.  I looked at the hours and it was a few minutes until it was supposed to open, so I decided to run some errands before stopping by to check out their lunch.  Earlier, it turns out I heard a lady at O'Day Cache talk about some great scallops she had there the night before, they sounded so good I knew the chefs must love to cook.  I had to check it out and NOW.   I drove to Crossroads to have a cup of Light House coffee, which is good about 80% of the time, I checked out a few other things and ended out clocking 3,000 steps on my Pedometer, yea.   At the mall the power went out twice, and didn't think much of it.  I was actually relieved because it meant the Christmas Music, (too much, too early), stopped too.   By the time I reached the parking lot, it was snowing big heavy clumps of flakes and my car was covered.  It was that kind of heavy wet snow that sludges as it warms but still has to be shoveled off, and freezes in sheets of ice that have to be chipped off the car as it cools.   As I drove back to check out Little Italy, all of the stop lights were out.  It was stop and go traffic all the way.  By the time I reached downtown Fargo, the stoplights were working.  I parked near the Avalon and walked to the side of the building,  so I could enter the door that gives access to the second floor.  The restaurant was open, it was delightful, all the tables were set, empty chianti bottles as table decorations.   You know the kind that have some kind of grass basket woven to the bottom-half rounded part of the bottle, I suppose so a handle of some type can be attached for serious wine drinkers.   It was unassuming and inviting.   I waited, no one came to greet me at the Wait to Be Seated sign.   I read the menus, near the bottom was the lunch option, soup and chef sandwich.   I was intrigued.  I walked over to the kitchen, Bria the sous chef was there, I asked if the restaurant was open, she wasn't sure either but offered to serve me.   Soon I had a glass of water, the chef sandwich (ham and cheese on Breadsmith focaccia) and Minnestrone soup.   Unbelievable.     The soup was made with freshly cut vegetables and a spicy tomato broth, it was delicious.   The sous chef has prepared it that same morning.  The sandwich was also incredible, the ham was perfect, not tough, no gristle, it was easy to bite through, I almost felt sad when it was done.   It had only delicate amounts of flavorings (one piece of lettuce, a suggestion of butter or mayo) so the ham itself was the feature, the foccacia was melt in your mouth soft, and not because it was soaked in oil, it was just that fresh.   The food stood by itself, no need for french fries, pickles or chips, thank you very much.   That "stuff " (stuffs you up when the meal is questionable so you are full and think you are getting your money's worth....the american dream of a good life, this meal including tax was less that $9), that makes up for a bad meal, so you coat your mouth with familiar salt and grease so you can erase the memory of a badly prepared meal made by some angry or uncaring chef.  I only had a little of my room temperature water to drink, another indicator of a great meal, my way of cleansing the palate, or erasing dreadfully prepared food.  You know my plan was to have 300 calorie meals but I went over with this one, and I don't regret it.......I can't wait to go back and check to see if they are consistent with their meals.....I keep going back to correct my typos, run-on sentences, and partially expressed thoughts, but you're an intelligent reader, so let your mind fill in the blanks......