Dining out Italian style
THERE ARE MANY things I’m grateful to my parents for and one of them is their enthusiasm for taking me to lovely restaurants from the age of five. Dressed in a fashion that could put European royalty to shame and on my very best behaviour, I loved the occasion of fine dining. There was no such thing as children’s menus so I was allowed to choose anything I wanted, with my father offering to swap if I didn’t like it.
My parents would engage me in conversation and were far from being in the “children should be seen and not heard” camp, just not heard to fellow diners. Sadly I’m now the source of much frustration and am regularly told that after a couple of glasses of vino I can be heard in the kitchens.
One of my favourite places was Cosmos on Castle Street because although fancy, it had a sense of fun and Italian flare.
The dessert trolley was a real treat, my favourites being the Crème Caramel and profiteroles.
My one regret from my own stint in the restaurant business was not reviving the joy of the dessert trolley. Cosmos sadly came to an end and was eventually replaced with Martin Wishart’s The
Honours, and is now set to become Rico’s, the latest venture by Stefano Pieraccini.
At the tender age of 25, Stefano has brought his family’s Italian style and vigour to The Broughton and The Seafood Ristorante in St Andrews, both establishments that benefit from atmosphere as well as great food. The moment my daughter is old enough to dine there, I’ll be taking her in to show her what the joys of eating out are all about.