'A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play;
his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He
hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever
he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself,
he always appears to be doing both.' ~ Lawrence Pearsall Jacks
Before I begin let me mention that Mother Nature was not cooperative with our shindig.
It was not a 'White Christmas @ Sofia' soiree... but rather a 'September in New York'
kind of night. I am back, after such a prolonged absence, to extol the virtues of our latest
gastronomic regale. The evening was a fabulous chef-d'oeuvre with delicious sprinkles...
we were able to amass quite a montage of bon-vivants. N'est-ce-pas? I say 'We', because
the success of these shindigs is the collective effort of the whole and not of its parts.
What began quietly enough, and with very little fanfare, turned out to be quite interesting,
engaging and very entertaining. The evolutionary cycle, always moving forward, has cast
its attrition.
First and foremost, let us welcome the nubile Chef Doriana... who took my breath away!
And for the longest time... a male newcomer making an appearance, Luigi, who also dabbles
in writing with a degree in drama. I like people who are creative... in any field. Very cool!
I hope they continue to grace our table.
A special mention goes out to the bombacious Ms Marilyn, va va voom! Not bad for a woman
who recently gave birth! She wore white as she had done on her first outing back in 2012.
I believe Antonella & Wendy are added stimuli, intellectually and emotionally. One of the
patrons @ Sofia confided in me her surprise by the level of camaraderie by everyone.
The word for the evening is 'Umami', whispered into my ear by lovely Chef Doriana.
A loanword from the Japanese, 'Umami' can be translated as 'pleasant savory taste'
and is one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness,
and saltiness). People taste 'Umami' through receptors included in the foods that
indulge you in an orgasmic experience of the palette. Kudos to the chef, I'm glad Frank
is back where he belongs. The food was remarkable and sublime, as it is always.
They say the measure of a great restaurant is the consistency of its dishes. Bravo
to the personnel as well... who showed true professionalism in the face of our constant
barrage of requests.
Watching Vince & Loredana in the throws of verbal exchanges with Fil & the Attorney,
who had mentioned earlier that she was 'As happy as a little girl' because of all the
male eye-candy in the form of the wait staff. And in the other corner, Antonella with
Wendy, and Domenic with Monsieur Bombardier, each being raconteurs, is the fuel
that propels these evenings.
'Life's euphoria consists of little moments; you steal away from the mundane.' ~ © Frank Borsellino™
The new decor is white-wash brick with vintage trattoria mementos and artworks...
along with a wall of colourful bottles. The bar is a long, expansive wood and steel
structure and the floors are a wooden parquet Herringbone pattern. Beautiful, sturdy
wooden tables, again very trattoria-style decor. There's a whole wall of windows
overseeing the kitchen in full swing.
Gianni and Danny are the epitome of 'Gentlemen service' down to the minutest detail,
and here we were not disappointed. We enjoyed another staple, the dessert platter
and our espressos & cappuccinos.
I'm a big proponent of evolution… as is the case with each soiree the dynamics and
the landscape changes, and this eclectic ensemble has definitely evolved, having passed
a year of ups and downs, while maintaining a certain level of familiarity. As Ms. Marilyn
pointed out to me in hush voice, 'These are my people! This is where I feel most at ease
and free to speak my mind.'
I like to equate it to an ever-changing, living organism that grows as it absorbs particles
it picks up along its journey. I have been told that such a group, as we have, is a rarity
and I hope I am living up to that task.
© Your Cruise Director
Food is my compass
December 18, 2015
* Sofia Trattoria ¤ Vineria
2042 Peel St.
Montreal (514) 843-5100
www.sofiavineria.com
