The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
May 2 - Montepulciano by Night
For dinner we headed down the hill a short way to a small cafe called Osteria d'Acquacheta. It was jammed, with a 14-top taking up half the space and the rest of us doubling up as necessary to get a seat. The food was quite good, and the owner kept a firm hand on things ... in at least three languages! I got the impression that the waitress would be happy to have the evening over while the owner was enjoying the flow of the evening itself. Financial incentives notwithstanding, it got me thinking about where people find their satisfaction. Wouldn't it be great if we only hired those whose joy was in doing the work, not in having the work over?
When the last tourist bus has left and the sun goes down, these hill towns return to the locals, at least until the next morning. There is a wonderful magic to them at night. Many light up the principle buildings and the soft golden glow of street lights off ancient stone takes you back a few thousand years. The little alley-like passages between the streets hint at secret Medieval liaisons and nefarious night-time shuttlings. I recommend it highly.
© 2007 Restaurant Doctor
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