How Sweet It Is!

Sunday was my dad's 56th birthday. We had a nice quiet morning while he opened his presents. After that things got a little busy.

We took two cars out to Brooklyn to visit with my Mother's cousins, the Barone's (Joe, Karen, and their kids Joe and Nicole). Joe and Karen made a very generous invitation to my mother, Joanna, and her whole family (husband, daughter, son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren) and my mother's twin sister, Angela, and her whole family (husband, daughter, son-in-law, other daughter, other son-in-law, and son) and my Uncle Dom.

Sometime ago, at a birthday party for my great-aunt Jackie, Joe mentioned to my wife and I that we had never had real pizza until we'd had pizza from Brooklyn. I conceded that I had never tried any. Although my mother was from Brooklyn I can count the number of times she's made pizza for us on zero fingers.

This trip was for two reason, then: 1-to get together with family (and a lot of it) and 2-to have the chance to try some Brooklyn pizza.

We arrived around one to a very nice home right up the road from the Verazzano bridge. By the time all of the family arrived there were 23 people in the house ranging in age from 4 months to 88 years. For those Italians out there reading this, I don't have to tell you how LOUD it was. For the benefit of my non-Italian readers let me just say that the sound waves from the noise we produced is probably still making its way past our moon. Some day, light years from now, an alien race is going to pick up signals that translate into an argument over sfingi and dough-boys on St. Joseph's day and the correct pronunciation of the word "dog."

Karen informed us that she had ordered 8 pizzas from 4 different local places so we could get a sample of each. The pizza was (of course) excellent. In the interest of science I selflessly ate no less than 8 slices. I cast my lot for Nino's pizza. It had a good crust, a delicious sauce, and a good ratio of cheese to surface area. Also it was the most like the pizza we had in Sicily on our honeymoon.

Afterwards we had fruit (2 baskets full), cake (2 of them), cookies (about 4 pounds) and coffee and tea. We rolled our way to the door around 6:30 and headed for home stuffed, deaf, and content. It was a wonderful visit and our heartfelt thanks go to Karen and Joe for their hospitality.

Check out the slide show to the right for some pics of the day's feasting.