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Piazza Bella - Aperitivo: I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII
Piazza Bella - Antipasto: I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X
Piazza Bella - Primi: Prologue | II | III | IV
The days blurred together, a kaleidoscope of colors, vague sounds, and many positive activities. By the time I glanced up from my workstation at the scribbles and sketches magnetized to my stainless steel backsplash, a week had passed by.
The routine of my fresh start felt comforting, with increasingly extended morning runs along empty alleyways and piazza, exhilarating sprints down waterside promenades, and stretching off in the warmth of my apartment. Each day, after a hot shower, I shared a hearty breakfast with my family and friends. It was as if a second chance at life was granted.
Piazza Bella was slowly losing money, but the cafe was packed for two hours at breakfast and almost full for two lunchtime sittings. Overall, we were marginally profitable, for which Bella looked relieved and grateful to everyone who worked hard. For the first year ever, she wouldn’t need to plunder her savings to keep everyone in full-time work.
Tourists stubbornly stayed away. Even the hordes of curious Chinese visitors who flocked at the end of the season, bringing new money and fresh excitement to discover the world, were thin on the ground.
Our kitchen back door was permanently closed, warding off chilly gusts that whistled through the piazza, grabbing every gap to exploit the warmth indoors. When anyone left our back door even slightly ajar, the rest of our kitchen brigade assaulted them with scowls and dirty looks. I worked tirelessly on my idea, the biggest challenge of which was to differentiate a menu and service from Trattoria Bella.
When others added their thoughts, drawings, and love hearts drawn onto Post-it notes and stuck them onto my wall, a loving collage of the best of us slowly emerged.
Mom’s offer of financial support was quickly followed through with money in the bank. Bella insisted on providing security through her property in case our business idea failed. We were moving forward in baby steps, discussing internal remodeling with contractors and bidding on bankruptcy auctions for fixtures, fittings, industrial catering equipment, and furniture.