By Erin "Caterina" Heffernan
I
went to Italy hoping to fall in love. I
wanted to find my future husband there.
Instead, I fell in love with a plate of pasta (and one of the world’s
most beautiful cities).
I thought that I knew what to expect
from Italian food: spaghetti, pizza, panini, mozzarella, etc but I could never
have anticipated the love affair that would inevitably ensue. From the beginning, I had moments of
hesitation, but as I began to eat, I realized that I had nothing to fear.
This love began with a sandwich, a
particular sandwich. This sandwich is numero 9 from Antico Noè, a panino shop
near FSU’s study center that serves some of the most delicious sandwiches I
have ever eaten. Turkey, onions, brie
cheese, spicy sauce: in a word, magic.
My love for numero 9 was
unrivalled by anything I had ever eaten previous to that point in my life. That is, until I met numero 11: sausage, spinach, pecorino cheese: in a word,
life-changing. As I ate these
sandwiches and walked around the beautiful city of Florence, I realized that I
had never loved an item of food so much before.
My life had been changed forever and I thought that it could not
possibly get better than it was at that moment.
 |
| Andrea, me and Luca in Antico Noè |
I
could never have guessed what fate had in store for me just around the corner,
literally.
There is a restaurant in Florence
called Trattoria all’Anita. It is just
behind the Piazza della Signoria, one of Florence’s most historic squares. Affectionately known to travelling Noles as
Anita’s, this is a favorite of locals, travelers and foreign students
alike. It is here that I would first lay
eyes upon the love of my life, a little dish called tortellini alla norcina.
Tortellini, sausage, tomatoes, truffle cream: in a word, everything that
is good about life. I guess you could
say that it was love at first bite (pun absolutely intended). One day, I tasted some tortellini from a
friend’s plate by chance, and was so smitten that I returned to the same
restaurant the next night. I needed a
whole plate of this pasta for myself, sharing was simply not an option.
 |
| Tortellini alla norcina—the goodness can just not be conveyed in a photo |
As
I finished the plate, Nicola, one of the waiters, walked by to ask how
everything was. I looked up at him and,
without hesitation or irony, said:
“C’è un posto riservato in Paradiso per il cuoco di
questo piatto.”
“There’s a
special place in Heaven for the cook of this meal.”
 |
Gianni,
me, Nicola, and Maurizio; the brothers who own Anita’s
|
 |
| This is what the plate looked like after eating norcina. |
He laughed and called his brothers
over so that I could tell them what I had said and everyone laughed. Honestly, I don’t know what came over me at
that moment. I was just so overcome with emotion. It was a sublime, divine, experience;
something that I only imagine could be compared to falling in love or a divine
revelation. From that day on, the
brothers at Anita’s always brought me tortellini
alla norcina, without even asking.
They understand that there is only one dish in the world for me.
Believe me when I say, the churches
in Italy are beautiful, but if you are looking for a religious experience, you
should try searching the restaurants in addition to the cathedrals.
My family had Tortellini alla Norcina three times at Trattoria Anita. When we were told that the following day they would be closed, I told the brothers that we wouldn't eat again until they re-opened. That was one of the best dishes I've ever, ever eaten!
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