Who could ask for more right? Lets go back to 1988, I am sitting in a bar in Hawaii with my cousin Clint, Lou Reed starts playing "Intro and Sweet Jane" starts cranking, I walk up to the bar and there are three guys sitting there, Italians, so I say "hey you guys Italian"/ brilliant huh? this one kid says yes in broken english I say my cousins Italian! the kid says ok, I order us all a round of Patron and as they say the rest is history.
Massimiliano, Massimo, Lucca, Andrea the list goes on, we spend a lot of time in Fregene Italy, Summer time, winter, its a great little town the familys are now our families, we are now facebooking each others KIDS and nothing has really changed over the past 20 years, we see every one at least once a year and when I am in Naples at a Culinary Competition I always go up the Sweet Home Fregene and hang with everyone, eating at the Songno Del Mare Beach restaurant or the Corralo Hotel the food is to die for and the friends are family.
Meeting the guys in Hawaii changed my life, new cultures, food and friends, playing Bocci Ball at the Tennis Hotel in Naples, eating at El Presidente Pizzeria in Naples (Ernesto Caccioli) place where they serve about 2000 pizza everyday! meeting Ernesto and his brother and sons at the competion in Naples.
Without fail when you meet new friends its usually around food and drink, so as time passes and the months turn into years there are certain things that keep your loved ones in your memory, the taste of a pizza! everytime I drink Patron! LOU REED SWEET JANE! there are so many so much fun and good times, my point is that you never know when you are going to meet someone that changes your life, a drink, hello or whatever, take a chance strike up a conversation it just may be one of the best things you ever do!
About three years ago I was surfing on a saturday and when I left the beach I stopped at one of my Pizzerias in Petaluma, I walked in and out in the front area a elderly lady was sitting there with a slice of cheese pizza, and a coke with no ice! (I knew she was probably from the east coast or Europe cause they like there drinks with no ice) I stood there in my surf shorts and a tank top and introduces myself and asked if she was enjoying her pizza, she looked up at me and smiled a little glint in her eyes and said "this pizza reminds me of when I was a little girl and my father would take to the corner for a slice"!
I told her that made me happy and thanked her for sharing the story, I left the pizzeria, got in my car and the tears came to my eyes, "my pizza reminded her of a great memory" that was the biggest compliment that I have ever received.
Share some memory's with new friends and old
Chef Glenn
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