TAKING IT SLOW

The many-times-postponed visit from my sister and niece has come and gone. Though we didn't do anything terribly exciting, it was enjoyed by all. For Carolyn, it was a much needed break from her never-ending duties as my mom's primary caretaker. For me, it was a brief respite from worries over John's health. We went to a movie at the outdoor theatre, we bought fresh peaches in Blanco and shared a dish of peach ice cream, we read, we took naps, and just generally got recharged. Oh, and we tried to visit as many of the local eateries as we could squeeze into three days.

If we were to vote on the high point of the visit, I think the unanimous winner would be yesterday's lunch at Mandola Winery's Trattoria Lisina, in Driftwood. The food is delicious, and the scenery breathtaking, but what we love most is that they encourage you to take it slow, not fast. So we dined in stages, Italian-style. My sister started us off by choosing a small selection from their antipasti bar, and a plate of artichoke fritters (OMG!) with two sauces, for our first course. We stretched it out, savoring each and every bite.

Once that was cleared away, my choice for our second course was a small, hand-crafted pizza: fresh arugula, prosciutto, and thick shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano on a lighter-than-air, yet crispy, parmesan-flecked crust. I dipped the thick piece of crust from the edge into a little dish of herb-infused, fresh green olive oil, enjoying the peppery glow as it hit the back of my throat.

For our third and final course, my niece chose a small dish of Tortellini Nona Rosa for us to share. Absolutely delicious. My only regret was that, by that point, we had no room left for gelato or panna cotta. We'd each had only a few bites from every dish, and the dishes weren't particularly large - especially by today's standards - but we were completely satisfied because we had taken it slowly, allowing our senses time to soak it all in. This is the kind of place where a meal can, and should, easily stretch out over a couple of hours. The perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

But now they have headed back to Dallas, and it's time for me to figure out what all needs to be done here, before I head back to Houston for John's "grand opening." I don't even know where to begin!

P.S. Many thanks to flickr.com/photos/dawilson for the restaurant image at the top.