An Evening in Italy...

Toscana...Barely does the world roll off my tongue that my mind conjures images of an idyllic Italian vacation - the sun-kissed country-side, the wind teasing my hair and playfully blowing away my linen shirt to expose my mid-riff; languid afternoons spent sipping a cool drink by the pool, the water glittering under the sun’s rays; a lizard darting across the terracotta floor towards the kitchen from where wafts the heavenly aroma of freshly baked pizza; sultry evenings spent pirouetting in the arms of a sexy Italian…

What I got was a sultry summer evening transformed into an idyllic evening with the cool breeze gently kissing my naked arms and whispering through my hair, as I sat back in a lawn lit by lanterns strung across the space and a few candles scattered across the tables, retro music drifting in from next-door, and dreamy plans of a European vacation over beer, succulent chicken and pasta, with the best dinner companion I’ve had till date…

Where, you ask, did I find my piece of Italian paradise in Pune? Why, at Toscana, the delightful Italian restaurant next to Soho’s, Kalyani Nagar…it was a perfect evening, with just the right ambience, good food (though not pizza, since we opted for pasta for the main course), good service (surprise surprise!!) and, as I said, great company and great conversation. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed an evening out as much as I did at Toscana – and with it, I think I’ve finally broken the jinx of mediocre gastronomic experiences in Pune!