Italian Language & Supper Club @ Alloro - Great Value on the Upper East Side

Recently, I attended a dinner at Alloro, chef Salvatore Corea’s new place, called Parla come mangia, which means “Speak how you eat”. This was a chance for me to enjoy some modern Italian food and practice my Italian.

I had heard a rumor that Pierre was going to be there, and since he and I still have some unfinished business, I had to go.

The dinner was part of the Collina Italiana program, a small academy that teaches New Yorkers how to speak Italian – just the kind of thing a guy like Pierre would find intriguing.

I don’t normally go to the Upper East Side. It’s nothing personal – I just don’t like to hear people complain all night. So, I was pleasantly surprised when, crossing the threshold, I was greeted by happy, smiling people. They all seemed alert, eager to help. Even the guests at the bar were friendly.

Quickly, I got the attention of a handsome young man with a velvety voice. I asked him if he’d seen a guy named Pierre.

“No, non l'ho visto,” he said. I followed him to the green and white dining room in the back of the restaurant. It was filled with attractive women eager to learn about Italian. Wherever Pierre was, he was missing out on some interesting conversation.

“Siede per favore,” the handsome young man said. So I sat down. He brought me a glass of wine and told me to enjoy the antipasti. I found myself saying “Si, grazie.” He smiled at me, and for a few seconds I was sure that he knew where Pierre was. So I asked him again.

He shook his head and said, “No, signora. Non mento.”

No, he was too handsome, too happy to be a liar. So I decided to take his advice for the rest of the night and just enjoy myself. "No, non ho studiato italiana," I explained after a difficult grammatical knot, and then added “questo è delizioso,” as I thoroughly enjoyed the chestnut lasagna and everything else that young Mr. Handsome brought me.

The dinner, led by a teacher from Collina Italiana, was a lot of fun and a great value. For $60, we had great amuse buche, a three course dinner, a glass of wine and a lot of Italian. I found myself speaking in full sentences by the end of the night.

Alloro is a modern version of an Italian neighborhood restaurant, with a friendly staff and all-Italian wine list. The monthly Italian Language and Supper Club dinners are sponsored by Collina Italiano and Alloro. For anyone interested in practicing Italian and enjoying great Italian cooking, this dinner series is a must-try.

Tags:   alloro, collina italiana, italian language and supper club, salvatore corea

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Posted on 12/29/2008 ( Permanent Link )
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