Trattoria Kalliope, Ortigia, Sicily, Part Two

Trattoria Kalliope, Ortigia, Sicily

Yesterday, I posted a story about our search for the famous pizzolo (a kind of pizza) made only in Siracusa, Sicily. 

After finding and enjoying an amazing pizzolo at Trattoria Kalliope in Ortigia (an island that is part of Siracusa), we were excited to go back when we returned to Sicily the following year.

This time, some friends from America would be with us and we wanted them to experience the pizzolo as well. On our last visit we had dined outside and there were only a few guests at the restaurant. But, on our next trip, it was January, so we got a table inside and the restaurant was packed. As you can imagine, the atmosphere was fun filled and loud with lots of local families enjoying an evening out.

The famous double crusted pizzolo

With the decibels rising inside, I wasn't too concerned about the volume of my voice (I've been known to be a little loud on occasion) and I was telling my friends a funny story. My voice may have been a little loud, but it was certainly drowned out by the other patrons.

That all changed when I came to the conclusion of the story which required me to bang my fork on the table for comedic emphasis. Let me stress again that the restaurant was loud. But, the moment my fork touched the table it went completely silent. It was like one of those old westerns where the bad guy walks into the saloon and the piano player stops playing and everyone stops talking and turns to look at the man in the black hat coming through the swinging doors.

The waiter appeared at our table in less than a second and sternly asked if everything was ok. I sheepishly told him that everything was indeed ok. He backed away from the table, maintaining eye contact with me until he disappeared into the kitchen.

I don't think I said another word for the rest of the meal.
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