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Letter from the Editor
Last summer, I traveled to Sirolo, Italy — the ‘gem of the Adriatic Sea.’ Situated high on a cliff in the Province of Ancona in Marche, this region — with not even 4000 residents — is said to have had prehistoric dwellers as far back as 100 thousand years.
For a week, we hiked down from our apartment to the white-sand beach below. This hike was not for the faint of heart — a steep 20-minute climb down and a laborious burning of the leg muscles back up. The plus side of that daily trek was the easy justification for our afternoon Aperol spritzes.
As seemingly the only Americans in the village, we woke up long before the residents for our shots of espresso and bread smothered in Nutella as we pinched ourselves with delight, surrounded by hills of wheat, olive trees, and the salty sea air. And while we were some of the first to greet the sun in the cobblestoned village, we certainly weren’t the last to bed each night. Al Fresco dinners in the piazza began around 11 pm and would go on for hours.
Parents sat chatting at a table with the baby next to them in a high chair. Boisterous teenagers met up in Piazza Vittorio Veneto for calamare and gelato. Aging men gathered near the church steps of San Nicola di Bari to play the Italian game and enjoy an aperitivo.
You may have a similar memory or dream that transports you. One that separates you from your current routines and teases your senses with new smells, tastes, and textures. We need that expansion — to be challenged in new ways. Each of the stories in this issue certainly challenged me to see the corner of our world here in Central Ohio in new ways.
I hope you enjoy our take on Italian summer al fresco dining (page 52), with foods and wares available right in our own city. And, if you feel inspired to fully tap into your Italophile side, why not start the meal a little closer to midnight? I’ll have the espresso and pastries waiting for you the next morning.
