San Lorenzo - A Great Italian Restaurant in Warsaw

I am talking about a location exactly where Italians as properly as their descendants like myself. Or even individuals who have no traces of being Italian what so ever are in no way denied the affability and joy that is in the Italian way of entertaining. This holding accurate in San Lorenzo since of it is primary owner, Gianfranco who is equally charming when talking to the President of Poland (who can on occasions be identified there nibbling away at his Lasagna) as when talking to the most modest of guest.

As for my relationship with "San Lorenzo" this dates back to late in the summer of 2001 when I accompanied by my wife and daughter ventured to take a table outside deciding to give this place a go. My wife and I were not hungry so we restricted ourselves to ordering espresso for me and a cup of tea for her whilst our daughter (Paullina, The Star of "The Small Opera Singer") needing to satisfy her youthful sweet tooth ordered Tiramisu with her favorite drink, apple juice to wash it down.

I as a individual who had traveled to over 30 countries had encountered quite a few a restaurant claiming to be Italian with not as much as the slightest connection to the "old country" apart from the name of the establishment or the fact that they served pseudo Italian dishes. I for my portion can not claim to have quickly noticed from the outside or even the inside which I saw when I went to the men's room that this was a restaurant whose proprietor was Italian. It was not that the interior of this restaurant was in poor taste as that was not the case but I also had seen places which although properly decorated were not Italian. I had even been to this specific location before which I knew to have two stories as I had visited it on a number of an occasion when it was becoming applied as both a clothing shop which was the upstairs component and a cafeteria on the lower level.

The interior decorating I had to admit was nice even additional then it had been but I was nonetheless curious to see if the owner was Italian so soon after getting looked the spot over both upstairs and down, I went outside once again to join my wife and daughter who had already been served.

The tiramisu my daughter ordered tasted like the real factor (her permitting me a small taste) but I necessary proof in regards to the authenticity of this location.

The verification came when Paullina stood up as she was 3 and a half years of age at the time and kneeled on the floor to play with a toy auto she had brought with her and just as she was in the middle of playing a dark haired man approached the table and mentioned "Hey Pokemon" due to my daughter's t-shirt of the well-liked cartoon character. This man whose name I would eventually come across out was Enrico Buscema, portion owner, his partner in the organization becoming Gianfranco Lucese, a Florentine man living in Poland married to a Polish lady whose mother is Stefania Kozłowska, a effectively known Polish singer of some years back.

There wasn't anything unique I noticed about Enrico till he sat down joining the group of many people who had been sitting at his table who had been speaking Italian. I do not know what it is but there is something about hearing individuals speak my language in a foreign nation that unites me to them. Perhaps it is understanding that that individual is also a foreigner from the exact same place I am from or curiosity to simply share impressions of yet another nation but be what it may I continually seek to became acquainted with persons whom I hear speaking Italian outside of Italy.

This becoming a significant group produced me shy about approaching creating me bid my time till the party that had been at the table nearby was decreased to a party of one. A effectively attired redheaded gentleman who was rather on the portly side had been left alone leaving me with my likelihood to speak.

"Excuse me, are you Italian?" me of coarse addressing him in Italian which seemed to catch him slightly of guard as he in Italian replied "yes, I am and you?". I at this point having his full attention told him that I was American but my father was Italian, like the actor Sylvester Stallone. I also introduced by wife and child to this man whose name escapes my memory as it has been more than 5 years since I last saw him. We should have conversed for about five minutes when Enrico came back to the table and upon hearing that I spoke Italian introduced himself to me and the rest of my loved ones.

This was my very first go to to San Lorenzo which like most firsts we never forget specially when they are not lasts as this spot saw me come back the following week on August 9. This date being of significance considering that it was the 1 on which 4 years prior my then fiancée and I took our vows in the church in the act of holly matrimony. Our daughter was past the age of three and capable of suitable conduct prompting my wife and I to let her join us on that occasion for a comparatively late dinner. A dinner which delighted all of us specially Paullina (the restaurant getting a unique chair for her) by including some of the finest dishes in what is known as Italian cuisine with the wine that once more could not be other then Italian.

1 of the items that impressed me about that certain go to was that quite a few of the guests whom I had not but introduced myself to who saw me sitting at my table or walking around the place with my daughter seemed to know who I was. They knew my name, that I was a writer born in New York but could speak Italian mainly because of my father and a large number of other things all of which I had told the gentleman with the red hair in the brief conversation I had had with him.

A further factor that caught the eye of my wife as properly as my own (my daughter becoming to young at the time) was the photographs on the walls of all the well-known many people who had already been there. Then the spot being open much less then a year only included photographs of nearby celebrities such as Kasia Figura (Polish actress) but eventually this collection of photographs grew to incorporate such noticeable patrons as Jose Carreras, Steven Segal, Roman Polanski, Alexander Kwaaniewski (then President of Poland), Lech Kaczyaski (existing President of Poland) and his brother Jarosaw (current Prime Minister of Poland) and several other people to numerous to mention.

The evening was a accurate enchantment for the 3 of us for a number of reasons but above all it had been the Italian cuisine. The dishes which we tasted not only on that evening but on a lot of other people to follow were the actual flavor of Italy and it is with intensions of not influencing anybody who will need to go to San Lorenzo soon after reading this that I refrain from mentioning any by name.

The year was 2001 which like 1 can anticipate was followed by 2002. That getting a world cup year which saw the greatest enthusiasm for the "Squadra Azurra" as its fans mostly Italians but not only gathered at "San Lorenzo" to show their support for what would be the fiasco of becoming eliminated by South Korea just before even finding to the quarterfinals. It was a bitter pill for us the "Fratelli d'Italia" (this meaning brothers of Italy even though also being the Italian National anthem) to have to swallow seeing our "nazionale di calcio" play 4 games which only yielded us one win combined with 2 losses and 1 draw.

Even so it was in defeat that we see the real character of the individual especially the one who can keep his dignity as that is how we did it taking comfort in getting previously won the world cup on three various occasions and with the hope that there would be brighter days for our "azurri".

A different consolation for us was how some of the local tv stations came over to our beloved San Lorenzo to see how the quite a few nationalities living in Warsaw had been following the world cup. Me getting fortunate enough to be amongst those who had been interviewed on Tv.

Like the saying goes "it is consistently darkest before dawn" this meaning that Italy's time would come as it did last year in the "2006 Globe Cup" held in Germany. This was the globe cup in which Italy claimed its 4th F.I.F.A. world championship after 7 games the last two being the most grueling of all.

The last two games becoming the most arduous as they were the semifinal and the final. It was the very first of these games which pitted Italy against Germany, the home team as properly as three time champion and 7 time finalist. The second of these games pitted Italy against France who had won it all in 98 as nicely as getting the team that had eliminated us from the 86 and 98 globe cups and had defeated us in the 2000 final of the European Championship.

It was the way in which San Lorenzo was packed to capacity by all the men and women whom I had been seeing on a weekly basis for the last 5 years that gave me the courage to think that such opponents could be overcome. These men and women after all had been with me by means of the tragedy that had been the previous globe cup at least as far as Italy was concerned.

The semifinal against Germany was tricky to watch as we suffered at the agony of seeing two of our shots hit the woodwork in overtime but out of it all came the moment that allowed us to yell out the word "goal" in a massive action of relief as Italy was lastly able to break the deadlock through Grosso who scored in the last minute of O.T.. even so the game was not over nor was the scoring which would continue less then a minute later when Del Piero located the back of the German net for what would be our second objective guarantying us a location in the final.

If the semifinal was a spectacular show then the final could not be any much less as the brave Italian tifossi at San Lorenzo some of which had been Polish, Egyptian, Russian etc braced themselves for what would be a game against "Le Blue" of La France which would be winner take all. The place was naturally packed to capacity 1 alot more time on the Sunday of the final with tensions running as high as the expectations of being world champion for the fourth time. If truth be known I do not think I would have preferred to be any exactly where else but at San Lorenzo with the sole exception of the internet site of the final itself in Berlin. This was where I would celebrate or cry with my fellow Italians like I had done four years ago but win or loose the friendships would not fade.

The final kicked off with us sitting in quite a few tables drinking our beers and consuming our pasta, pizza and other Italian dishes and just as we were obtaining in to the flow of the game a mistake by the referee gave France a penalty. A penalty which lead to France drawing first blood when Zidane barely converted giving France the early 1 to advantage.

We the Italian tiffosi had been down but far from out as it took a little over 5 minutes for San Lorenzo's supporters to when once more shout goal when Matterazzi's header leveled matters at 1 a piece. As anybody who has ever seen his nation in a final can confirm there is nothing like seeing ones country score and for us it was elation extraordinaire as we had not come this far to give up soon after trailing by only 1 objective.

The rest of the game including overtime went by with the score leveled at one a piece necessitating penalties which had never ever at least in a globe cup seen Italy come out on leading but this I felt deep down was our day as all the people whom I had recognized for so lengthy were not going to be denied.

8 penalty kickers took their turn with only Trezeguet missing for France and it all came down to Grosso (scorer of Italy's first objective against Germany) to deliver us to the promised land that was our 4th title leaving us with only one much less title then Brazil. The moment of truth had arrived one kick, 1 goal to end all and earn all, would he do it? Our hearts had been in our mouths as we saw Grosso step up to take the penalty which he converted sending me along with everyone else in to a wild frenzy that lead to fireworks on the street as properly as an all night party.

Italy winning the world cup was wonderful and it no doubt would have been such no matter exactly where or with whom I had seen it (as had been in 82 when we beat Germany in the final three to 1) but for some reason I felt that being at San Lorenzo produced it just that wee bit much better especially because all those familiar faces were there to share it with me.