Yes, I take photos of my food in restaurants. I admit it...... I know that I'm not the only one... am I?

Some friends and I went to this amazing restaurant that I had found by driving around, going down roads to see where they'd lead in my neighboring areas.   So, I wanted to go back and eat a meal there to check it out.   I decided that I wanted to check it out for my birthday meal. 

The first course: Home-made Pasta  (look at the little zucchini flower!)   I know most people always get the second course meal- but, I find that the pasta dish is more than enough to fill me up.

*Click on the photos for a larger view...

Home made bread and crackers!   The homemade crackers don't look very fancy but they were tasty!   My friend got an ice cream dessert.   With a piece of dark chocolate added as a topper.   The dash of dark coco powder adds just the right touch.         For my dessert, I ordered Tiramisu.   I love Tiramisu.   I don't like coffee at all- but, I love Tiramisu    In every restaurant in Italy, I am usually tempted to order Tiramisu to see how that place makes theirs.   It is very unique- same ingredients but each recipe can taste so differently..   Sometimes, it is too strongly 'coffee flavored' for me.   But, even then, I like it... I just know not to order it again if I go back to that restaurant.    After my dessert was delivered in a 'cup' ... I had a memory flashback to a few years ago, before when I was still living in Cold, snowy, wintery Germany.  I had gone on a military bus tour trip to northern Italy, in February, for President's Day and to escape the German winter for just a few days.      We stayed in this same area... drove all over, went to Venice by train (which I had done many times but, from a totally different area.)   We had taken the entire group of maybe 55 Americans on the bus for lunch at a huge restaurant, in the middle of nowhere, and we had the best, best Tiramisu that I had ever eaten.  At this time, I had already lived in 2 different Italian locations and I had always tried each restaurant's Tiramisu.   For days, everyone on the trip was talking about the Tiramisu in that restaurant, about how good it was.  Those that had opted not to order the Tiramisu seemed a bit jealous.   However, when I saw the cup of tiramisu, it brought back memories of that trip and tasting the best Tiramisu.   I knew that it would be very unlikely that this was the same place.   How could it be?  We had driven all over this part of Italy for 3-4 days.  Our hotel was not in this area.   And, here I was a few years later, living/working in the same region, and eating at a restaurant that I found by accident... trying to find a short cut to the physical therapy place in a neighboring town.   However, all it took was ONE BITE and I was in Tiramisu heaven.   It was the same place, it was the same most wonderful Tiramisu!   Now, how was I going to stop myself from wanting to stop by daily?  After all, this restaurant is only 1 1/2 miles from my house.   Down, a rural road that I had never had a reason to travel down.   That road, taken looking for a short cut, ended up leading me, once again, to the 'often talked about' best Tiramisu, that I had ever eaten.... 'Tiramisu.'   So, take that road less traveled, turn down a new street, a new turn-off... who knows what you'll find?