Trattoria di Mother’s Day – Italian Family Feasting in Durbin
Trattoria di Bernadone - 425 Durbin Pavilion Dr, Saint Johns, FL 32259
It was my favorite Mother's Day yet. It wasn't just the presents, though I am really psyched about watching my small hydroponic spice garden sprout a bit more every day. It wasn't the beautiful pink rose I received at church. It wasn't just my daughter wanting to make special moments by sharing her toys and giving me extra hugs. Truth be told, I didn't even find any shark teeth at the beach. But I had special times with special people.
My dad and sister were coming to town for Mother's Day and my birthday, and I got to pick the restaurant. At first, I thought of the Conch House and an evening of beach vibes. I remembered the long wait from last time, and decided that the busiest dining out holiday of the year was not the time to test our luck. I made an easy peasy reservation on the website for Trattoria di Bernadone and everything was settled.
Mother's Day Reservation for 5
6:00 pm, Sunday, May 9, Party of 5. It has been years since my Yelp event at this Italian restaurant and I was dying to go back. Sure, I still want to try Prime 14 and Pecan Craft Kitchen, but I wasn't looking for something new. I was looking for somewhere with pasta, bread, tomatoes, and basil. I was hoping for Italian.
Our server, who used to work at Fogo de Chao, welcomed us with familiarity. We recognized each other from the Jacksonville Lawyers Roundtable luncheons. She deftly took our orders and soon returned with drinks, despite the busy restaurant and large parties nearby. My hubby (our designated driver) had a Coke, my sister had a Peroni NA, and my dad and I sampled the seasonal drink menu.
He sipped the Lemoncello Mule which took us right back to our vacation to Cinque Terre when the lemon festival was happening (Sagra del Limone). The ginger and lemon pairing was interesting, but I liked my drink better. I got the chocolate almond martini which had amaretto, vodka, and dark chocolate liquor. Every sip was a hint sweeter, and it tasted like Hershey's at the bottom. Lucy finished the chocolate dregs with one of those tiny cocktail straws.
Mushrooms or Mozzarella?
I considered the stuffed mushrooms (memories of Houlihan's mushrooms tickling my ears). But as mushrooms aren't universally loved, I was open to something different. My sister picked out the crab and artichoke crostini, which was perfectly toasted. It introduced the appropriate seafood flavors for Italian cuisine. We also shared a side of meatballs. The plate had three enormous meatballs, covered in Mozzerella and Pomodoro. They were perfect for sharing and wetting out palate for the entrees.
While waiting for our food, we played a lively game of telephone that quickly devolved to something about baldness and worms.
The restaurant provided fresh bread with an herb-infused butter. My husband prepared some oil and spices. By the time we got our meal, we'd eaten just the right amount to want a bit more. I paired my meal with a very exotic and locale beverage, an I-10 IPA from Intuition. This girl loves an IPA.
Alla Toscana for Mama
I ordered the Chicken alla Toscana with sundried tomatoes, pinot grigio cream sauce, and fettucini. The sauce was amazing, and the tomatoes, divine. The homemade noodles were a bit thicker than I was used to. The grilled chicken tasted similar to the way Chicken Piccata tastes. It's kind of an egg batter and caper flavor. Since picatta's one of my other favorite classic Italian meals, this was a win.
My sister ordered the Beef Short Rib Cannelloni, so I got to try that as well. In Ritchie family tradition, we took bites of each other's food, ate too much, and would still have leftovers to take home.
As we happily gobbled at our meals, we caught up on Orlando happenings and my sister showed off some of the jewelry she made. My dad reminisced about crashing William F. Buckley's birthday party and the conversation eventually landed on mom.
Remembering Mom
My mom wasn't with us. She's been in Heaven for three years, but this might have been her favorite Mother's Day, if she knew what we were up to. Dad brought three poems mom wrote about being mom, loving her children, and experiencing life's difficulties. We passed the poems around, and soaked in moments of her presence.
To complete the celebration, we shared a decadent slice of chocolate torte cake. It was fresh from the scrumptious- looking dessert display case up front. It had chocolate inside and out and a smattering of raspberries atop. Some days, we finish with espressos or coffee, but this meal was more than satiating.
My Mother's Day was complete, as I had time with my daughter and husband, my sister and dad, and time to share memories of mom.
