Today is one of those days I will always remember…similar to the birth of my two girls; when I found out my best friend had AIDS; my husband proposing; 9/11; seeing U2 at the Uptown Theater. A significant day no matter what the outcome.
I’m thinking today of my grandfather, Angelo Ferrante. He immigrated from Sicily when he was twelve years old. I remember large family dinners in the basement of his house in St Louis–kids running around, adults smoking, women preparing the food. We would sit down (of course I was at ‘the kids table’) to large bowls of pasta with meatballs and pork neckbones, fresh Italian bread, Schlitz beer, watermelon. After everyone was seated, Grandpa was at the head of the table. We would say prayers. He then stood up, banged his fist on the table and said “God Bless America!”. Then we would eat.
Because of my grandfather’s deep love of the USA, the stories he told of being so poor “back in the old country” and the way he never complained about working long hours as a barber–all of his grandkids grew up with a strong appreciation for being born in the USA. I feel so fortunate, so lucky to be an American. Growing up around these Italian immigrant relatives, seeing their strong work ethic –it’s seared into my soul what the American Dream means and why so many others want to live here.
So especially today, I am very, very grateful to be a US citizen and have all the privileges of living in a democracy.
My two girls grew up in Brookside. We’ve had three Brookside addresses. When we moved to our current home in Armour Hills, the kids were 12 and 8. There was the same mix of families and older folks on the block then as there is now–except my husband and I are now the ‘older’ residents as new families have moved in. Throughout the last ten years we walked to the park, to the Brookside shops; my girls each got their first jobs at small local Brookside businesses (The New Dime Store and Cosentino’s). We took them to the Art Annual, the Farmer’s Market, trick or treating; we had block parties and yard sales and their schools were nearby. They rode bikes on the Trolley Track Trail, tee-peed the neighbors and sled down Suicide Hill on snow days. As I write these words I see the five neighbor boys playing on a tire swing in their front yard across the street. Another generation growing up on the block…
I’m not a foodie…actually I am a very picky eater. So on my blog, I don’t give my opinion about local restaurants and eateries in the Brookside/Waldo area. However, the meal my husband and I had at 
So what did we eat? We started with an appetizer featuring a roasted garlic bulb, pomodero sauce, sheep cheese and arugula pesto served with grilled bread. This was followed by a small salad of greens, radish, candied orange peel, almonds and figs. I was so enamored of the fresh pomodero sauce on the appetizer that I ordered the house made pasta with that same sauce (tomatoes from Powell Gardens) and my husband had the braised pork shoulder over pasta. Every bite was…just so fresh and bright and flavorful. Using the local ingredients makes so much difference (Andrea boasts there is not a can opener or microwave in the kitchen!). For dessert, we shared a caramel bondino (not sure of the spelling of this Italian word): a thick pudding with a smear of whipped cream on top of a dark chocolate cookie crumble. (The menu posted online is a little different from what we ordered from; items do change on a regular basis depending on the season).
Inside Brookside (And Waldo) 