Well, I love going out to restaurants to eat. One of the best experiences I’ve had recently was at a place here in Los Angeles called Il Fornaio. It’s an Italian restaurant in a very nice part of Beverly Hills. I don’t go there very often—I can’t really afford it, but every once and awhile I’ll treat myself.

The last time I went, I walked in with a friend and I was greeted by the hostess. She asked how many people were in my party, and I said, “Just two.” “Right this way! I’ll show you to your table” she said. She was very polite. When we reached our table by the window, she asked us, “Is this all right?” We said, “Of course!,” and then she handed us the menus, along with the wine list. The place setting with the silverware was [bad word]  There were two forks (one for the salad course, one for the main course), a spoon, a knife, a dinner plate, a dessert spoon on top, a wine glass and a water glass, a cup and saucer for coffee, and a bread basket. I was already getting hungry!

“You’re waiter will be with you shortly,” the hostess said. So we looked over the menus—so many choices, especially for a lover of Italian food like me. 

The waiter came up to the table a few minutes later and said, “Good evening. My name is Giorgio, and I’ll be your waiter this evening. Is there anything I can get you started with—a [bad word]  a glass of wine?” Well, my friend and I are not exactly big drinkers, so we just ordered a couple of iced teas. “Would you like a few minutes to look at the menu?” he said. We nodded our heads, and he went off to get our drinks.

As I was looking at the appetizers, I spotted one of my favorite dishes—crab cakes! I told my friend that the crab cakes were a must. Just then the waiter returned to our table, with our drinks on a large tray. I was ready to order.