Travel Spotlight: Siena, Italy (Or, the Best Meal I've Ever Had)

The best meal I've ever had wasn’t anything fancy - just a simple margherita pizza and a crisp, cold glass of white wine. The setting, though, was perfection, such that I can sit here 18 years later writing about it, and the smell of the sauce and the tang of the cheese still fill my senses.

When we took our belated honeymoon to Italy in 2006, a friend of mine recommended a restaurant where he had had one of the best meals of his life. He is a connoisseur of all things sacred (food, opera, travel) so I knew to trust his advice, and he did not lead me astray.

Ristorante Alla Speranza lies in the heart of the Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy. This was the second stop on our travels, and after the noise, chaos, crowds, and heat of Rome, the tiny cobblestone streets and the quiet, narrow stairways were a welcome respite. The historic center of Siena is small in comparison to other European piazzas, with structures from the 13th century standing tall(ish) among just a few restaurants and storefronts, but she is mighty. One can spend an entire day sitting there, people watching and enjoying an espresso or a gelato - truly la dolce vita.

But back to the pizza. It was a simple meal in a simpler time, and it makes me think about the funny ways in which memories work, especially when it comes to food and travel. It's true that I loved that pizza, but I also loved being nearly two decades younger than I am now, a newlywed with far fewer cares in the world. I can't help but to think that some of that nostalgia infuses my memory of what the food actually tasted like.

In the years since, I've recommended Ristorante Alla Speranza to many friends, and it's never disappointed. I have to say, though, that like many things, it does seem to have changed over the years (then again, haven't we all?). More recent reviews online point to a decline in quality and a change in ownership. I'm grateful, then, to have experienced this gem of a restaurant in what was perhaps its glory days.

(I tried to find a photo of that perfect slice of pizza. Alas, this was in the prehistoric days prior to digital, and I couldn't track one down. So, this much more recent photo of my son enjoying a similar pizza in Venice will have to suffice.)