Blue Moon In Verbania

I wanted to travel to Lake Maggiore again because of nostalgic memories. As a child, I often visited Luino with my family, and decades later, I became friends with a pleasant fellow named Dario. He himself was a theater director and author—may he rest in peace—and he showed me what truly defines Lake Maggiore. This year, I was drawn to Intra. I was visiting the Basilica, as my niece was planning to get married there, when, after a long walk, I felt like having a quick drink. So, quite by chance, I passed the Blue Moon bar, which is not far from the Basilica but still spared the mass tourism (I, of course, am one of them). The owner greeted me warmly, and I ordered an Aperol Spritz (or, as they call it here, a Sprizz). I sat down. To my surprise, I was the only customer. I waited longer than expected, which initially made me suspect that the service here wasn't satisfactory enough, which is why there were no customers. But I didn't have anything else planned anyway, so I was enjoying a few lines from my book of poems by Piero Chiara. Suddenly, Alfredo arrived with the spritz I'd ordered and also served me some sandwiches with cheese or prosciutto, as well as olives, chips, and crackers. I politely said I just wanted a drink, and he replied in a gentle voice, "Calm down." With his calm, philosophical response, I also adopted this attitude and slowly began to taste the food. To my amazement, I devoured everything and was more than satisfied. I thought to myself: now just a small Moretti and the evening is over. I ordered, and Alfredo came back with a culinary selection of Italian "tapas." It was once again delicious, although I must admit that the second course was more about hedonism than hunger. Molto Bene e grazie mille. I had to cancel my restaurant reservation because I was so full (and slightly tipsy), and my wallet barely lost any weight thanks to the very reasonable prices at the Blue Moon bar. The Antica Osteria San Pietro will have to wait. But Intra, amore mio, believe me, I'll be back!

Unique! Always on another level!! I go only for the excellent coffee.