And the Padrone of the
restaurant warmly seconded the efforts of the giver of the feast. He
hovered perpetually, but always discreetly, near, watchfully directing
the middle-aged waiters in their duties, smiling to show his teeth,
stained with tobacco juice, or drawing delicately close to relate
anecdotes connected with the menu.
The soup, a "zuppa di pesce alla marinara" remarkable for its
beautiful red color, had been originally invented by the chef of
Frisio's for the ex-Queen Natalie of Servia, who had deigned to come,
heavily veiled, to lunch at the Scoglio, and had finally thrown off
her veil and her incognito, and written her name in the visitors' book
for all to see. The Macaroni a l'Imperatrice had been the favorite
/plat/ of the dead Empress Elizabeth of Austria, who used to visit
Frisio's day after day, and who always demanded two things--an
eruption of Vesuvius and "Funiculi, funicula!" William Ewart Gladstone
had deigned to praise the "oeufs a la Gladstone," called henceforth by
his name, when he walked over from the Villa Rendel to breakfast; and
the delicious punch served before the dolce, and immediately after the
"Pollo panato alla Frisio," had been lauded by the late Czar of all
the Russias, who was drinking a glass of it--according to the solemn
asseveration of the Padrone--when the telegram announcing the
assassination of his father was put into his hand.
Pages:
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281