Balducci Ristorante, Here's My Story: About the Blue Dress Too!

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Will I find myself back to Balducci? Like - ever? Maybe not. Or..maybe yes..hmmm...but most likely NOT. Balducci and me, we have no...none of the sparks between us. Nobody's fault, mind you.

It was a late Saturday evening and the skies poured gregariously. The rain, let me tell you, it was beautiful that night - not at all rat dreary or gutter dreadful. Instead, the falling drench silver glistened our evening streets with a kind of filmy sheen that reflected the warm golden glow and shadows of streetlights and city cafe's. It was an incandescent sight, a bit..what's the word...NOIR!! 

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If you know me, you know I fall in love in a cinch'. 
I fall for moments... m-o-m-e- n- t-s that possess a  touch of the magical, the positively surreal. Life, the Universe, the Divine, my angels, have been generously indulging of this lately...grateful...grateful. Saturday dinner found me in an elegant event of food and wine, good natured chatter, glittery ambiance with the most gracious, gracious lovely people introduced to me by my husband. 

My blue gown was puuurfect, a McClintock designer I found at an uppity' store. Must tell that it is sooo *chi-chi*, haha!! This is one dress that serves no purpose other than 
p-l -e-a-s-u-r-e!

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The day I went scouting for the proper dress, I fell almost pouty in frustration. Nothing seemed right, nothing!  

After several tiring tries of curdling cocktail greens and blinding sequins greys, I exasperatedly surveyed the rows of unsuitables before me and by chance swiped my sights on the far end rack left ignored (I knew it held the ultra- pricey stuff so I totally disregarded it, bah). Ah, what luck! There, I found tucked between two holy high-priced gowns was a sheer satin blue beauty, marked down, mind you, as it was last season's offering. 

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It was resplendent and flawless with a bodice endearingly faultless. Imagine, a full length evening satin gown with a daring razor open back, wow! - I - have - never - owned such a venturesome frock! I had a week before the grand day, but I sure huffed and puffed and struggled a stone scale down before the occasion to make the gorgeous something of a second skin even more properly fitting and winsomely clingy to my soul, yah!  A girl has to have a little fun once in a while eh, so I dressed and cooed to no one in particular, this is the way Cleopatra would wing' it, haha! :D

               Aw, there must be another party, another gathering, another glitzy whatever I can wear it to again. Perhaps in one of the coming holiday merriments? A pity to merely let this celestial fabric hang forlorn in my closet.

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OK, so now back to Balducci...though..ummmm..there really isn't much to tell. It's been around long enough and must be doing grandly well to still stand proud there. Maybe it's just me, noh? My hubby seems to like the place. 

Anyway, after the bubbly event, we decided that  the spectacular dinner we had deserved to be capped by another round of something to eat. 

We had Vietnamese in mind, though the mood lost it's charm when we saw how empty of folks' the Viet place was. 

Crossing over the other side of lined restaurants, we saw the glowy' lights of the bricked Balducci Italian Ristorante and decided it was the best place to while the rest of the evening away. There were 2 tables with a total of six costumers, giving rendering the place intimate and charmingly cozy. With the rains outside and the quiet setting we were in, it seemed the best choice.

To its credit, the Balducci staff were all courteously attentive, offering selections and suggestions. The wine list is impressive. We decided on pizza and pasta + a glass of frozen margarita for moi', just the usual fare, a safe unassuming bet considering the time. 

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I guess, you could say that inspite of the rather regal (dramatically) rustic interior of the place, which I appreciated for it's deep character, the food served was nothing spectacular. I mean, I've had the same pizza and vongole in other places...and I can cook a mean one too...sooooooo...it just didn't live up to my....expectation...nor taste.

All in all, it was quite an experience to have finally graced the place, which I've always had a cursory curiosity for, but  always passed for other preferences in the area. Now I know how it is and what it's like.  Maybe one of these days, I'll have the impulse to enter again, kinda' give it another chance, try something else and see if my opinion will alter. It does possess quite a starkly manly feel inside, perhaps, that could be one of the reasons I didn't fully warm up to it.

I am totally grateful for that memorable Saturday night, for the lights and the sounds and the gaiety! A bit more of that wouldn't be so bad, eh? Life is short, so no..it wouldn't be. 

Not at all. 

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