My best friend was in town from Toronto and we had carved out a very special bit of time, only to arrive at our restaurant destination to find that it had moved to a waterfront location.  Sometimes finding a convenient parking spot on Corydon Ave. during the lunch hour is a challenge and so we decided to search for an alternate dining spot instead of starting the whole parking process over again.  We were in the mood for Mediterranean and Colosseo Ristorante Italiano was beckoning to us with its sunny patio and huge umbrellas.

I have been visiting Colosseo since it opened in the 70’s when the area dubbed “Little Italy” along east Corydon truly was dotted primarily with Italian family owned businesses.  Unfortunately for the area, but happily for Colosseo, it appears to be the sole survivor.  There certainly are a number of sushi options now a days.

Since I was noshing with my bestie, it was a foregone conclusion that we would order and share our meals.  The Feta Salad might lead one to believe that they were ordering a Greek or “horiatiki salata” which is a rustic concoction chock full of tomato and cucumber chunks.  This lighter version retained my favourite part-the pungent feta and placed it upon a mound of romaine.

Accompanying the salad was an exquisite bowl of Cozze Pepate-spiced mussels in a green olive oil, white wine and garlic sauce.  The flesh of the crustacean was plump and sparkling fresh and would have been enjoyable in itself but the sauce (oohh the sauce!) elevated the dish to nothing short of spectacular.  I order mussels as often as possible, in fact I had them again the very next day, but few versions can compare to these.  We ensured that not a drizzle of the sauce remained by mopping it up with pieces of the delicious bread that was served alongside.

Perhaps it was the sparkling sunshine and the company of my dear friend but I could have been sitting on a terrazza in Italy and not been more pleased.

Kath’s quote: “We hear of the conversion of water into wine at the marriage in Cana as of a miracle. But this conversion is, through the goodness of God, made very day before our eyes. Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.”-Benjamin Franklin

Love-that is all.