An almost summer-ish mid-Septemer evening found the band of eight entering Leeds and parking at Piccolo. We have visited Piccolo when it was on Water Street in Catskill and again at the bottom of the 23B ramp to 9W, and again at its current site in Leeds.

 It was fortuitous that we were placed in a set-aside room that had sliding doors, allowing for a diminishment of noise of music and general crowd. Thus, we could talk and be heard the length of the table.

 Piccolo’s is clearly, and proudly, an Italian restaurant, and one of the worthier ones in the area. And the menu reflects that.

•             Appetizers include: Zuppe di Cozze, Calamari Fritta, arancini, etc.
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•             A choice of two soup were available, one of which was Tortellini en Brodo.
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•             Two salads await, both able to accommodate chicken, shrimp, salmon or steak.
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•             About ten pasta dishes tempt, among them: Rigatoni Bolognese, and other standards
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•             Another ten entrées await, among them: slice steak Calabrese, chicken Romano, and topping the list, the choice of two of us: chicken alla Piccolo – chicken breast topped with prosciutto, eggplant, roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella, served over spinach.
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•             Each category had a special added to it. Deb K enjoyed the entrée that seemed to have everything thrown into it.
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•             An extra nice touch is the included bread to the table, a doughy roll with a small cup of roasted peppers and herbed butter.

A half-dozen desserts were available but the wait between courses was dragging out and the dessert people took mercy on themselves and the others to not wait another half hour. And Leeds does not have a Dairy Queen!

 The drink order included the usual range – wine, beer on tap, mocktail, soda, water. (No gin and tonic that I remember)

 Service by Zach was excellent – dressed to the part, attentive, accommodating. Other restaurants might take some lessons from our evening.

            ALERT: ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF SERVICE

“To me, it was far from excellent. He was polite and accommodating to a certain extent. Personally, I thought he was a little sluggish in terms of pretty much every part of our meal. Drinks took a while and beer was warm when it arrived, which would seem to indicate it was sitting on the bar for a while. It just seems like there were long lapses in his appearance, especially when it came time for additional drinks. When it came to dessert and getting our bill taken care of it was a ridiculous wait. I’m not usually in a hurry when we go out to dinner, but I found the service to be exceptionally slow, but perhaps that was just me.”

 Ambiance has been spiffied up a little since DP8 dined here when it was Murphy’s Law. More brightness, more polish, and a greater expectation of fine food pervades. Good silverware set, small vase of small and colorful flowers, sturdy and heavy chairs are Piccolo-marks. The tabletop was rustic treated rough wood slabs that fit our room which faced the backyard and woods. With mirrors on one wall, we could see a fire blazing in the outdoor pit and a look outside revealed another twenty diners enjoying a warm evening.

 The final bill per couple, with two entrées, no appetizers, one drink might have left the wallet drained of at least $60. More typical – one salad, two entrées, two drinks came to $115.

 Topics at the table (and in the Karnes car) meant catching up and updating.

            One prime story was Deb K’s return to working at the farm and riding a horse (not hers, for now). Good going, Deb, and more meaning for “getting back in the saddle.”

            The other prime story was Ken and his health progress. We hear things are progressing but we all fret a bit.

            Other news fit-to-print: several weeks of what would normally be perfect weather but is bordering on drought; Clem’s 90th birthday party at the Pub; a Hawaii trip soon for the Notars (quite a contrast with no-amenities-Adirondacks); nature’s animals all over the place – deer bunching up already when not challenging cars, a bear making the rounds, a bobcat killing a woodchuck, and that’s not counting squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, skunks, raccoons, and the rest of the world we normally see; dining out with friends and neighbors; Linda’s eye; Chay golfing; Don bicycling; Kriss’s vehicle incident; a search for a new truck; not much cutting of grass; the Teator flower garden and carrying water; the Notars at Food Pantry event; a change in our October date (29th); restaurant prices; Deb K’s left arm musculature adapting to normal life; everyday travels and encounters; ducks and cats and bears; the earlier sunsets now noticeable; catchup on offspring and offspring’s offspring; marital changes; friends’ travels; and a bunch more that crosses the table but seems not be captured for this newsletter.