Brittyn Halbert

Hello! I’m Brittyn Halbert, a senior advertising major with a psychology minor from Flower Mound, Texas. Before this trip, I had never been to dinner at a sit-down restaurant alone, but I had always wanted to see what that would be like. The food, atmosphere and loving staff made my first solo dining experience a special and wholesome memory. Thank you for following along with my story about one of the beloved restaurants of Arezzo: Cavour 42.

Casa Per Tutti

After spending a few minutes rehearsing how to ask for a table for one in Italian, I felt confident enough to walk up the red brick stairs leading up to Cavour 42. The small amount of confidence I had conjured up completely vanished as I began to butcher the language to the Italian man at the front desk. As I struggled, a smile washed across his face and he said, “Oh princess, I can speak English. Now let me get you a table.”

The warm lighting made the small, homey restaurant an inviting place to spend some alone time to refresh my social battery after a busy day. After browsing the menu, I decided to order Pici Aglione and a glass of the house white wine. 

The chilled wine was complimented perfectly by several slices of Tuscan bread drenched in olive oil and salt. A few minutes later, the smell of tomato and garlic completely took over the atmosphere as the man set the bowl of creamy pasta onto the paper place mat in front of me. 

I stirred the thick noodles with my fork which made the steam from the pasta gently kiss the sides of my cheeks. Diving into the dish, I discovered the noodles were tender and firmer than the ones I have eaten previously in America.

​

These noodles were slightly undercooked with a firmness that allowed me to really focus on the rich tomato flavor of the pasta. The tang of the tomato and slight spice consumed my taste buds. The man walked by with a grin on his face as he watched me slurp up the last noodle from the large white bowl. 

I told him that this is the best pasta I'd ever had. Knowing that most Italians see Americans as uncultured and ignorant, I attempt to explain how authentic I was with this compliment. 

“I know you probably think as an American I don’t know anything about pasta, but I really do mean it when I say this pasta is truly amazing.” 

He stops me, as I start babbling on, to say that I shouldn’t downplay my understanding and experience. He explains that he doesn’t hold the same negative beliefs about outsiders that most Italians do, and views everyone as unique individuals rather than people divided in worth based on nationality. 

From locals to tourists, his main goal is to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and satisfied. No matter who stumbles across that divine bowl of pasta heaven, at Cavour 42 they want everyone to indulge in the true Italian cuisine experience and feel as if they are at home.