Attraversiamo means ‘let’s cross over’ in Italian. It’s usually used when crossing the street or passing through.
This word was made famous by Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Eat Pray Love.
Attraversiamo in Brentwood, California always surprises me because I leave wondering why I don’t dine here more often.
Ron and I arrived at 5:00 p.m. on a week night with a reservation, and the place was already stacked outside with early-bird diners.
“Looks like there are a lot of people who like to dine early like us,” I said to the crowd.
“I’d be here at 4:00 if they were open,” said one nicely dressed diner, waiting with his lady friend. “Me, too,” I replied.
Everything about this restaurant feels curated. The menu, the drinks, even the music, which I find a crucial element to the whole experience when dining out.
When the restaurant opened, the tables nearly all filled with diners. I secretly worried for the kitchen staff to be inundated with so many orders all at one time. Obviously, they have it dialed.
I ordered a strawberry basil martini, a drink not on the menu and one I learned to love from another restaurant in Brentwood, Zephyr’s Bar & Grill. Antonio, our server, assured me the bartender was astute in his cocktail repertoire and that he was up to the task. Sure enough, the pink beauty tasted delicious! A valiant attempt; however, next time I’d order it heavy on the basil. No fault of this bartender. I’m new to the strawberry basil martini fandom, but to date, few meet my expectation. I seldom drink alcohol anymore and when I do, I really, really hope it’s special. This proved worthy, especially on a moment’s notice.