O Diva O Diva

 

O Diva

I know Diva more and before anyone else we were newly married and together finding our way about living in a joint family. It was a family lunch at Mezze Luna probably the first venture of Ritu Dalmia in  the early 90’s then Diva at GK2, Diva Café at GK1, Diva Spice, Diva at the Italian Cultural Centre… we had been to all of them. Wife has  always loved it, Daughter’s favorite….her eyes light up, and it’s her got to place for good food (she likes Pan Asian and Italian Food)

As TS Eliot in The Love Song of Alfred J Prufock says I have measured my life in spoonful’s of Coffee . I would say, I have measured my life in visits to Diva and its café’s. In many ways, she introduced us to Italian food through her restaurants, her persona and her shows on TV. There were many other Italian food exponents in Delhi…. Nat of Flavors… Italianos and Village Shoppe in Gurgaon (oldtimers would recall).

We had many a fine dine and café meals on occasions and just like that as it’s in my neck of the woods. Once while having lunch, Ritu Dalmia dropped by at our table and asked little Ananya (daughter) all of 12 or so, what have you ordered, Roasted Pumpkin Raviolli , very impressed and took photos with her. True connoisseur of my food she said.

Two, recent visits, one with brother Sanjiv, another a chance meeting with dear daughter Ananya.

First brother Sanjiv, after imbibing a few Titos’s vodkas at home we went to the trendiest neighborhood bar, Yangdup Lama’s Side Car, packed in an Old Fashioned Cocktail each and another Old Fashioned each at Depot 48….  (more of these bar stories later).

We were now ready for the Dinner. We had a reservation we were given the best table… corner by the upper floor window. We were introduced to an old hand our waiter Pandeyji of nearly two decades of fame and service. He took over and got a us great red wine, out of the expensive bottle into a decanter to breathe and served meticulously, a small portion of pasta cooked with blue cheese, nicely done, New Zealand lamb chops, didn’t care much for them, aaah the Pork chops, just divine and highly recommended…..quite a lot to drink a little woozy. But still remember the Tiramisu portion and were we all set after a great dinner attentive service, good recommendations.  Ah yes, the next table was a celebrating anniversary couple with a young builder husband and selfie obsessed sari clad wife… she took more photos of the evening than all the shutterbugs at  Katrina -Vicky after wedding show to the press, yes and the husband took more phone calls than Arnab Goswami, in a talk show. Yet again a great experience left me feeling like the proverbial Pavlovian dog craving for more.

Second, after being reintroduced to Pandey ji and picking up Tiramisu for my daughter another time from him , I requested my daughter to hang out and do her UPSC preparation and study over a coffee at Diva sometimes instead of her permanent address Starbucks a few shops away. And lo behold, a couple of days later I pop in to meet her impromptu and she was at Diva, having a coffee and in waiting for a Raviolli lunch and then we decided to have an exotic desert… plated magnificently… though they claimed they made their own ice cream. I very much doubt it. In all a great surprise lunch, though I had eaten some and joined in. In a Pandey ji  brought us back to Diva after the hiatus of the Pandemic. Go to Diva, now they cater at home and with DIY kits too from Casa Diva, who sends me constant updates.

#italianfood #divacafe #restaurantsreview #cafelife #tiramisu #machiatto #lambchops #porkchops    #raviolli