Top 40

Life Begins at 40; so they say. Perhaps for others, after all the years they’ve been accountable for and committed to something else as much as they've been absorbed by ‘self-establishment’ and fulfillment, life at 40 is a manifestation of having gone full-circle. I guess a new life or meaning to it is it for me or perchance a moment of realization.

I’ve just realized that 40 couldn’t be the points I could be scoring in basketball after playing the game quite recently. I suppose 40 is the combined number of aching bones and muscles I felt afterwards. The timeliest awareness though was upon leaving the court. From the gym we played on just right across the street is a familiar image. As if it was really reminding me of the many season changes before me, there was a recollection-of-memories; a prominent name stood there calling: Mario’s

We just had dinner there a few nights back and have been acquainted with Mario’s 40^th year. Back in the day, along Session Road where it 1^st stood, I remember how Mario’s conveyed such sophistication as you walk-through the facade. There was that feeling of rousing aspiration for an elegant experience.  It was after-all the only known proximate fine dining back then. As such, it has benchmarked for others to tag along; in a way it likewise cooked and served inspiration…

4 decades and counting is motivating indeed. It’s a milestone and a celebration of having made it. Similarly, it’s a concoction of the learning experiences as base ingredient for a new chapter.

I’ll be 40 this year. Beginning the subsequent episode of my life is beyond proving anything… Accordingly, it’s a thanksgiving commemoration of what I have lived through that molded my character. And what better way to celebrate than to relive and relish the flavorful attainment through reminiscent food and place:

For the mixture of occurrences throughout the years: Paella – It’s not how “yellow” we express our potential or how piquantly varied our elements are but how we set our complementing factors for a unified zest.

Remember how your 1^st kiss felt? There was that tingling feeling that somehow felt “Whoa!” ironically floating deep within. Evocative of this is “Italian linguine” (little tongues)… Thus the meeting of tongues would duly be best described through (t)supping of linguini – Mario’s Seafood Linguini that is. Tsup tsup!

At 40 and speaking of seafood, “going deep sea diving” isn’t a problem. So it’s not for its aphrodisiac property why I enjoy Mario’s succulent cheesy mussels for an appetizer. (“Mussels for your Muscles” perhaps) Dig in!

How could we better manifest the essence of looking back than immortalizing what initiated our being – the appetizer for our essence so to speak – Unlike any other prepared vegetable salad with immensely overwhelming vinaigrette, with their “down-to-earth blend of dressing”, Mario’s Ceasar Salad is the best I’ve tasted so far!

Yup, so far… still a long way… just 40; Like wine that’s seasoned to perfection… Like Mario’s, I’ll top 40… CHEERS!