Easter 2023 was spend island hopping the Borromean Islands of Lake Maggiore. I see them often from the train and am always intrigued, so here we are. You’d think I’d have arranged a holiday lunch in a tiny town, but I was determined to wing it. Based on gorgeous location, adorable lounge area, fellow apertivos, and a soundtrack of the Police- Trattoria Toscanini would have to be my spot.

Even the plant covered sign was cute.

The terrace was like something out of a Tuscan farmhouse…this must be the place.

To start off I enjoyed the Caprese salad which came situated on a bed of a fun basil cream, a creative twist on a classic.

For the main, I ordered tagliatelle with zucchini and some fun sounding cheeses unfamiliar to me. Instead, I think the waiter messed up and brought me the seafood fettuccini. I took it as fate that I was meant to have seafood on fisherman’s island and tucked in. I will say, I love seafood and I love pasta…but not generally together. This one was especially weird as the woman next to me enjoyed a plate of mixed seafood. Suddenly, this unwanted mixed seafood sauce I had in front of me was looking extra yesterday.

Come for the apertivo and the views, skip the pasta. A bit of a disappointing special occasion meal, but a bit of that on my not speaking up either. Sometimes it’s hard to know if it’s redirection or fate or if you should say what you really want. This is particularly the case when it comes to pasta.