When you walk in to the several months old Trattoria da Lina, and you’re greeted by Michele, he immediately brings authenticity to Takoma Park, MD with the first singing syllable of his Puglia accent. Automatically I feel I’m in the perfect place.

While seated at the bar (just a few seats), my experience from beginning to end has me to believe I’ve died and gone to Puglia, Italy heaven. AMAZING authentic southern Italian food + Michele with his hospitable energy and sexy accent = #YUMMYLICIOUSNESS!

You see Michele has also graced us from Puglia, where the owner Marcello Minna and the restaurant’s namesake, Lina (Marcello’s mother) are from. And, they bless us with authentic southern Italian cuisine from recipes passed down from Ms. Lina. Bless her and her gift of food prepared and passed down with love.

Trattoria da Lina is rustically comfortable, friendly, delish, and reasonably priced. And, that’s all you can ask for.

I started with the complimentary bread and Sun-dried Tomato Olive Oil. Nice touch to the normal “over it” olive oil.

Next was the Burrata and Heirloom Tomatoes, which was very fresh and tasty.

After much (okay a lot) pondering over the pastas I decided on the Spaghetti Alla Carbonara with pancetta, eggs, and cheese. The pasta is made in-house. And, you know how sometimes you order a pasta dish and it comes out with glub globs of sauce. Nope! Not this one. And, me being the saucey gal that I am, I can admit it was just enough to bring the flavor and essence to the dish. Letting me know those other places are doing it all wrong.

And, for the finale, some people judge an Italian spot by its’ pasta. Some by its’ pizza. Others by its’ sauce. And, true, each and every one of those are imperative contributions to Italian food. But, my ultimate judge is Cannoli’s, for they can ruin or balance out an entire meal. Not the limp crusted kind. But, the one’s where the shell is the perfect crispness filled with creamy (not too creamy) and deliciously sweet (not too sweet) ricotta cheese. It is truly all about the shell.

I sipped on a Rose, which is outside of my normal wine of choice. And, I witnessed Michele preparing a Negroni and I just had to have one.

Before my time was over I found myself saying “Ya! Ya!” and “Grazie” in their infectious accent. Well, Grazie Ms. Lina, Marcelo, Chef, Michele and the rest of the team. Grazie Tante!

My friend Tracy Hogarth-Mosier of Blue Zaria (a travel curator company), had a wonderful Italy trip planned in 2017 that really piqued my interest. Prior to that, Italy was a mild thought. I’m more clear that Italy’s breathtaking countryside with its divine, authentic cuisine, needs to be an experiential vacation stop in the immediate future. Like pronto. Love! #BeDoLove #Yummyliciousness #IDineToWriteAboutIt #FindYourZen #BirthAndLiveYourSOULfullPurpose

Maura Judkis Review – https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/a-nod-to-a-red-sauce-mama-at-trattoria-da-lina/2017/07/20/262a951c-6bdb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.e8a1de06e0ad

Why Puglia – http://www.thetravelmagazine.net/top-10-places-see-puglia-italy.html