198. Photo Ops

Even at my (very) advanced age, I love my birthday. I really don’t want stuff. What I want is experience. And this year was a real humdinger.

It turns out that the Facebook gremlins have noticed that I’m interested in Italy, so they send a load of Italy-related posts my way. Most are from affinity groups of people planning trips there, asking questions about where to go and what to bring, expressing anxiety about the possible faux-pas of wearing sneakers, and the deprivation of not having enough space for a hairdryer and a curling iron in their luggage. But this year, the gremlins got it just right, letting me know about two events of great interest, right in my birthday season.

First was an announcement of a brunch concert with Neapolitan crooner Patrizio Buanne at Philadelphia’s City Winery, which of course was a must-do. I had seen Patrizio in concert in 2019, when in a goosebump moment, he brought the late, great Bobby Rydell up on stage to join him in singing “Volare.” Given that I am normally in my pajamas by 6:00 PM, having a concert at noon was a perfect birthday bonus. The room was filled with Italian-Americans and “IBMs,” a term I recently learned meaning “Italians-by-Marriage,” who leapt to their feet and danced when Patrizio sang some of the favorites in Neapolitan dialect, as well as the Italian songs that Elvis recorded with English lyrics like “O Sole Mio“/”It’s Now or Never,” going back and forth between the two languages.

While in the pre-phone days, concert-goers were strictly prohibited from taking photos, there is now a “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” attitude, and photo-ops are an expected part of the event, with the realization that the audience will provide free publicity by posting on social media. So rather than having to skulk around and hope to get a shot of him in the distance, for the price of a $10 photo, I was able to meet Patrizio, get an autograph, and pose for the all-important picture.

Earlier in the week, I had another birthday activity, when my friend Nanette and I went to an event featuring Nadia Caterina Munno, the “Pasta Queen,” someone I’d never heard of until the Facebook gremlins decided I’d be interested, about a month ago. It appears she is ramping up her American presence with a new cookbook and a cooking show on Amazon Prime. Originally from Rome but now living in Florida, she has a very over-the-top personality, heavily-accented English, and a flamboyant look. For me, the best part of her television show is when she is in the region she is featuring in that episode, and speaking Italian with the purveyors of a local specialty, like mussel farmers off the coast of Puglia, bread bakers in Altamura, and the ladies making orecchiette in the streets of Bari.

At the Pasta Queen event, there was some confusion about our tickets, so Nanette and I got to the venue early to make sure we’d have time to get it sorted. And because we were there an hour early, we were mistaken for VIPs, and ushered in with a small group to meet her and have her autograph the cookbooks that were included in the ticket. So we each got a hug, a signature, and of course, a photo, taken by a staff member stationed there for that purpose.

But here’s the best part. My previous post featured Gianluca Conte, a young Italian-American whose brand is his shirtless TikTok cooking videos, and who not unlike the Pasta Queen, has a glossy new cookbook and a social media presence. Much to my surprise, it turned out that he would be interviewing her at this event.

Given how large he looms in my household, I simply had to overcome all shyness and go over to meet him.

I think he was a bit taken aback that this elderly woman was going on about how much she liked his cookbook and enjoyed his recipes, which she refers to as “Betch” recipes, in honor of his catchphrase, “Buon Appetito, Betch!” Clearly, I was not his target demographic, but he was a sweet kid and a good sport.

What a birthday!