"The good news is that you finally discovered your passion for playing spoons and are going on tour with a folk band. The bad news is you’re almost done with medical school. You want your parents to be as excited about this as you are, but a certain amount of skepticism on their part is probably inevitable. Tell them everything at Monteverde. It’s crowded enough that they won’t want to cause a scene, and the Italian food is so good it will distract them from how much money they’ve spent on your many, many years of education. Speaking of which, you should probably pick up the bill. The regular dinner service is booked out for months, but they serve lunch Tuesday through Saturday, and your chances of getting a table go up exponentially if you look for a reservation then. The bar is first come, first served, so come here alone and plan to take up an absurd amount of space for you, your pastas, and your pork shank." - adrian kane