Iced Tea

I like iced tea. Sometimes in a fancy restaurant I will be offered a choice of basil-pomegranate iced tea or organic vanilla-infused black tea from Ceylon, and I always want to say, "Umm, got any Lipton's?" Just tea please. A big glass, into which I will put 2 Splendas. I like my tea a little sweet, but not fruity.

In Georgia I was introduced to sweet tea. For some reason it’s really good, even though it’s really sweet. I like the inch or so of sugar at the bottom of the glass. And for some reason, it quenches your thirst, even in Georgia in August (not a travel tip, believe me).

My dad loved iced coffee, which is now readily available, but he used to have trouble getting it in restaurants. This would be the usual conversation, reminiscent of “Five Easy Pieces:”

Dad: I’d like iced coffee.
Waitress: We don’t have iced coffee.
Dad: Do you have coffee?
W: Yes.
D: Do you have ice?
W: Yes.
D: Then bring me a big glass of ice and the coffee pot.
W: Do you want me to pour the hot coffee over the ice?
D: Yes.
W: It’ll crack the glass.
D: No, it won’t.

And of course, he was right.

On Sunday Mom and I went to Giorgio’s in San Jose, in the Foxworthy Mall which is sort of in the Willow Glen area. The first thing you smell is garlic, and the tablecloths are red checked, so you know it’s authentic Italian. We split their Caesar’s Fantasy salad, which is a Caesar salad with blue cheese, artichokes, roasted red peppers, olives, and toasted walnuts. You might think all those additions would ruin a Caesar, but they don’t. Then we had linguine with white clam sauce, which isn’t on the menu, but they are very accommodating. I haven’t tried their pizza, but it always looks and smells divine on other tables. And they serve big glasses of old-fashioned iced tea, which are constantly replenished. Get a table by the side window so you can watch people coming and going at the water store next door, and ponder the mysteries of the universe.

Giorgio’s
1445 Foxworthy Ave
San Jose, CA 95118-1163
(408) 264-5781
http://giorgiossanjose.com/