A Middle-European encounter

	Not all Italian food is Italian

Should or shouldn't I? The pros and cons of being a Jew in a pork restaurant

Lunchtime, my last day in Trieste. I had just returned from a tour of the magnificent Miramare Castle and was on my way for an interview at the Area Science Park before heading back towards the airport. Since we were in a town more traditionally more Middle-European than Italian, I decided to eat in a typical Austrian bistro.

The tiny, bustling restaurant was packed with men and women of all ages. A smorgasbord of freshly grilled meat hung behind the counter. Waiters were shouting in Italian and dodging between tables at high speed. It was clear to everyone that I was a tourist and when I tried to find out what was on the menu my waiter responded something like "soltanto porco" - "only pork." And pork was all they had. Here was a Jew, sitting in a certified non-kosher restaurant, trying to find something to eat and write a culinary critique about.

I don't eat strictly kosher anyway. I keep a sort of kosher convenience, turning my religiosity on and off depending on what looks appetizing at the time. But now my head began to bounce between the little devil whispering in one ear: "Go for it, this is your chance!" and the angle in the other ear urging: "Don't forget who you are!" I looked at the people around me. They were all smiling from the home-style food that was clearly satisfying both their appetites and their souls. What should I do? I couldn't just walk out.

After a deep internal conversation of almost fifteen minutes, the angel inside me won and I decided it was too much even for selectively-kosher me to eat a pork meal. Luckily. I went on deciphering the menu and the waiter's suggestions and finally managed to find one dish that didn't contain pork. After eating, I still did not feeling too comfortable about the whole pork vs. no pork episode. I quickly left the restaurant and strolled down the road to another cafe where I got a delicious tremissino with tuna and an espresso before dashing off to the airport.

If you ever end up in a small Austrian bistro in Trieste that only serves pork, know that you can always order a rather good cheese platter. And even if you don't eat, it's still a very special experience.