Daisy James - Lucie’s Vintage Cupcake Company

She began to feel a little disconcerted that Ed Cartolli had not reacted to her diatribe in any way. He leaned back in his chair, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets, a glint of gold at his cuffs catching the light from the candle on the table, totally in control of his emotions. In fact, was that even a smirk playing around those plump lips? Could it possibly be that he was actually enjoying the scene she was making?

The red veil of rage swirled tighter as an image of them standing next to each other at the workstation in the kitchen of Le Cordon Bleu floated across her mind, both of them fiercely competitive and vying for the top spot. Of course, he had won. The memory fired her ire still further. She gritted her teeth as Francesca arrived next to her and, along with Sofia, linked her arm to persuade her from the restaurant.

But she wasn’t finished.

‘But oh no! The famous Signor Cartolli doesn’t mind who he upsets if it makes an interesting post for his pathetic little website! The vitriol is forming in his sharpened digital pen even before he’s eaten the last mouthful. Is that what it takes to make you feel good about yourself? Putting others down? Do you know how much your words sting? Of course, you don’t have to look the chef in the eye as they read your miserable missives. You never see the pain they cause, like a skewer driven into their hearts! Every chef wants their customers to love their food, the food they pour their love into creating. Your words suppress self-esteem, douse creativity, and even make these lovely people unemployed. Do you even care?’

Her last words were flung over her shoulder as she was forcibly escorted back into the kitchen. The neon lights overhead and the horrified expressions of Gino and Antonio hit her square in the face and she recovered enough of her wits for the slow creep of embarrassment and regret to start flowing through her veins.

‘Oh, my God! Have you any idea what you’ve just done?’ yelled Francesca. ‘I take it that was the blogger from Anon. Appetit ? Do you know what’s going to happen now? He’s going to ruin us! He’ll publish his review, if he hasn’t already, on that stupid website of his and people will say “let’s not go there, isn’t that where the crazy pastry chef works? Heaven knows what we’ll find in our food!” How could you, Lucie? How could you do this to me?’

It was the first time Lucie had seen tears collect along Francesca’s lower lashes, but her boss’s overwhelming emotion was anger. In fact, she was so irate that the whites of her eyes seemed to be bulging from their sockets and her dark auburn hair sprang from her head as though she’d been plugged into an electric socket.

‘You’re fired!’

‘Fran…’ Gino stepped forward, his palms held aloft.

‘Unless you want to join her, I suggest you stay out of this, Gino.’

‘Fran, I’m so sorry.’

‘I’m sure you are, but sorry doesn’t cut it. I can’t have a loose cannon in my kitchen, Lucie. If I let you stay Francesca’s will forever be associated with the chef who went mental. I can’t allow the trattoria and its staff to be tarred with such a reputation. With you out of the way, perhaps, just perhaps, I can salvage the situation. I can inform everyone that the person responsible is no longer a member of staff and everything is back to normal. Gino and Antonio, Sofia and Alberto will still have their jobs.’

Lucie looked around the kitchen at the people she had grown to love and knew Francesca was right. In fact, if she hadn’t been fired she would have quit. She had to go.

Chapter Six

‘Oh God! Oh God! It’s truly venomous!’ exclaimed Hollie, peering over Steph’s shoulder as she scrolled down the page on her iPad to read the details of the review of Francesca’s Trattoria on the Anon. Appetit website.

Lucie took another glug from the glass of Prosecco rosé Steph had ordered for her at their regular Saturday night haunt. She’d hoped the effervescent alcohol would deliver a surge of Dutch courage so she could smile through the agony, but every single word – even though she had read the review a couple of hours before in the privacy of the bathroom at Hollie and Steph’s flat in Wimbledon – still fired a sharp needle of pain through her battered heart. She could almost quote the caustic missive word for word. Still, she suspected she would succumb to the tears which had lurked so close to the surface after the Alex fiasco.

Are you planning to spend an evening at Francesca’s Trattoria hoping for a real taste of Italian home-cooking? So was I. Take my advice – try somewhere else!

As regular visitors to my blog know, Italy is my homeland and its cuisine holds a special place in my heart. First of all let me say that a truly bad review is an increasingly rare beast and rightly so. There is always something good to be found in every food establishment whether it be the beautifully laundered linen, the warmth of the welcome, a well-flavoured potage or a carefully chosen table adornment.

However, occasionally there comes a time when a word of caution is necessary and we food connoisseurs should not shy away from its verbalisation otherwise we could be accused of being no more than cheerleaders for our pet eating establishments or favourite chefs. Those who rely on my blog and my website for their dining recommendations do so for the vein of honesty that runs through my words. My followers are discerning diners who expect food critics to be consumer champions offering an informed opinion on where to spend their hard-earned cash, especially if it’s for a special occasion.

So, turning to the restaurant – or I should say, trattoria – which is the subject of my review this week – Francesca’s. What better way is there for this Sicilian boy to spend a Friday night than indulging in the authentic taste of his childhood? I was so anticipating the opportunity to be jettisoned back in time to the days when my grandmother’s home-cooking was a weekly treat to be relished. I must say, from the moment I stepped over the threshold of Francesca’s Trattoria the years slipped away and I was back at my grandparents’ village restaurant nestled on the hillside overlooking the Conca D’Oro, every one of my senses enveloped with happy memories and the craving for a decent minestrone.

I was served by a fellow Italian speaker whose knowledge of that evening’s menu was exceptional. Her enthusiasm for every dish on the menu spoke volumes of her passion for her chosen vocation. The minestrone did not disappoint: full of flavour and crammed with fresh vegetables and just the right amount of herbs. For mains I decided to order light – a superbly grilled fillet steak which was exceptional – as I wanted to ensure there was space for the best part of any meal – the dessert. Regular readers will know my penchant for a well-executed Italian pudding.

If I could end my review here I would bestow on Francesca’s Trattoria the full five stars – a triumph to be celebrated with a glass of the best Chianti – but sadly, when the much-anticipated dessert arrived, the evening took a nose-dive into horror territory. Not only was it the worst tiramisu I have ever had the displeasure to endure, I truly believe the pastry chef was secretly trying to sabotage her employer’s business via my innocent taste buds. Why else would I be presented with an unimaginative, second-rate dessert comprising layers of leaden sponge that coat the roof of one’s mouth with a claggy paste so harsh I had to resort to downing a whole glass of the tepid water I had been served with?

Even this, my dear readers, would not have warranted a reduction in stars – for I am nothing if not fair in my assessment of the dining institutions I am fortunate enough to visit. No, the pièce de résistance was that the whole sorry ensemble was not dusted with the expected cocoa powder and shavings of bitter chocolate, but with a liberal sprinkling of smoked chilli powder! Yes, chilli! That aromatic spice fans of Mexican cuisine will be familiar with strewn all over my dessert! Disgusting!