Strozzapreti

Hotel Bristol, Luxembourg-Ville, March 9, 2012—

YES, I KNOW, that's not strozzapreti in the photo, it's spinach. I can explain. We booked into our hotel about two o'clock, after a bus and then a train ride from Vianden of blessed bacalhau memory, and promptly took a nap. Where to eat dinner? Well, why not the Italian restaurant right across the street?

Strozzapreti are just about my favorite pasta, thick enough to be both dense and oxymoronically light when well made and well cooked, and though these were with sausage in a brown sauce they were not overwhelming.

Best of all, des épinards were on the menu. Nature, mussieu? Yes, just simple, no cream, a little butter and salt. How I do love spinach.

Chardonnay, BioBon (whatever that is) en pichet, nv

• Bella Napoli, 4, Rue de Strasbourg, Luxembourg; telephone