The other day I was zooming through Lawrenceville, trying to get back to my office after a lunch hour crammed full with errands. What to eat? I needed to grab something to take back to work with me but I've gotten kind of picky, as you may be able to tell if you read this blog.

Enter Italia Café. As a lover of Italian food, I had had them on my radar for awhile, but I'd never actually taken the necessary steps toward fulfilling my pasta fantasies. Today was the day.



I rushed in and asked what they used for take-out containers before I asked for a menu. Owner Giorgio Esperti, a very pleasant man, proudly showed me the molded Styrofoam tray. Yes, proudly. He was beaming.

I said, "Thanks anyway. I'll come back when I have time to dine-in."

You could have pushed him over with a feather. He was gracious enough to call me back to the counter mid-flight to question me about what was wrong with Styrofoam and I tried to tell him. There was a bit of a language barrier and I'm not so sure how well words like "highly flammable," "benzene," "carcinogen," or "environmental impact" translated, but I tried.

He tried, too. He wanted me as a customer and it was pretty obvious that he had never considered the true costs of using indestructible materials for carrying quick meals to offices five minutes away from his kitchen. He had never considered the environmental costs or the cost of losing customers like me who would rather go hungry than eat off Styrofoam (I know, I know; there was that thing with Hollis).

We finally settled on putting a calzone into a pizza box and I was on my way. I appreciated his considerable efforts to please me and I'm sure if more of you request compostables when you eat there, he will be on it. He had the attitude of business owners everywhere who know that satisfied customers are the brushetta and garlic butter of their success.

BTW, the calzone was superior and I can recommend the place for your dining pleasure. They even have live music on Sundays. Just be sure to take your own reusable take-out container with you for the leftovers. You'll want them tomorrow and you'll want to feel good about yourself when you warm them up.