There’s this restaurant near my grandma’s house in Corona Del Mar, California named Antonello’s. I have a very deep connection to this restaurant, which is an authentic Italian restaurant. Every time I visit my grandma, we eat at that restaurant. Everyone in that restaurant knows my grandparents. They always treat my grandparents and us very well. I have learned so much from this restaurant. This restaurant is really important to me and so are the people I eat here with. I always eat here with the same people.

As you walk to the entrance, you walk under a green arch. The entrance has a very dim, eerie light. The door is made out of very dark wood. When you open the door there is a long, dark red rug with the word “Antonello’s” on it. There is a table right next to the door with a bowl full of candy. The entrance is always so crowded, and you have to walk past at least 20 guests to get to your table. When we walk in, they hug and kiss. My grandma always tries to speak Italian with them and she tries to make jokes.

One year for Christmas Dinner, we ate in a special room in the back that you have to walk through the kitchen to get to. When you walk through the kitchen, you can hear the crackling of the oils in the pans and the pots banging to get together. In the room, there is a large table that could fit 12 people. It is very quiet there and cold. The chairs are very wide and are made out of dark wood. I always sit right next to my grandmother. She helps me order and gives me hugs. All over the walls, there are paintings of Italian food and famous Italian cooks. If you look out the door, you can see chefs rushing around and people making food.

Every time I go there, I order the same food: the bolognese, a meat sauce over pasta. The bolognese always takes so long to come out so I eat several pieces of bread before it gets there. I still manage to save space for the bolognese.

Throughout the dinner, there are always at least five really funny things my grandpa does. Everyone at the dinner table laughs and we talk about it on the way home. My cousins always tell stories about my grandpa. My aunt is so funny. She makes jokes throughout the whole dinner. My sister is always spilling things. The head chef and owner always come into the room and ask us how we are doing. They come in too many times, at least seven times per dinner. The waiters usually come to us pretty late because it is always busy. The waiters are always dressed in nice suits and speak Italian to us. When we finish our entrees, we always order chocolate soufflé. The soufflé takes so long, and we can’t wait to eat them. This makes them even more delicious. When the waiter comes in with them, he pours the chocolate into them and we watch it melt. We always order too many.

Whenever I eat at Antonello’s, I realize how important family is and how many lessons they have taught me. My cousins taught me how to be a gentleman and to hold the door open, my grandmother teaches me table manners, and my grandpa tells me stories, jokes, and history. Every time I eat there I learn something new. After eating there so many times I have realized how much people have to teach you. I can always learn something new from someone, and learning things from people has made me a better person.

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