One of my favorite stories is of time spent in a now closed restaurant in picturesque Cesenatico called Macondo (after the magical village from One hundred years of solitude of Gabriel García Márquez). We went there because Macondo was the antithesis of a restaurant - it was away from the main tourist drag along the canal, the two self appointed chefs were childhood friends of the fisherman who provided the daily catch and then there were a couple of local musicians, also friends, who we were told will stop by whenever they can. There was as much spontaneity and genuinity as one could wish for.

So on a cold and rainy November evening while searching for a place to disperse our seasonal gloom we headed there and discovered to be the only customers. The whole place was dark and empty but in the middle of it there was open fire and the promise of roasted chestnut to be enjoyed later with the new wine. Massimo ordered some grilled sardines as antipasto, then pasta con vongole to warm us up.

One of the owners came to say hi and to share stories of his travels and travails. He confirmed Macondo is not a place to make money, it is where friends join to create heartwarming moments. And indeed some people started arriving. A friend brought the promised castane (chestnuts) from his farm, another one showed off his new Sangiovese wine. Finally when the accordeonist stopped by I realized that in a company like this one is sure to have the best of time.

Between dancing and savoring the wine, a memorable night convinced me that Romagnoli, the hardworking, passionate inhabitants of Romagna, know how to face the darker side of autumn. The ambers of a fire and the aroma of roasted chestnuts always bring this memory back. Sadly Macondo is gone but the shared joy of season's pleasure remains. Romagnoli continue celebrating the many gifts of autumn - the truffles, the new olive oil, the friendships...

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