when in Rome, or New York

I'm lucky that my company offers summer hours, which translates to half-day Fridays. Holla! If you know me, you know I really can't pull that off...anyway...Last Friday I finally made it to Obika, a mozzarella bar in Manhattan that opened over a couple years ago. The menu is designed so that you can create a meal around one (or all three!) of their mozzarellas (Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, to be exact). I opted for only one mozzarella (decent size that--when combined with vegetables or meat of the Italian variety--can easily be considered a meal or can be shared as an appetizer) with grilled vegetables and pesto. The mozzarella was light and slightly sweet, and for a few moments eating it made me feel as though I was spending a summer day in Rome, and not a summer Friday in midtown.

Half-day Fridays were made for this...