Southwestern Odyssey

We arrived at our lovely condo adjacent to the South Mountain Recreation Area in Phoenix. The facilities and the decor are certainly above our expectations. Just out our back door is a hiking trail that goes for several miles up onto a mountain. For supper, we found an excellent Italian restaurant called Oregano's at 1475 W. Elliot Rd. Tempe, AZ. I was impressed that there is quite a bit of family tradition represented in the restaurant. There is a plaque giving the story of the current owner's grandfather, Lawrence Gibbilini, who lived on the Chicago north side in 1918. He eventually came to Phoenix and opened this wonderful restaurant. I was also impressed that as I enjoyed Oregano's Bistro Classic Pizza, they were playing a recording of Count Basie's "April in Paris," one of my favorite jazz pieces.Les mer