One of our favorite places to go to in Greensboro is Cafe Europa. It's a little spot that's right up the street from us, and it reminds of us of the little cafes that we went to while we were in Europe (so it's appropriately named). We recently got bikes for Christmas (because we are, in fact, 8 year olds), and it's an easy ride up there. They've got great food, including the Tuesday Night Mussel special that we took advantage of last night, good drink specials (half-priced wine on Wednesdays!), and good people. When Elizabeth suggested that we go up there for dinner last night, I immediately said yes.
On our way there, I got to thinking that I wanted to try something a little more informal than the sit-down interviews that I've been doing so far this month (which are already very informal). Elizabeth and I don't go out to eat often, but when we do, our interactions with wait staff are like most people. We are polite, we ask what they recommend, we thank them for their service, and that's about it. We might learn their name and then quickly forget it. We might see the same people if we visit the same restaurant again, and there might be a slight familiarity, but nothing more than that.
I wanted to change that. So when Martina, our server, stopped by to bring us waters, I asked her if she'd like to participate in my blog. And then each time after that (when she brought drinks, when she brought Elliot's food, when she brought our food, etc.) I asked her a different question that I had been asking others throughout this project. She didn't want her picture taken, but I'll explain the image above in just a little bit.
Martina has been at Cafe Europa for ten years, making her a staple there. She said that the other employees, particularly the younger ones, call her "Mama."
She's been at Europa since the first time that I visited there. It was a few weeks after I had moved to High Point, and I heard about something called "Half-Priced Wine Night" and thought it was right up my alley (it most certainly was). I've continued to visit there since I moved to Greensboro, and it's become a place where Elizabeth and I like to celebrate. And whenever we're there, whether she knows it or not, Martina has helped in those celebrations.
Martina has been there for when we celebrated my new position at HPU. She was there when Elizabeth passed her real estate classes. She's been there for proposal celebrations, moving-in celebrations, and after wedding celebrations. She's been there for date nights and impromptu wine nights. Martina was there to celebrate after we found out about Elliot, and for when we got to have alone time after he was born. She's been there for a lot of the special moments in our lives, and she didn't even know it.
What meal reminds you most of home?
Martina: Beef stew. I'm from the Czech Republic, and it is cooooold there. Beef stew helped keep you warm.
What is your favorite thing to eat here at Europa?
Martina: Easy. Ensalada del mar. I'm big on the salads here, so good.
If you could bring back one musician, who would it be?
Martina: I don't know how many people would say this because of all the mess he got into, but Michael Jackson. I'm one of the few that would admit that. He got a little crazy, but who hasn't?!
Martina was really gracious and helpful when we brought Elliot in (Cafe Europa is a great spot, but it's not really a "kid-friendly" place). She moved tables around, got it so he would be comfortable, and told us about some "off-the-menu" items that would be good for him (his Mac-and-Cheese was pretty fantastic). She even came through with milk to avoid a meltdown that she could see coming a mile away.
I think the reason that she was so great with Elliot was that she has children of her own. We talked about enjoying the snow with our kids, how we had been sledding and how it had been so much fun. She had gone sledding with her four year old right after the storm had hit, and she loved going down the hills of the neighborhood with her.
The last thing that Martina did was show us "Brainiac," a little man that she and some of the staff had made one night after the restaurant was closed and the wine had continued to flow. She let Elliot play with him, and that's who you see at the top of this post.
I would have liked to have talked to Martina more, but because we go up there so often, I don't think that it'll be too long before we see her again. This was a fun way to "interview" someone, and to talk to them for a little bit more than I usually do. Someone that has been around for some of the biggest moments of my life. And she didn't even know it.
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