Synopsis:
Twenty-one-year old Nicoletta travels to Rome to find her mother, Olga. Olga abandoned Nicoletta 15 years ago, saying that the man she was in love with wouldn't want her if he knew she was a divorcee with a young child. Nicoletta finds Olga at Casetta dell'Orso, a restaurant owned by Olga's husband Lorenzo, the man for whom she abandoned Nicoletta.
The entire staff of Casetta dell'Orso is composed of handsome older gentlemen who wear glasses. Trying to figure out what to do with herself now that she's found her mother, Nicoletta finds herself attracted to Claudio, the restaurant's head waiter. Nicoletta convinces Olga to give her a job in the kitchen, promising her that she won't tell Lorenzo she's her daughter if she does. As far as everyone knows, Nicoletta is the daughter of a friend of Olga's.
Nicoletta settles into life at the restaurant. She becomes serious about learning to cook well. She spends time talking to her mother, and, as she falls more in love with Claudio, she begins to get a better perspective of her mother and why she did what she did. She learns more about the staff members of the restaurant - including that Claudio is a divorcee who may or may not still be in love with his ex-wife.
Although Nicoletta becomes friends with both Claudio and her mother, the various secrets and complicated relationships mean that things can't necessarily remain as they are.
Commentary:
I got this manga via ILL after reading a review about it on Unshelved. Plus, I really liked the cover art. It would have been awesome if the same look could have been used throughout the entire volume.
I wasn't really sure, at first, what to write about this manga. Looking for inspiration, I reread the whole thing, and I found I actually enjoyed it more the second time around. This is not my usual manga fare, and, although it hasn't made it onto my "to buy" list, it was a refreshing change.
