A Saintly Feast

Did you ever have one of those weekends where you felt like you needed another weekend just to recover?  That was my past weekend.  Most of the chaos revolved around partially renovating our kitchen to make way for some new appliances; but somehow, I also foolishly talked myself into running the Mercer Island Half Marathon on Sunday.

By the time Sunday evening rolled around, I was too spent to do anything about supper.  Then I remembered that St. Benedict School was hosting a Spaghetti Feed until 7 p.m. that included wine!  So we bundled up, and with children in tow, my husband and I walked to Wallingford and 48^th.

After driving and running past the school over the last 12 years, I finally had the opportunity to step inside one of Wallingford’s oldest institutions, which, admittedly has more charm on the outside than on the inside.  But we were instantly greeted with the pasta and fragrant garlic smells emanating from the basement cafeteria; so rather than take in the sites, we followed the scent directly to the ticket table.

The price for dinner was $8 for adults and $6 for children, with wine and dessert as an additional cost.  Tickets in hand, we went into the cafeteria which was decked out in an Italian theme—complete with red checkered tablecloths, Chianti bottles, Italian flags, and the swinging sounds of Louis Prima in the background.

Our server was 10 year-old Cullen, who expertly took each of our orders, giving us options between spaghetti with or without meat sauce, or a vegetarian option.   Caesar Salad and a bread stick were also optional, and for the kids, we could choose between milk and soda.  As my husband went straight for the wine table, I took in the atmosphere, noting the great turnout of neighborhood families and couples.  The feast began at 11:00 a.m., and at 6:00 p.m., it was still going strong.

The service was quick, portions were generous and tasty, and the wine a little overrated, but a necessary way to cap the weekend.  The desserts were chock full of sugary goodness, and the little ones burned their calories off on the school playground after dinner.  All in all, it was a great little feast.

The St. Benedict School Spaghetti Feed was a fundraiser for the sixth grade class to be able to attend a four-day Environmental Camp.  I highly recommend checking it out next year!