To those of us from back east, anything "authentic" is to be revered. We view our former homes as "the motherland" and are constantly trying to find pieces of it in our new, adopted locale. So my family is always trying to find authentic foods of any ethnicity. One of the most important is pizza.
So today I walked into Buono's. I dared to ask Dave, the owner, if it was really authentic and he asked me, in his thick NYC accent, what part I was from (people often mistake me for a New Yorker). When I told him "Boston" he said he'd serve me anyway.
I got everything I wanted at Buono's today. I got truly authentic pizza that was absolutely incredible. I got the kind of charm from Dave that makes me long for the coast, the kind that people unfortunate enough to be from elsewhere foolishly mistake for rudeness. I got a half hour of New York in Chandler, AZ. I basked in my moment, being at home in the motherland. I ate with relish. I savored the banter. I made a friend.
Dave told me to come 'round with the family. I can't wait to introduce them.