Give My Regards to Broad Street

I'm on my own for dinner, something I have a lot of practice at, albeit not in Italy.

Confident I can find a satisfying place to spend an evening, I set out up the hill.

I am less than two minutes in when a smiling man walks toward me, saying, "May I have the pleasure to kiss you?"

Whoa.

I give him credit, though. Most men just undress you with their eyes, and at least he stated it up front.

Taking that as a good reason to find a place off the street, I duck into Tito's Pub for a bite.

My androgynous-looking server (I still have no idea whether to say her or him) welcomed me with limited English and a glass of Prosecco before I could even open my mouth.

Well, if you're going to ply me with bubbles, sure, I'll stay.

It was then that I noticed the enormous screen on a nearby wall, long one of my pet peeves.

But, what's this? On the screen is MTV.

Maybe it's my television illiteracy, but I had no idea MTV even showed on TV anymore.

And, even better, it was a show called "Star Wars," essentially battling videos by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Lennon's "Stand By Me" video was a charming home movie of John and Yoko looking very in love followed by Paul's "Goodnight Tonight" with the band in tuxes and slicked back hair.

Paul looked very young and adorable, Linda looked like an '80s version of the '40s. This was fun.

Since I didn't have anyone to talk to, this seemed like fine entertainment for someone who couldn't chat up the staff, as is her usual way.

The wine menu was all bottles, but I managed to convey my wishes and received a glass of Agliancio in return.

With no one with whom to share my meal, I kept it simple with fried prawns in salt and pepper sauce, only a little surprised when I saw that the prawns were fried in their shells.

Crunchy, nicely seasoned and no doubt full of fiber, the eight large prawns were more than filling.

I had a side of fresh sweet corn in butter and it was easily two ears' worth of corn covering the plate.

Meanwhile, John did a live in NYC version of "Instant Karma" and Paul did a war-torn video for "My Brave Face," playing multiple solider parts.

My attentive server hovered about, eager to ensure I had everything I needed.

Are you kidding? Lennon doing "Jealous Guy" with old Beatles footage interspersed?

I was doing great.

It was some time after Lennon's "Woman" and McCartney's "No More Lonely Nights" that my server cleared my table.

Before I could decide what I wanted next, there was Lennon's "Working Class Hero" and Paul's "Pipes of Peace."

Next thing I knew, my server was putting Limoncello in front of me, so I wasn't going anywhere.

There was John doing "Imagine" and Paul doing "Press" and I was sipping the nectar of Sorrento.

I could have left after "Star Wars," but I lingered for George Michael, the Clash, the Eurythmics, Lenny Kravitz and an Italian called Zucchero doing a soulful horn-filled take in Italian on "Take Me to the River."

Actually, I lingered for a lot more, but I wouldn't want it to get around that I took pleasure in a screen for an evening, even if it was a big screen.

Taking a cue from the last video I saw, Queen's "The Show Must Go On," I headed back out into the streets of Vico Equense.

"You are so beautiful. Would you like to walk?" a stranger almost immediately asks me upon stepping outside.

Such shameless flattery. Such nerve.

Just another night in Vico Equense.