New Pizzeria Prosecco Bar - Open in Hatch End Lucky Friday 13

San Manzanos (see my previous post about the name).

Open at 6 pm on Friday 13th, 2015. The balloons inside say Good Luck for the Friday opening and are heart shape for Valentine's Day on Saturday.

San Marzanos are tomatoes, which probably appear on their pizza. Prosecco is a sparkling white wine which comes from Northern Italy, reputedly originating in a town called Prosecco near Trieste. The grape used to make the wine was called Prosecco. 

Confused? Everybody was confused. Especially when people from both Prosecco (the place) and other regions made a wine called Prosecco (place name) from Prosecco (grape) and other grapes. Now the local grape is called Glera.  

Pizza is from the South, of Italy, not America.  The Americans claim to have invented Pizza, although some say Americans invented a particular type of pizza, known as Chicago pizza, which is thick crust pizza. Trust the Americans to make everything bigger, for taller people with bigger appetites. That's how you can remember the difference. But some people prefer thin crust pizza, considering it more authentic, as well as less fattening. Plenty to talk about whilst you are sitting eating pizza and drinking Prosecco.

The restaurant's chairs and tables are an eclectic mix of colours and styles. I liked the cute and clever round table for two in the shape of a barrel. 

You might like a square table with a tile top, or maybe wood.

If you need more space to spread your bottom, bag or coat, choose a banquette. On second thoughts, I my first choice is not the chairs by the bar shape table; I shall aim for a banquette. I'm the sort who needs lots of back support. (I'm also scared of heights so places with bar stools are not for me. Especially if I lean too far back laughing at my own jokes.) 

However, alternative seating, if your back can look after itself keeping upright, is a backless cube shape stool which is safer than perching a bar stool, keeping you grounded, near the ground. But I'll leave that decision to you. I'm heading for the banquette. 

So who is going to buy me a drink and share piece of pizza?

 I arrived before the menu and for the first month they plan to be seeing how it goes and possibly adapting the menu. 

Owners And A Familiar Face

Who is in charge? I met the two owners. One is certainly a familiar face if you have had coffee and snacks in Delicious, serving coffee and bagels a few doors along. Hatch End is a hub for coffee, snacks and lunches during the day, with wine and dine in the evening. I keep counting the bars and restaurants, about 16. 

I don't yet have the restaurant's business card nor menu but I can tell you where to find it. In the middle of the high street, near the crossing. More news on the menu soon.

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, photographer and author.

Photos copyright Angela Lansbury.

(Angela also writes comic poetry, and draws caricatures with watercolours and gold.)

Self-portrait, by 'Angella'.