Akosua Osei

Writing for The Social Sciences

Alyssa Yankwitt

4/3/22

A Trip to Italy

As I love to try new things and am a foodie (someone obsessed with food), I decided to draw out the inner food critic in me and go to a restaurant that Tik Tok has ravaged called Fumo, a modern Italian restaurant serving Italian comfort food such as fried mozzarella, pizza, and pasta. This uprising restaurant only has two locations: one in Harlem right next to Campus Deli & Grill and one on the Upper West Side. Since I barely eat Italian, and when I do, it’s the typical chicken or shrimp Alfredo, I was fascinated to see if I would like the food. After trying both places, I was surprised that I loved the food and couldn’t wait to go back. I think Fumo has complied with what people have said and joined the list of my new favorite restaurants, which says a lot about the restaurant itself. Let’s take a little trip to Italy.

Scenery

From afar, Fumo Harlem seems small, but as I approached, I was surprised by the plants surrounding the restaurant. I do not know what type of plants they were or whether they were fake. They seemed fresh and gave off a modern, vibrant yet minimalistic vibe (Refer to Figure One). On the right before opening the sliding door, there was a sign in colorful writing that said “Do not enter if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, Racism, Homophobia. Thank You!” I didn’t know if it was a marketing scheme to get people to feel welcomed, or if the owners and workers of the restaurant believed and practiced what their sign said, but it warmed my heart to see it and made me feel more comfortable. When I entered the heated tent for people who wanted to sit outside, I was more surprised by the interior of the restaurant. Above me and the hostess’ booth were various wall plants green as a field in Ireland, wooden balls with mini led lights woven into them, and on my left, I saw amber wooden rectangular tables with two black metal chairs, one on each other with two white plates with FUMO printed on them, utensils wrapped in a cloth napkin, as all restaurants have. Above the guests sitting in the heated tent were transparent plastic serving as a window, more plants hanging from the wooden structure holding the tent, and led lights in the shape of a bulb. After a short wait, the waiter walked me to my table, and I was in love with the simple but chic atmosphere of the restaurant. The setup outside was like the inside in relation to the dining room, but what caught my eye was the color scheme and the bar setup. The bar was made of white marble, and there seemed to be many shelves full of different bottles of alcohol. As they sparkled in the sunlight, the colors bounced off the walls and gave me a summer vibe.

Food and Drinks

I ordered the Fumo Mocktail, which consisted of pineapple, lime, cucumber puree, and seed lip spice. The green drink with two slices of cucumber, a few cubes of ice, and a slice of lime at the corner of my glass came in a four-inch lean rectangular cylinder. It cost $10, and to my surprise, it tasted delicious, although what I paid compared to the portion size was not worth it. I quickly became addicted to the green goodness and ordered more as soon as I finished the first glass. Then I ordered the Fried Mozzarella, five rectangular mozzarella blocks of cheese, golden, brown, and crispy, which seemed fried to perfection with parsley sprinkled with marina sauce, which tasted well with it to my surprise. Now as I sip on my mocktail, I decided what I should eat as my main course. The options on the menu seemed endless: Pizzas, Paninis, Burgers, Pastas, Steak with Fries, and Grilled Salmon. I was open to trying new food, but then I know that I am a picky eater. One mistake could turn my opinion of this restaurant around, which, to be honest, I didn’t want to happen. So, I decided to play safe and order the Fumo Burger, your classic cheeseburger, but with Chipotle mayonnaise and truffle fries. The burger was a longer wait than the rest of the food, which made sense to me since it is an Italian restaurant. I would assume that not many people order the burger. When it came, my mouth began to water with anticipation of tasting what seemed like a delicious burger: perfectly seasoned, a soft bun, and most importantly, juicy. The buns of the burger were toasted golden brown, the patty was grilled to a perfect dirty brown with one slice of tomato and lettuce stacked against each other, and the fries were a crisp golden yellow with parsley sprinkled. As I bit into my burger, the flavors of the beef patty exploded inside my mouth with the other ingredients of the burger, and I closed my eyes to fully experience what seemed like heaven in my mouth. The fries were crispy, golden brown, and well-seasoned, and after finishing my meal and asking for the bill, I was beyond satisfied.

Returning home

When going to Fumo, I had preconceived notions that it wasn’t that nice, and I would be disappointed with how the food tasted and the portions regardless of the countless reviews I read online praising the place.