Overseas and Off-Campus Programs Blog
Vincenzo’s: Late Night Take Away
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Author Name
Author Program
Program Semester and Year
Student Major
I have always longed to be a regular at a restaurant. To have mutual recognition between myself and the server, make small talk, and go our separate ways is my dream. My dream came true with Vincenzo’s. Vincenzo’s is a takeaway restaurant that serves a variety of food, including burgers, chicken, milkshakes, and chips. I first experienced Vincenzo’s my first night in Dublin. My friends and I will usually go once a week, after a night out or for dinner on the weekends. We see the same man working every time we go in so we called him Vincenzo.
Over the span of two months, Vincenzo’s became the late night snack restaurant. After a night out at the bars, Vincenzo’s would always be the last stop. My favorite order is the 4 piece chicken tenders and a milkshake. Vincenzo’s has also become a place of shared experiences. Anyone in the FIE program can recognize Vincenzo’s chip bag and milkshake from a mile away.
As time went on, the man who has always been working at Vincenzo’s has started to recognize us. I will never forget the first night he did when he watched us walk in and he said “3 milkshakes, 3 chips”. I was taken aback. I was so happy he acknowledged us. We laughed, said yes, paid, and went our separate ways. Throughout the month of March, this man, whose name we have never learned, has been taking our orders. If I come in with a small group of people he asks “where are the others?”, if I only order a milkshake and no chicken fingers he will ask why. I finally got the courage to start the conversation and ask about the shop. We had a small but polite conversation about who the owner is and how it originated.
On deeper reflection as to why I want to be a regular, it clearly relates to making somewhere a home. I feel a greater sense of community and belonging when I am recognized by a local. I feel established and that after only a few months I can call Dublin home. This shop has meant more to me than many will know. I started new friendships over their chips, I created a home just around its corner, and it helped me feel comfortable and settled in a new space.
Thank you Vincenzo’s.