#tonio's restaurant

[ask-natsumik]

Natsumi’s birthday occurs during Diamond is Unbreakable. In the anime, it is somewhere between episode 27 and the beginning of episode 31. She ate at Tonio’s restaurant at least twice or three time.

In episode 27, she even asked Josuke to lead her to the restaurant.

[headoverjojo]

I always check if your ask box is open. What a relief to see it didn't say "🚫giogio-xp is no longet allowed here🚫"! If La Squadra boys went to Tonio's restaurant, what would he cook for them so they feel better? I bet it would be funny to see them freak out, like Josuke did at first.

Helloooooo :3 ahahahah!! No no, no fear, your requests are always so interesting and challenging, at most you could see “giogio-xp is more than welcomed here”!! And aaaaa I loved this request, I love to write about food :,) Here we go!! I hope you’ll like it :3

La Squadra di Esecuzione at Tonio’s restaurant

(Under the cut for length!)

Risotto Nero

One look at him, and Tonio immediately understands that Risotto’s main problem is his immense lack of sleep. Even if the Capo has his usual stern and neutral face, Tonio can see the tiredness that peeks from his traits, from the serious line of his mouth, from under his eyes and his frown. Now he knows what he has to cook to make him feel better.

The chef presents him a dish that makes Risotto’s heart leap in his chest: sarde beccafico. He remembers he ate this dish when he was a child, when his uncles came from the sea with a fish so fresh that it seemed ready to bounce around… he still remembers the delicious smell of chopped parsley, anchovy and sultanas that were the stuffing of the sardines, and then all his relatives’ voices and laughs, his mother, father, grandparents, various uncles and cousins, all together to share the meal. It is like going back in time…

Since the first bite, Risotto feels like a weight is being lifted from his shoulders. He’s suspicious, but the chef doesn’t seem dangerous -and he has more than a sixth sense for dangers-, so he gives another try. Again this feeling, this time more intense. The sardines are delicious, like the ones his grandma cooked, and he’s feeling… less tired, he’d say. Keeping his eyes open doesn’t seem anymore a trouble, his muscles seem to be stronger, faster. He didn’t feel like this since years. He also feels lighter in his soul, as his constant mourn and stress have been lifted from him, leaving him, for the first time in years, free, free from mourn, guilt, stress and nervousness. Even if he’s absolutely not old, now he feels young again! It’s like he has finally recovered all the sleepless hours spent in his office doing paperwork or in mission. He’s more than ready, now, to go back to work, stronger than ever!

Prosciutto

Tonio seems to scan Prosciutto, the moment the man enters his restaurant. Oh, so it was it… It doesn’t take long to the chef and his stand to see that Prosciutto smokes, from his slightly labored breath. Now that he knows it, Tonio can work on the right dish to make his customer feel better!

After a little, Tonio brings him a wonderful slice of pizza rustica. Prosciutto sighs, smiling slightly, remembering when his mother gave him, usually around Easter, a slice of it for lunch at school or when he was around Naples’ streets with his friends. So many good memories… a thought, however, lazily swirled in his mind: how did Tonio know that he was from Naples? Still, maybe it was just a coincidence…

Prosciutto knows that the pizza rustica can be spicy, as it has, inside, spicy salami, but so spicy to make him cough smoke? What the hell?! And it doesn’t seem to stop!! Now he knows how his Grateful Dead feels, always spitting smoke… Prosciutto almost tears up from all the coughing and the smoke. It’s a thick, grey smoke, it seems to be endless… until, finally, it stops. He’s still coughing some puffs of smoke, but nothing all. The first thing he pretends to know is what the hell just happened?! And, after Tonio’s explanation, Prosciutto is left completely surprised. That dish… cleared his lungs. Now that Tonio said it, Prosciutto notices that in fact he can breath better… well, so Tonio really didn’t mean to harm him, after all. He releases his Grateful Dead, bringing Tonio to his youth, muttering an apologize. Well, never freaking out an assassin, that’s common sense!

Pesci

Tonio almost don’t even need his Pearl Jam to check what was wrong with Pesci: his posture. Pesci is tall and shy and this leads him to always try to shrink down and hunch all over himself in order to be less noticeable; this, after a while, had its bad effects on his posture and back, to the point that he can’t almost keep his back straight for more than few minutes.

And so, after welcoming him, Tonio goes to cook a delicious baccalà alla napoletana, that he serves him after a little. Pesci is stunned: how did the chef know that that was a dish of his childhood? He and his family lived by the sea, near Naples, and his grandpa and father brought home the fishes they didn’t manage to sell. Baccalà alla napoletana was a common dish, at home, and he loved it so, so much, the wonderful taste of olives, capers, cod and oregano… it was a symphony of flavours.

And, even if Tonio’s isn’t as good as the one he ate when he was a child -super fresh and local ingredients make a huge difference, after all- it still is a delicious dish. Just that, after a couple of bites, Pesci feels strange. His back is hurting more than usual… he yelps when it just snaps straight, raising him up of a good ten centimeters. And, even if his back is completely straight in a correct posture, it doesn’t hurt. This prevents him from calling out Beach Boy and unleashing it on Tonio, but he still pretends an explanation. The chef, after introducing him his stand, explains the benefic effects of the food he cooks, leaving pesci baffled. It is so, then… this explains everything. And so, Pesci leaves the restaurant with a new back and the recommendation to not hunch over himself again, but to walk proudly and with a straight back!

Formaggio

Pearl Jam immediately notices that Formaggio’s problem is in his liver. Tonio assumes that his customer is a drinker, and he isn’t wrong; Formaggio, even if he’s not an alcoholic, likes to go out, alone or with his teammates, to have a good drink, especially after missions, but this, on the long run, has a bad effect on his liver; effect that Tonio is ready to erase with a dish!

Formaggio recognizes the smell even before Tonio brings the dish on the table: carciofi alla romana. He never forgot that smell that so often impregnated the air in the run-down apartment block where he lived. His neighborhood, a old lady who had more grandchildren and nephews than years, when she cooked artichokes in that way, always gave a portion to Formaggio, knowing that his father wouldn’t have ever cooked for him even if Formaggio was just a child. When he could eat those delicious artichokes filled with garlic, parsley and pennyroyal it was always a feast and this memories stays in his mind also now in this restaurant.

Immediately after the first, blissful bite, Formaggio starts to sweat. He immediately recognizes it isn’t a normal sweating, as his sweat smells of alcohol. What the hell?! What is this?! He immediately fears an enemy stand attack and, since he started to sweat right after the first bite of artichokes, the first one to be suspected is Tonio himself. Immediately calling out Little Feet, Formaggio, panting and sweating, pretends an explanation that is quickly given; at Tonio’s words, Formaggio stumbles back, surprises. A stand that heals others through food? Amazing. And, following Tonio’s instructions to check himself, Formaggio notices that, in fact, he’s fine, no, more than fine: he never felt so light! His right side, which always hurt, now it’s perfectly ok; he feels fantastic! Formaggio takes note of that place: he could always come back to fix some other ache, one day…

Melone

It doesn’t take a genius to understand what’s wrong with Melone: he’s seriously underweight. His body would be slender even if he’d eat, but, since he’s always focused on his stand or one of his experiments, he often forgets to eat and this, in time, led him to be so underweight. Guess Tonio will have to give him the right nourishment!

And Tonio, after a little, comes back to his customer with a good dish full of grifi. Melone’s eyes almost stings, as that so familiar smell permeates his nostrils: he remembers so well when his mother cooked it for him and his siblings, he remembers the strong and delicious smell of tomato paste, onions, cloves, thyme and red wine, the ingredients that made beef meat so special… he sighs, with a small smile, almost seeing her smiling at him, that bright smile that made him forget about his father’s violence, for a little. This really is a throwback…

Melone, even when he eats, takes usually few bites and nothing more. His stomach is not used anymore to eat a proper meal, but Melone never cared a lot about it: as long as his muscles and organs function properly, there’s nothing to worry about. But this time is different: he doesn’t stop after a couple of bites. Even if slowly, he finishes the meal; the first to be surprised by this fact is Melone himself. He doesn’t even remember the last time he ate so much… and looking at himself, he notices some changes. His arms aren’t anymore so bony, as his legs and torso. Not fat and neither too thin, but… normal. As he didn’t see himself since long. Could just a meal do something like this?! More curious than scared, he asks Tonio to explain, listening, intrigued, to his explanation about Pearl Jam’s powers. A stand that works for health… finally something interesting!

Illuso

Illuso’s problem is less obvious than what it may seem, as he’s very careful not to show it around. Still, Tonio spotted it quickly, when Illuso squinted to focus on the cook: the assassin’s sight is pretty poor. Still, thanks to his stand, Illuso always managed to fool not only his enemies, but his teammates too, since he despises glasses and can’t wear contact. He couldn’t fool Tonio, however!

And so, after checking him with Pearl Jam, welcoming him and then going back in the kitchen, Tonio comes back with a dish that Illuso hasn’t eaten since ages: polenta e schie, a typical venetian dish. He still remembers when he went with his friends to fish schie, typical small lagunar shrimps, and then, back home, he always was served a slightly richer dish, since he worked to fish the shrimps. He still remembers the silky and delicate flavour of polenta and the strong and tasty flavour of the shrimps and how they perfectly mixed… it reminds him few good memories he has of home, of his Venice, and, for once, he softly smiles.

When he can finally savour the first bite, his eyes start to sting. It’s strange… they sting as before a royal cry. And so it happens: he starts to tear up and he can’t stop it. He doesn’t even know why he’s crying!! He doesn’t feel like crying, but his eyes are tearing up so much, like never before, as if he’s under a powerful allergic attack. He can’t even see anymore, with all those tears in his eyes, he tries to dry them as much as he can but nothing seems to work… until, as suddenly as they started, the tears stop. Illuso can finally dry properly all the tears and, when he opens his eyes, to his utter stupor he… sees. He can see again, he sees so good that he can’t believe it. He doesn’t need to squint anymore to focus on Tonio’s smiling face, as he’s seeing him perfectly. How the hell…? He doesn’t freak out, hearing the chef’s words and seeing Pearl Jam. It’s really a useful stand, and frankly he has seen weirder stands… Pearl Jam is kinda cute, other than useful.

Ghiaccio

Someone would think that Ghiaccio’s main problem is his sight, seen the glasses, but it’s not so. His main problem is his bones. He always had fragile bones, he always had the tendency to break his limbs. Even now he slightly limps on his right side, as his right leg didn’t heal as it should. That’s why Ghiaccio prefers to skate than walking: when he skates, he has White Album’s support and he doesn’t limp.

Tonio’s attentive eyes immediately notices that Ghiaccio is limping, even if it was so slight to almost be unnoticeable. So, he goes back to the kitchen to prepare the right dish for him: panissa. Ghiaccio is silent and full of stupor, when he sees Tonio serving him a dish he ate so many times in his childhood and teenager years and that he hadn’t eaten or smelled since so long… it’s like he never left Piedmont. The smell of rice, beans, onions, salam d’la duja and wine brings him back to his youth, to the long afternoon spent in the ice skating track, when he still dreamed to be a top tier athlet, when Olympic Games seemed so near to reach, before his world crumbled down… luckily for everyone around, the panissa brings just happy memories, so no one is in danger, for the moment.

However, after a couple of bites, Ghiaccio freezes. His bones are hurting like hell, it’s like a hammer is hitting them again and again, as to mold them. The pain is so intense to be almost unbearable!! It’s worse to be poisoned, he doesn’t even have terms of comparison for this pain. The temperature in the room drops dramatically and instantly, as Ghiaccio stares, with a murderous look, at Tonio, whose breath now comes in steam puffs, and gets up, charging at him without even calling White Album out. He doesn’t need his stand to beat the shit out of someone. But, before he can actually unleash his anger, Tonio asks him if he noticed that he came to him without limping. Blinking in surprise, Ghiaccio takes few steps back, noticing, as Tonio said, that he’s not limping. He broke his leg when he was 15, he almost doesn’t remember how it is not limping… and, after Tonio’s explanation, he finally lets the temperature go back to normality, to Tonio’s utter relief. Ghiaccio is more than enthusiast: now that he doesn’t limp anymore, he’s even stronger than before and nothing can stop him, now!