Last week, amidst a quarter-life crisis and doubts over whether I should even stay in New York, my friend invited me to a rooftop show and party at fancy pants Italian designer Isaia‘s store on the ritzy strip of Fifth Ave. where other fashion bigwigs like Louis Vuitton and Gucci call home. She had me at live music, rooftop party and free drinks, but when I got there and saw a huge table of one of my favorite Italian summertime eats, I knew coming would do wonders for my mood and pull me out of my funk.

Prosciutto and melon... my kinda party

I’ve been to a bunch of catered events in the city, some even specifically Italian, and I’ve never seen such an impressive set-up of prosciutto and melon. They even had one of those shiny, imposing meat slicers with a big hunk of prosciutto being shaved into thin slices right there on the spot!

Remember, I thought to myself, this is why you like New York. Things like these.

Hello old friend...

In Italy, especially during the unbearably hot summers of Florence, prosciutto and melon was always a favorite. Usually it’s an antipasto but sometimes I just ate a ton of it and called it my main meal. The one at this party was delicious: the melon was sweet and juicy and the prosciutto perfectly salty and soft. Together, these two could make anyone momentarily forget their problems. The only thing to worry about is having another piece.