Speck-wrapped Scallops at Lombardino's

Have you ever had a meal when you can actually taste the love and care that went into preparing it? I believe we all have. Contrast that with a meal that was made hastily, perhaps, or one that was slapped together. I believe one of the reasons that chefs are enjoying so much celebrity right now is that food is love. Think about it: food nourishes us, it inspires us, it is creative, close to the earth, and can be an act of love in its preparation. If you've ever watched Iron Chef, you can see the love going into the ideation and preparation of each dish. And so it is with many chefs....

...so it is with Lombardino's. Years ago, Lombardino's built its reputation on the traditional style of Italian food. Darned good Italian food, but traditional just the same. Turns out someone there was paying attention, because they have gradually turned the direction of the restaurant toward a combination of the Italian traditional with nouveau cuisine. ...consider this: pizzas with poached figs, gorgonzola....truffles!

We have become Lombardino regulars- we eat at the bar. Recently, we went back for the scallops, which had caught my eye the first time we spied them on the menu. However, Jim is not a huge fan of scallops, so at that time we feasted on the duck papardelle, which is reviewed in another post. But, back to the scallops....and not just any old scallops, but SPECK WRAPPED SEA SCALLOPS, served on a stew of Borlotti beans & escarole with stracotto of beef short rib & horseradish sauce. Talk about scrumptious! Not for the seafood-eating vegetarian, these are a wonderful combination of flavors, deep and wide on the palate. Just the thing to fill you up- and I feel compelled to add a side note here that we share plates to add variety. One salad, two diners...one entree, two diners....just the perfect amount of food, lovingly prepared and served. This is one example of what I mean when I say "food is love". Just as I have made a beet-loving convert out of Jim, this dish has made him decide that scallops (at least prepared in this manner) are something he loves.