Yummy

An *angel* treated me for lunch last Wednesday at Balducci in Serendra. Oh, it was one of the most gustatorily pleasing lunches I've had in months! To begin with, the seats, tables and overall feel of the restuarant is so comforting - it is a treat in itself to be inside it in a swelteringly hot day. The lemonade I had was a bit on the sweet side but it surely beats the "pseudo-lemonade" I've had the previous day at another restaurant. Their complimentary piadina wedges and butter-liver pate-salsa spreads were already something to make you go back. But there is more. We had pasta, three of them: vongole, gnocchi and my favorite in Balducci, the Spinach Ricotta Ravioli. Oh, heavenly! The gnocci is also very interesting and it turned out to be outstanding too. Now it rivals the ravioli as my Balducci favorite. The gnocchi's sauce is similar to the ravioli but it has a different texture. It has blue cheese (I think) inside which melts in your mouth and the flavor simply goes along perfectly well. I realized it was my first time to taste a gnocchi and I'm just pleased to have it in Balducci. You can actually order a three-pasta sampler if you are a light eater and you just want to try their different pastas. We got whole servings of the pasta though. After lunch, we had lavazza coffee, glorious crema floating on the surface - no more dessert needed.

Of course, nothing beats good company to come with the free meal. =)