For the second time in a week, I ate this afternoon at Lidia’s Kansas City, the Italian restaurant at which Tawn and I held our wedding reception. Safe to assume I like the place. The first visit was with colleagues. This second visit was a lunch with family members, about 16 of us.
Ava, previously the youngest great-grandchild in the family (pictured on the left with my mother) has been supplanted by Tommy, my cousin Alex’s son. He’s pictured on the right with his mother and our grandmother. It will be interesting to see how Emily and Ava react to no longer being the center of attention. So far, so well…
White bean and summer greens soup. Flavorful broth and quite the kick from some chili flakes.
Fried polenta squares with a dusting of Parmesan cheese. Tasty but not oily.
A roasted beet and peach salad my mother had. What an interesting combination.
A side of barley risotto.
My entree – a rare beef panini (which wasn’t really a panini in the traditional sense) with fried onions and roasted bell peppers. Potato salad on the side. Pretty tasty.
Homemade pasta trio. I didn’t try these but everyone who had them really liked them.
Family members started arriving from out of town yesterday and will trickle in throughout the day today. The big family reunion events are Saturday and Sunday. I’ll try and get some pictures.
christao408 
Okay. I was thinking about making Italian for dinner, but now I’m pretty much bound. That looks fabulous.
Some of the best moments in life:-Lying in bed listening to the rain outside…Thinking about the person you love…A long drive on a calm road…Finding money in your old jeans just when you need it…Giggling over silly jokes…Holding hands with a friend…Getting a hug from someone who loves u…The moment your eyes fill with tears after a big laugh…Wishing you these moments in your life always..!
Yum! hmmm… I’m thinking if I need order take-out from Amorosa Pasta House for dinner.
Ahh… the food looks good and no doubt tastes better during a joyous family reunion. Have fun Chris – I’m looking forward to reading about this.
My mouth started to water when I read your blog, wonder why? Yummy food pictures, and it must be dinner time for me. hehe.
Loved the food porn BUT nothing is as cute as a little red haired boy (except little red haired girls). What a cutie!
I’ve always wanted to try polenta!Just not sure how to cook it!
The salad looks amazing!
family reunions are great! you guys really seem like a super close bunch :)all that food looks so delicious, esp your panini and the pasta!
@iskrak – As much as sometimes I think my family isn’t that close, this reunion helps me realize that we are actually pretty close. We’re no “Big Fat Greek Wedding” family, but there’s a lot of connection.@Dezinerdreams – The salad was an inspired combination.@ikutt – Polenta is super easy to cook, seriously. You should give it a try.@murisopsis – Interestingly, his hair isn’t really that red but appears so when he’s in a certain light.@ElusiveWords – Thanks, Matt. I look forward to sharing the pictures and stories with you.@foggysunnymorning – @anvilsandedelweiss – Sounds about perfect. Did you end up ordering it?
@christao408 – hahah…nope. Next time! I miss Amorosa pasta.
Once again, delicious looking pictures! I don’t think I’ve had genuine Italian food for a while now, so now I know what I’ll be doing!polenta… is that a bread?
@AzureRecollections – Polenta is ground corn, basically “grits”
I love Italian food. I’m intrigued by the fried polenta! I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard of that before.
have a wonderful reuion and the food looks really great especiall the barley risotto and the white bean soup. i put fruit in salad all the time but never tried peaches with beets sound interesting.
@grannykaren – Yeah, the acidic sweetness of peaches goes nicely with the earthiness of the beets.@TheCheshireGrins – You sure should try it, Meg. It is great.
Yum, that has given me an appetite, especially that soup.
BAHHHH!H!H!H!H!H!HH!H!H!!H!H!H!H!I’m going crazy! I have been craving Lidia’s SO MUCH!!! I swear I’m just gonna drive down this weekend just to eat it.
@yang1815 – Only three hours… do it. BTW, lots of hellos to you and Sugi and enquiries after how you are doing.@stepaside_loser – That’s what I’m here for… =D
@christao408 – Seriously considering it. 😀