DI NI NG
For appetizers, Merrill brought us a plate of Sweet Chili Calamari, adorned with toasted sesame, shaved cucumber, and all-important crispy wonton; Florentine Tomato Soup with its not-too-subtle notes of spinach and parmesan; and the Lakeside Wedge, a serving of iceberg lettuce. (Some of you are shaking your heads in disbelief overlaid with a touch of pity. Why would someone (me) select something like the Lakeside Wedge? How does a serving of iceberg lettuce, the most humble product of the Salinas Valley, earn a place amongst Lakeside’s lineup of extraordinary dishes? Well, I’m already pushing the word count limit, so just ask me the next time you see me out and about. I can defend my choice and the integrity of Lakeside’s menu. Really.) The three of us consumed our appetizers with unseemly abandon, which I’m going to chalk up to post-Covid exuberence. Next, Merrill delivered Cast Iron Seared Scallops proudly arrayed upon a bed of lemon risotto and enrobed with spinach, basil pesto, roasted red pepper; Chicken Francese, served with capellini, asparagus, creamy lemon butter and white wine sauce; and Soy Demi-Glace Grilled Salmon joined by asparagus aux orange, and jasmine rice pilaf, and drizzled with coconut cream sauce. All three were showstoppers, and all put a sudden stop to our animated conversation, which eventually resumed.
Finally, we sat back, vaguely stupid and deeply satisfied. But Stuart and I mustered enough fortitude to order dessert. He raved over his rum-drenched Bread Pudding, but in honesty, how could it possibly compare to my Budino di Cioccolato? The cynical among you are saying, “Luke, you started your meal with a hunk of iceberg lettuce, and you ended it with chocolate pudding? Whatever happened to your critical faculties?” Well, let me summon a healthy serving of umbrage at your surprise outburst and answer that this wasn’t “chocolate pudding.” This Budino di Cioccolato is the logical and final elevation of chocolate as a holy food first conceptualized by the Mayans in approximately 940 AD. It’s easy to understand why those architects of the first great New World civilization would incorporate this magnificent fruit of the cacao tree into their holiest of rituals. Just try the Budino. I’m not saying I’d cut out someone’s heart for Budino di Cioccolato, but I might push down an old lady. Fortunately, as long as Lakeside maintains its current menu, I won’t have to face that awful choice. by Luke Osteen
107 J U N E 2 0 21 | T H E L A U R E L M A G A Z I N E . C O M
