When in doubt, pasta

Another year's gone by, and my friendly neighborhood prime broker has very kindly invited me to lunch again.  As usual I left the choice of restaurant up to them, and they've decided to take me back to 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana.

I debated for a few minutes about whether I wanted to order a single bowl of pasta I love, or take the set lunch on offer.  The last time I came here and took the set lunch, I was distinctly unimpressed by my amberjack.  So I took the set lunch but chose the pasta option, since pasta is always a safe choice here.

Marinated scallop, fresh mix tomato salad, fresh herbs - pretty simple and decent.  Love the different types of tomatoes.  Nice and clean flavors.

Homemade tagliatelle, osso buco ragout, porcini mushroom - I was a little surprised by the osso buco ragout, as the meat came in nice and uniform cubes instead of being shredded.  Then again, this IS a restaurant with 3 stars... so I suppose things needed to be a tad more refined here.  Anyway, it's hard to find fault with the pasta here... from the homemade noodles themselves to the delicious sauces.  The porcini don't hurt, either...

Once again I decided to pass on dessert, and just nibbled on a little piece of biscotti.

Yeah, I'll just keep coming back for their pasta... especially since they took my favorite lamb chops off the menu.  Boo...