Dishin': Bollito Misto at Salumi

When we were growing up, television told us that "Wednesday is Prince spaghetti day." No Prince spaghetti in sight for us this past Wednesday, but plenty of Italian food. Seven plates (plus salumi, olives, dessert, and the oh-so-wonderful lardo lollipops) at the back room of Salumi for lunch, followed by seven fabulous courses at Serafina - as well as a sneak peek at Cicchetti, the new Venetian-inspired bar that will serve small plates.

The cream of the crop and standout dish of the day - the one that made us leap for leftovers - was the bollito misto at Salumi. We're talking mixed boiled meats, in this case consisting of brisket, beef tongue, two types of sausage, and something called zampone. And just what is zampone, you ask? Sausage meat stuffed inside a pig's trotter, we reply with glee.

It's a testimony to quality when we're stuffing ourselves silly with meat at the end of a multi-course meal. But it was the broth that was most addictive. Salumi made it with chicken stock and cooked it for five hours, giving it a dark and delicious taste. After two fulfilling Italian meals, that broth was the brilliant answer to the "What can I squeeze into my stomach for lunch?" question the next day.