Buca de Best-O

Does happiness = chicken cannelloni? At Buca de Beppo, it sure does! Our family, Web, Megan and Vance, Julie, Rob, Chris and Meagan all headed down to Cool Springs tonight enjoy some good friendship and some great food.

David and I had never eaten there before, and we were not disappointed. The servings are huge, the food is awesome and the atmosphere is unlike anything we had experienced before. You expect Tony Soprano to round the corner any minute and say "Aaay...you lika da lasagna? You waid 'til you trya da canoli. My cousin Vinny makesa da best." Megan, our resident Italian, informed us that "buca de beppo" means "grandmother's basement," and that's exactly where you feel you are. Low ceilings, exposed lighting, dark colors and tons of cluttered photographs and art make it very homey.

Dawson didn't get to eat any spaghetti, but he inhaled his bottle like no tomorrow. Vance enjoyed his hot dog, peaches and Kix. Both boys were a big hit with all the ladies and the waiters (big surprise, I know. When you're that cute, who can resist?).

Tonight was a great reminder of how fortunate we are to have such good friends, and also a reminder that if you're going to eat your weight in pasta, there's no better group to do it with.