This is dedicated to my friend and inspiration, Chef Luciano Bardinelli, who passed away in Italy yesterday. Here’s a tiny bit about him before I came to know him.
“The Godfather Moves On. Ciao Luciano”
Where he ended up was in San Luis Obispo. I went to work for him in February 2018, a little over 6 years ago, and stayed on with the new owners after he retired. The Today’s Specials sign came from La Locanda.
Ciao, Luciano.
Charlie had woken up feeling much like Penny had a few days ago. He got up, turned on the coffee pot, and quietly stepped outside for a smoke. He checked his phone and noticed Michael had texted him. An old friend had passed away. He knew the diner had all the ingredients, so he decided to teach Penny the one recipe he knew. Luciano Bardinelli’s Lasagna Bolognese. He’d met Luciano in San Francisco at his restaurant Ciao, and then when he moved to Seattle where he became the Godfather of Seattle’s Italian restaurant Renaissance, Charlie and Maria would visit Settebello on Capitol Hill, and sometimes they’d all drive up to Vancouver together to have lunch at Umberto Menghi’s place.
Charlie would visit La Locanda every time he passed through San Luis Obispo since it had opened in 2014 as “Firefly Pizza”. When he noticed the new owners had taken down the Today Specials sign and a couple of other framed items of Luciano’s he’d left behind for them, he brought them back to the diner in 2022. Charlie snuck back in the trailer left Samantha a note, and walked to the diner.
He had already chalked up a new Today Special sign and was just in the beginning prep stages of making the lasagna when Penny came in. The jukebox was serving up Sinatra, and she’d already seen the sign on her way in.
“Good morning Two-Bits. We’ve been on such a rollercoaster, that I realized I haven’t made this dish since… before Mouse got here, and no, don’t you dare cover that Bechamel sauce!” -Charlie, noticing Penny inspecting everything.
Penny dove in and helped Charlie make everything, the most fun being making the lasagna noodles. They each ended up wearing one. Around 6:30 Jessie came in looking for coffee. Charlie could see something was weighing on Penny’s mind.
“Go, I’ve seen that look. In the mirror. When I was on that road trip with your mom. Every morning.” -Charlie
“Thanks, Dad.” -Penny, walking out of the kitchen and up to Jessie, sitting at the counter with her coffee. Penny whispered something in Jessie’s ear and then after grabbing her coffee, the two of them headed over to the barn.
When the door of the diner shut as they walked out, Charlie walked over to the jukebox and dropped in a dime.
“Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco” -Charlie
“Nothing happens as it’s planned, eh?” -Samantha, who’d come in through the back, was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the diner.
“I suppose that’s why I thought of it.” -Charlie
“What smells so fucking amazing.” -Samantha
“A recipe from an old friend” -Charlie
“Will it be ready for the night shift?” -Samantha
Charlie nodded, walked into the kitchen, stirred the Bechamel, and then got that Jones Family grin as he walked back up to the jukebox and dropped a dime in.
“Una casa senza donna è come una lanterna senza lume” -Charlie
“You know you don’t have to do that?” -Samantha
“It’s tradition.” -Charlie
"You’re not referring to the dime” -Samantha
“Nope” -Charlie
“And.” -Samantha, putting Charlie’s left hand on her waist.
“Here.” -Charlie putting his right hand on Samantha’s ass and pulling her close.
“We.” -Samantha, looking up at Charlie.
“Go.” -Charlie, who then kissed Samantha as the needle dropped, and danced Samantha into the kitchen.