Lunch at Jim's (A Celebration of Food!)

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food." - George Bernard Shaw.

One of the things that happens at the holidays is that you eat all kinds of festive food until you just can't eat any more. At a certain point, it's hard to think of anything else you're hungry for. That's when my husband and I go to Jim's! To be more specific: Jim's Italian Cuisine, located on Cherry Lane, behind the Undine Fire Company in Bellefonte.

This was the beautiful lunch we had there on this day. It featured chef salads with the house (Italian) dressing; beautiful, golden, crispy cottage fries; and crusty, delicious garlic bread. It was absolutely delectable, as good as or even better than ever, and we ate every single bite. (And nearly came to fork-to-fork combat over the last, tiny, golden-crispy fry!)

My husband and I have been eating at Jim's the entire time we've known each other, which is to say, 29 years and counting. My husband, who lived in Bellefonte for a few years before I met him, was a regular at Jim's long before I was. He and Jim are friends, and when we are there, Jim almost always stops by our table to talk Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers football.

I tried to remember the last time we'd been there, and I looked back through my photo library, searching for details. Yes, all food photos are tagged "food" so that I can find them later. And what a delightful romp through a very tasty year it was! Oh, such delicious foods I have eaten this year, as you have seen in quite a few of my blips.

I fear that food photography may really be where my true passion lies. Forget those gorgeous Pennsylvania landscapes. Show me a delectable breakfast (one, and two), a pretty cup of French onion soup and a tiny salad, a pizza loaded with toppings, a Boalsburger, a Bonfatto's tuna hoagie, or a big gorgeous bowl of Nittany Lion Inn lobster bisque! Oh yes, it's quite some love affair I have with food!

I can't believe it, but this may have been one of only one or two visits we made to Jim's this entire year. I remember that we went there just after last Christmas (why yes, we're creatures of habit; we like to order "the entire usual" exactly the same each time we're there). Here's hoping we get there more frequently in the coming year!

The soundtrack is a song that celebrates the glories of Italian food . . . and love: Dean Martin, with That's Amore.