It's been 10 years since Colleen and I last saw each other.  So, last night my first boss, her husband and I met for dinner.  When I began working for Colleen, I was only 21-22 years old and fresh out of college.  I had no idea what the corporate world was – so much as how to function in it.  

Colleen had a presence in the newsroom.  She was a natural leader and inspired everyone that worked for her.  She managed fairly, kept the interests of her staff above her own and always kept her eye on the company's bottom line.  

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Those first and powerful impressions set the standard for which I measured every other manager I worked under – and every management assignment I held.

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We met late for dinner in Suffern, NY at Marcello's – the Italian restaurant that I wrote about in previous blog posts.  Our evening began with cocktails – Baileys on the rocks for me, Campari for Colleen and Ginger Ale for Alex.

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Colleen allowed me to order family-style for the table.  So, we began with a bottle of 2005 Coppo Barbara d' Asti and a series of appetizers. First, we ordered a buffalo mozzarella with basil, tomatoes and Procutto de Parma.  Then we sampled a steamed clams and mussels in a red wine reduction sauce as well as snails in marinara sauce that blew everyone away.

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For our pasta course, we ordered two different dishes; a shredded lamb ravioli in a light cream sauce and a porcini mushroom penne with black truffle.  This yin and yang pasta pairing tantalized our taste buds.  The ravioli was delicate in a light cream sauce grounded only by the shredded lamb stuffing; while the porcini mushroom and black truffle penne exuded earthy goodness.

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For our main course, we ordered an outstanding stuffed pork chop with spelt (prepared like a rice) and a seared scallop encrusted in pistachio nuts.

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We collectively shared a Tiramisu for dessert as we closed the place down at 11:30pm.