Escarole makes me smile for multiple reasons. The first is that it reminds me of a long-ago co-worker who, after purchasing a piece of jewelry from an estate sale across the country — a gift for his girlfriend — told me he put the money “in escarole” while awaiting the ring’s arrival.

So, when I saw escarole and beans on the online menu at Oviedo’s Monte Vesuvio Italian Grill, I first thought of Greg and his ring and I chuckled. Then I ordered it, because it’s a dish I grew up eating, one that I love. Its earliest roots may reach back to southern Italy, but to most Americans it’s a Depression Era dish, one created to be hearty and filling sans meat — though I’ve seen sausage-inclusive versions over the years.