Day 6
I’m not a gourmet. I’m not a gourmand. Far from either – however, I do like to eat. And though I’m pretty simple in my tastes it doesn’t mean I’m all plain and simple or that I don’t appreciate a fine meal. And whether it’s plain or fancy or somewhere in-between one thing remains constant … I want it to be GOOD … and I want someone else to make it.
And GOOD, in my book, means … good ambiance, good food, good service, good enough prices (so I don’t feel taken advantage of). You know, GOOD!
And while 80% (okay, maybe 90%) of the time I’d rather stick with the popular local haunts I know and foods I’ve already tried (and liked) … the other 10% of the time I really don’t mind trying new foods or places.
I’m not much of a cook (more of an “assembler”) and if I’m at home I want something easy because by the time I realize I need something to eat … I NEED SOMETHING TO EAT. I want it quick and I want it yummy and I want it NOW!
And, if I’m going out, for the most part, I want those same things and don’t want to have to yell across the table to my companion because the place is too noisy or get something that I could make at home or have to pay for my portion of the meal in 3 (easy) monthly installments.
And so it comes to this (possibly sad) revelation and realization that I’m (more than not) a “chain girl”. I go to these tried and true institutions of munchables and libations simply because they are familiar and I know that economy and consistency are key factors in their success and popularity and I’m not going to be disappointed. Cuz if I wanted to be disappointed I would have stayed home and cooked MYSELF!
Well, I wouldn’t have cooked myself (ew!) … I would have done the cooking myself! Let’s make that clear! And though I aspire to someday be Julia … I am (now) best known for my good water and frozen peas.
And, since I am not a vegetarian (which I clearly could not be – as a human or a dinosaur – because I need meat), the mere thought of a big hunk of steak, grilled to perfection at one of those “down under” places or Applebee’s or somewhere else sounds MIGHTY good and sets me to drooling (well, almost) and keeps my pocketbook happy, too. And I know that whenever that urge strikes … it will be, if not exactly what I want, close to it.
So, though I refuse to go to the Heifer Barn or the All-U-Can Eat Buffet (for $4), I still prefer the chain places … however, on certain nights a “regular” (chain) restaurant just won’t do.
Which brings us to tonight. By sheer luck Sam and I happened upon a lively French bistro, near the concert hall downtown, while looking for a (pre-orchestra performance) bite to eat. And though it was a delightful venue and a lovely (though rushed, on our parts) “bite” … that’s about ALL I was given of my carmelized onion tartlet with Gruyere fondue on a shortbread crust with an accompaniment of (1 forkful of) salad. (The French, as a whole, must be REALLY thin!) But it was okay as we only went for a BITE.
I wished we had had more time to leisurely enjoy what we had ordered … but we did not have that luxury as we were running a bit late. However, the company at my table was just lovely (Sam is always an enjoyable companion), my “bite” was tasty (though small in portion), it was fun to share in a new place (very Frenchy), and the servers bent over backwards to accomodate our time crunch (big, fat tip). The only down side was that it was pricey for what we got. An onion tartlet appetizer, a ramekin of onion soup (veal stock) and two glasses of (not so great) house wine left me wanting a large pizza and more change back from my $50 bill than I got!
But sometimes you have to forego familiarity, throw caution (and your visa card) to the wind and have the attitude of “cost be damned”! We’re out having fun … this is new, I’ll try (just about) anything, and we won’t pass this way again.
We can go to a chain anytime.