The weather's sucking big time here, and I got sent home from work. As it turns out, my girlfriend is also getting off work early today, so we're going to meet for lunch.
At Old Country Buffet.
Partly, this destination is a practical necessity. The kid's getting out of school early, and we need to eat somewhere fast and close by.
Oh, who am I kidding? I seem to be developing a taste for mid-priced chain restaurants. Tabbatha actually likes these places--your Carlos O'Kelly's or your Bennigan's. Hell, we ate at Olive Garden the other day and--no, seriously--it was good. Or at least, you know, okay. No, more than okay; I'm being patronizing, and that isn't fair. Let me upgrade that--the portobello-stuffed ravioli was mighty tasty.
What the hell's wrong with me? Are my standards slipping? Is the food at these places improving? Are my tastebuds blinded by love? Can tastebuds actually be blinded, whether by love or sharpened stick?
These are the types of places I've always dismissed with a sneer, yet I admit I've never previously spent much time in them. And it is true, most of the people I know who frequent hole-in-the-wall bistros or offbeat ethnic spots--the type of places I've always favored--tend to be insufferable, self-satisfied jerks.
Never thought I'd say it, but it's true: If the food is edible, the service fast and the company good, hey, why not go to Bennigan's? Once you've had a bacon cheeseburger eggroll, there's no turning back.
