From The Past: December 18, 2007

We eat out about once a week and normally it’s in a nice, sit-down restaurant. I love eating Charlie’s seafood, but we have to eat that in the car. I don’t care though; it’s worth it. So far, I think Charlie’s fish is much better than Regatta (greasy), Friday’s (they have really good fish), Rumor’s (you don’t get much for your money), or Texas Roadhouse (their catfish is very good). Charlie’s tops them all!

If we go to Charlie’s, we pay under $15 for the three of us. In a restaurant, we will pay very close to $50 if not go over that a little; most of the time it’s worth the price. We always leave a 15% tip even if the server wasn’t up to par.

When we eat out, we sometimes meet my parents somewhere, but more often than not, it is just the three of us. I haven’t eaten what I consider to be fast food in a while; such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Arby’s or someplace similar. If I only eat out once per week, I certainly don’t want to waste that one time on fast food. I like to sit and enjoy myself. I like an experience. I don’t consider anywhere that has a play yard an experience. That’s fun for young kids, but it’s not for me.

My favorite appetizer would have to be the Bloomin’ Onion at Outback. It’s very unhealthy and greasy and then you dip it in the sauce which makes it worse for you, but when I’m there, I have to order one. Joe Bologna’s (a local pizza place) also has a great appetizer which is the Fried Combo. With that you get a little bit of everything including cheese sticks, mushrooms, banana peppers, zucchini, and onion rings. Once again, this is very unhealthy, but it’s delicious. We haven’t been there since before May and that’s a good thing. It’s hard to resist, but I know my limits.

Outback has the best house salad hands down. Their croutons cannot be beat and everything such as the tomato and cucumber is cold and crisp. I have tried house salads everywhere and this one is worth the money.

My favorite main dish depends on where we eat. Lately it has been ribs, but I have been very disappointed in everyone except Texas Roadhouse. Places that are supposed to be famous for their ribs have been a big letdown.

As you can tell, I don’t worry about fat or calories when I eat out. To me, it is a treat, so I eat all of those foods that are bad for me which I don’t eat at all during the week.

The worst experience I ever had at a restaurant had nothing to do with the restaurant itself. We had been seated at a large table at Cracker Barrel and had just started looking over the menu when a little girl ran towards us and then vomited right next to our table. (My sister still laughs at this story.) I about died. I felt bad for the little girl and yet, I really, really wanted to leave. However, I kept my feelings to myself and we stayed because my entire family was there. I just made sure that I kept my head turned while they cleaned it up. That experience still gives me the shivers.

The worst food I ever had at a restaurant was an appetizer called “Baked Stuffed Mushrooms”. They have them at an Italian restaurant. My parents ordered them because they think they are delicious and wanted Kevin and I to try them. I scooped one up and it looked like an eyeball. It had the texture of what you think an eyeball would have. As a matter of fact, if you have ever touched your eye, this is what one of these mushrooms felt like in my mouth. It was so gross I wanted to gag. Kevin, who loves mushrooms, also hated them and said they were the nastiest things he had ever eaten. Sorry mom and dad!

I do not like eating at buffets. There are several restaurants in Winchester that have buffets and I don’t go near them. They’re always packed with people though. I guess because you pay one price and it’s all you can eat. My problem is that everybody and their brother has breathed, sneezed, and coughed on that food. Little children have touched the food with their fecal fingers. It’s nasty and I cannot bring myself to do it.

Update 2023

Wow! Just reading the prices in the paragraph above was shocking. I WISH prices were still so cheap.

I DO still enjoy eating out, but I don’t like to spend big money. Kevin and I typically eat out once a week and it’s fast food!

Back when my mom was alive, we went out almost every week and mom and dad would pay. These days, I realize how much it was costing them to take the entire family out. I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that.

I have also learned that all buffets are not the same.  Our cruise with Royal Caribbean showed me how clean buffets can be when they are well-manned.