Friday, November 2, 2012

Food for thought

I used to love eating out.  Note the past tense.  It's not that Left Brain won't take me out to eat, we do a fair amount of this...it just doesn't seem satisfying any more.  Or maybe it's just been a bad run of food lately.

On our exodus out of Big Bend we were wanting to find some kind of fast food so we could be sure to arrive at The Ranch in New Mexico before 5:00 on Friday night.  Once the office closes we would have to dry camp until someone could park us.  Not that that's a big deal, but we really like to just set up once and be done with it.  I know...nothing to do but still harping about all there is to be done.

Well, there was no fast food to be had, nor many places to eat to begin with.  There are stretches of Texas where you don't see anything, no food, no services, no other cars.  It's a bit unsettling to me.

It's an odd feeling to tell friends that it had been days since we'd seen any golden arches and right now a burger from Mickey D's was just want I wanted.  But my phone app was showing a Sonic was coming up.  Figuring this was basically the same thing we found a spot to park See-More and walked back a block to the Sonic.

The weather had turned cold and windy and we really weren't dressed appropriately for it.  Oh well, we'd go inside and wait for our food and then go.  Oh.  There is no inside.  It's all car hop service.   So we shivered out way over to a car menu and pushed the button.  After telling the disembodied voice what we wanted to eat we stood in the cold and waited until she came out to deliver the food and take our money.

But, with hot food in a bag we gleefully ran back to the RV to munch on our supper as we drove northward.  Well, it really wasn't all that hot...I doubt it ever had been.  It's unusual for me to not finish my french fries and believe me it had nothing to do with will power.  I was hungry!  But it filled the belly and took away the hunger.  After chewing a sufficient quantity of gum to eradicate the taste from my mouth all was well again.

On our next outing we again were searching for something for lunch before doing our grocery shopping.  I wanted Chinese but we couldn't find the ones we thought we saw coming into Carlsbad.  So we pulled into Denny's.  We had heard that they were working hard to improve their image with better food and service.  This establishment apparently did not get that memo.

After giving our order to a young bimbo with pink streaks in her blond hair while chewing her gum we waited for the food to arrive.  And we waited.  And waited.  Oh why did I ask for something as complicated as a bowl of chicken noodle soup!  But alas, after 30 minutes our food arrived and was warm enough to eat.  The soup actually had a nice flavor but my impressions may have been blurred by severe hunger.  It was not crowded but those who occupied the place were some, shall we say "interesting" specimens of humanity.

Today we went out in search of the Chinese food I was craving before but had trouble finding the several buffets I thought I had seen.  Was I remembering a different town?  Oh no...there it is!  We pulled in.  The sign said they were closed on Sunday and Monday.  But Left Brain persevered and we found another that was open and seemed quit busy.

It was okay, but everything tasted the same to me, with the same heavy sauce.  Nothing felt fresh and crisp.  The wontons (my favorite part) were mediocre and lukewarm.  All I kept thinking was how much better I could have prepared that.

OMG!  It occurred to me that I am starting to prefer eating at home, cooking my own meals.  I know I was starting to enjoy food preparation but I thought it was just due to the lack of anything else to really do.  This was a revelation to me.  I LIKE the taste of my own food better than a restaurant.

This doesn't mean we'll never eat out again, I'll keep trying to find interesting places with good flavors.  I know they are out there!

Long Live the Culinary Queen

1 comment:

  1. Because I've never been to Texas, I cannot help you with ideas of places to try. I agree though, that at times like this (when traveling) Mickey D's food tastes heavenly. Remember that old saying "There's no place like home"? Well sometimes that refers to good old "home cooking". You have a great day, hugs, Edna B.

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