Regional eating

Traveling around, as referenced in the prior post, was a reminder of prior business related travel around the U.S.A. Outside of urban areas, or New Orleans, there are some rules that are generally helpful. Those are: Eat at seemingly high end places with good crowds or Eat at apparently low end places with good crowds. There are exceptions of the macabre at each end, clubby places with green armchairs on the high end and wife beater shirters with really loud voices on the low end. Anything in the middle is terribly suspect due to some desire to stake out ground low or high.

So at a brewery pub in a regional city you could see --- "Sicilian Pork, fork tender braised pork in a rich tomato sauce served atop creamy artichoke parmesan and scallion rissoto" There's also a demi-glazed Zinfandel whatever steak with portobello... much more. Is this a three star at Madison and 24th seeking a star or this a pub that brews a few of its own beers.

Then you have the restaurant that offers something on its menu that is obviously not going to work but that someone like me will order anyway, like ME. A sucker for fried calamari with marinara sauce, I of course order it at one restaurant. Some special spices were promised. I licked my lips. What was offered was frozen food dumped in oil and served too hot with no taste ever possible but the Old Bay and pepper stuck to it. I pretty much knew that in advance but wished to ignore it.

Having been lucky enough to go to a high end hotel eatery that for the most part deserved it's low key billing(it was just great in that region), I had envied the steak that one of my guests had ordered, my monkfish seeming paltry. With one night left in our stay we went to an "upscale" Italian restaurant with a nice vaulted ceiling and a reference from our hotel. With the night before food envy in mind I ordered, "Grilled Marinated RibEye, spice crusted grilled ribeye with roasted red pepper, green pepper, red wine sauce over garlic mashed potatoes". SOUNDS GREAT. Just what I wanted after the balance of the last few days.

What came to the table---A giant cowpie---nothing visible on top but glutinous gravy with a few strands of pepper showing through. There were the formations of two steak portions sticking through. Underneath the glob that rind of hard fat that you only see at bad supermarkets lurked and the meat was at partially hot, partially cold, pretty much confirming that this was defrosted old meat done with various success in the microwave. This was apparently an upscale restaurant in a vibrant regional city. This food would not make it in a diner in Elmhurst---tossed at the owner or on the floor. In the setting that I was in, the challenge was managing my way out without being too rude. They did not offer to remove the cowpie, and wanted me to wait for another of their delicacies. Exit, stage left.

Best places on the trip for those who catch the places, Notti Bianche and Bistro Francais in one town and Ye Old Waffle Shop in another. A very honorable mention must go to the hotel spot mentioned above.