Three Restaurants, Three Months: The NorCal6

Ahhhhhhhh ... the maintenance of the 'ole blog when it comes to The NorCal6.

Sometimes it's effortless, other times not so much.

June and July were mostly non-events.  We hit The Melt in Folsom and Danette's Brick Oven Pub in July, the latter having been visited in a previous year. Both?  Were adequate when it came to food and atmosphere.  

No drama, no surprises and it was agreed we'd return again.

Now ... Rocker Oysterfeller's in downtown Placerville last month?  Different story all together.  Oh, the drama ...

 

The food was rather good.  I partook of Louisiana Hot oysters (even though I know it's rarely a good idea to order seafood far, far away from the sea) and some Blackened Gulf Shrimp Tacos.  Tasty stuff indeed, despite being a bit on the pricey side.  (And, truth be told, I was kind of pressured into ordering oysters ... but I really didn't mind getting hornswaggled in that department.)  Pete and Missy ordered the same thing, Smashburgers.  Pete said his was delicious.  Missy's was a letdown, she said - overcooked and not very tasty.  My failing recall forgets what Laurie ordered but I do remember Grant got the Molasses & Bourbon Pork volcano Shank which he enjoyed right down to the very last.

So, overall, the food worked.  The appetizers?  They did start off the evening with any sort of anticipation once served ...

A plate of Bear Battered Onion Rings was proffered while we were all talking and, by the time I got a chance to take a gander at them, there were 3 rings left ... and pretty anemic looking ones at that.  I didn't remember seeing anyone going for them so I surmised the order was a singular half dozen rings, all told.  

"What happened to the rings?!?" I asked.  With I would have nabbed a shot of them for evidence.  Grant ordered some Cheesy Jalapeño Pull-Apart Bread and, if I didn't know any better, it came from the middle of Death Valley.  It was that dry.  No dipping sauce or butter or other was offered with it, so butter was requested ... but by the time it got there it was too little too late.  (Skip this item if you go there.  Trust me.)

And, in the mix, was our waitress who was not only scatter-brained but appeared out of sorts with the entire concept of waitressing.

The first couple beer orders I attempted weren't available.  On the third try - a Henhouse Stoked! Hazy Pale Ale I ordered with emphasis on the "Stoked!" because of the exclamation point - she asked me "The dessert?"

"The dessert?!?" I responded.  "No ... the beer."  I had not idea what she was talking about.  And, apparently, neither did she.

"Oh, yeah ... okay.  Got it."  And off she stumbled to put in my order.

It took an inordinate amount of time for the drinks to come but the food came in relatively quick order.  But ... most of it was served to the wrong person.  As noted:  Our waitress wasn't the sharpest took in the shed.

Interestingly and at one point ordered an additional brew ... and I attempted to so same.  But each time I was spurned, ignored as if I was a ghost.  This was rather amusing to Grant but let me flabbergasted.  I could see our waitress' tip diminishing to a trickle as the moments ticked by.

And then when all was said and done the checks came ... complete with automatic 20% gratuities already attached.  

On the inside?  I was slow burning, on the way to fuming.  But ... on the inside.

I wasn't going to allow the substandard service of this gal get in the way of everyone's enjoyment of the get-together nor was I going to expose my inner asshat.  

But come on ... an automatic gratuity for a "large party" as detailed on the receipt?  Since when did 6 people encompass a large party?  I buried any comments I wanted to unleash and pleasantly paid the bill without incident.

Tasty food (though a touch pricey), terrible service.  

It's going to take convincing to get me back there, this I know.

.......... Ruprecht  ( STOP bad, ditzy waitressing )

Decapitation By Guacamole

 

 

 

I pulled the frozen guacamole out of the freezer to lop off a chunk to go with the omelet I was making.

I have a small cleaver and a cutting board. I place the guac on the board and I stick an end of the cleaver into it to begin working a piece of the rock hard stuff free.  I'm successful from the get to and continue to do so until I get several pieces released from their confines, enough that I'm satisfied I have enough for my recipe.

From behind me I hear Missy state: "You know ... you should use something else before you decapitate yourself."

Now ... I've done plenty of kitchen prep work over the course of my life.  I mean ... I like to cook, so there have been countless times I've had the opportunity to chop and slice and pare and skin and drain and peel and separate and grind and more.  

But never, ever, ever (and, yes ... I used the word "never" there, something I rarely, rarely use) positioned my neck between a knife and what I'm cutting when I've prepped food previously ...  using your neck as a cutting board, for Pete's sake.

 

 .......... Ruprecht ( STOP using your neck as a cutting board, dammit)

 

The NorCal6 Roll Into Placerville For May … Literally!

 

(Editor's Note: I've passed the writing duties for this blog entry over to My Better Half, Missy. Please enjoy her take on May's monthly get-together ...)

Since one of us is a huge lover of party games (yes, it's definitely me), it was decided the event for this adventurous group (okay, some more than others), would be a Bunco night party hosted at our house.

Of course, we couldn't have just The NorCal6 of us for this event so our numbers expanded to 17 including family members, coworkers and other friends. The guests trickled in and when all were in attendance, I gathered everyone around for the obligatory reading of the rules and we went our separate ways to grab a spot at a lucky table.  Grant was definitely not happy we were not eating prior to the games and gave me some serious stinkeye! Admittedly, I can be a little OCD when it comes to planning events and keeping things on schedule in my mind. In years past, I have been referred to as "Julie The Cruise Director" because of it!

 

Missy played the role of Lauren Tewes this particular evening ...

 

Normally we start with a nice loud cowbell ("More cowbell!") to get us going but somebody (Kelly, Grant) forgot to bring the bell. Now I really can't give them that hard of a time because, as we all know, the typical decibel level of Michael's voice is definitely loud enough to get the dogs next door howling. So he was our own version of the cowbell.

 

And … off we went. With the game underway, some rude person had to get a Bunco on her second roll! Amy was very happy with her accomplishment but jeers were flying her way from all directions! (Good natured ones, of course.)

The rules of the game, at least at our house, is that winners wait (stay at the table) and losers leave (move to the next table). In other words, those losing that round had to get up and walk to another table. Kelly and Laurie were the unfortunate two who got to enjoy the pleasure of getting their steps in for the evening, if you catch my drift. 

After two rounds, it was time to line up at the Mexican-themed potluck taco bar. I'm not quite sure but I think Grant may have tackled someone to be first in line! Two kinds of meats were on order along with chile rellanos and all the fixins … but wait a minute … we had a mystery brewing! (We’ll get to the mystery in just a moment …)

Now, most of us in attendance are of a certain generation who remember a particular commercial with a catchy tagline for Wendy's restaurants, a cranky Clara Peller asking "Where's the beef … ?!?"  

 

 

"Where's the beef ... ?!?" 

So … our big mystery of the evening?  “Where's the beans … ?!?" It’s a taco bar with tacos and rice and beans and margaritas … so … where were the beans?

You know that wonderful situation we’ve all experienced as couples, that thing called “miscommunication"?  Well, it seems Pete - when given the choice to bring rice or beans to the potluck party - told Michael at their work he and Laurie would bring beans.  Now, to be fair, it is a very long commute from the workplace of Michael and Pete to Pete and Laurie's house (maybe 9 miles), so maybe jet lag or a time difference is to blame for the brain fart, but Pete informed Laurie they were to bring rice to the party, not beans. Michael, never one to let an opportunity to give someone crap pass by ("Hey ... where’s the beans?!? Did someone already eat all the beans?!?”) decided Laurie would hear the big question of the evening multiple times!

Now, as a good hostess, I naturally joined the back of the line when it came my turn for food. With the party at our house, Michael and I had been very busy getting the house, yard, tables, patio area, etc. ready for guests … and it felt fantastic to sit down and enjoy some great food. So much so I decided to go back for a second helping. About two bites into it though, there was Mr. Stinkeye (the one who was first in line for food, about 15 people ahead of me) wanting to get back to the game. Really, Grant did me a favor by curbing my overeating since I will be donning a wedding dress in the near future.

So we continued our second and final round of play. By the end, we had 5 people in the running for most Buncos: Laurie, Sandy, Josh, Dale and myself. I know everybody plays with slightly different rules but I love having that extra little jolt of competition so we had a roll-off with the 5 of us; first to score 30 points or a Bunco would be the big winner. My sister used to accuse me of cheating at Monopoly and always winning because I was the banker (which I never did!). Yes, I was the scorekeeper for the roll-off (yes, possible conflict of interest there) but, with everyone gathered around, there would be no way to cheat even if I wanted to (which I did not!). You may have guessed by now, yes, I was the big Bunco winner. (In all seriousness, I was the big winner anyway, having family and friends join us for a wonderful evening of games and food.)

Next up, a roll-off for Most Wins between my sister Sandy and Whisper, the wife of one of my co-workers. (Sandy won that decision.)

The final roll-off of the evening - Most Losses - came down to Kelly and Laurie.  It was a tight battle but Laurie (Miss “I Never Win”) was the winner … or loser as the case may be.

Next up, some fantastic cookies courtesy of Kenny and Whisper plus a tray of oh-so-yummy margarita cupcakes baked lovingly by Kelly (the master chef of our group). Gathered around the table, we all enjoyed the sweets and recounted the events of the evening while quaffing beers, horchata and margaritas. 

 

Left to right: 

Kenny, Mena Rose, Whisper, Sandy, Dale, Dave, Grant (Mr. Stinkeye), 

Amy, Alma, Karen, Laurie (Miss "I Never Win" above Karen), Jose,

Carla, Pete (above Carla), Baby Josh, Missy and Kelly

 
We did have some uninvited guests crash the party who seemed to be hell bent on trying to extract every last drop of blood from my body - yes, the dreaded mosquitos made an unwelcome appearance, grinding the party to a quick end.

Last to leave, Dale and Dave as we discussed the planning of our upcoming October and November nuptials.

It was a great night … great company and great food. Big bonus, the dog was so worn out he slept most of the next day.

Next month … The Melt at the Palladio in Folsom ...

 

The NorCal6: Sacramento Grilled Cheese Festival, 4.29.23

 

You know ... it's a wonder The NorCal6 even made it to the Sacramento Grilled Cheese Festival at all last month.  (What with my accidental cancellation of the original tickets purchased and their re-acquisition.  What a cluster ...)

But we made it.  And, for the most part, a terrific time was had by all.

The Fest, an annual gathering of all things grilled cheese, was strung out over the course of a weekend.  Saturday featured UNLIMITED samples of specialty grilled cheese sandwiches, craft beers, regional wines, desserts and more for those 21 and older while Sunday was the family friendly day where the food samples and drink were available for individual charge, not the free-for-all of the day prior.

 

No ... I don't know why Grant feels the need to announce
he's #1 in many of these photos ...

Grant, Kelly, Missy and I got in an hour early courtesy of V.I.P. passes and Pete and Laurie joined us shortly thereafter.  Street parking was relatively easy when we got there.  I can only imagine how strained the parking situation got as the event got close to go time.

Held at Southside Park in downtown Sacramento, you couldn't have asked for a better location.  It was pleasant, sunny and never got too hot over the course of the thing.

And, oh ... the comestibles they had coming out the booths!  Let's highlight a few, shall we?

There was a BBBJ, a blackberry bacon brie & jalapeño grilled cheese concoction from Bella Art Works that was surprisingly tasty.  Additionally, this same joint featured the Mother Clucker, breaded chicken, provolone, cheddar and honey mayo.  Damned good stuff.  Two particular sandwiches from Rancho Rio Bravo Catering - the Cowboy Up (smokehouse brisket, smokey cheese, TexiCali blackberryy red wine & cracked pepper) and the Wranglers Roundup (smoked pulled pork and cheese with duck plum cranberry sauce) - were exceptional.  

I didn't get the chance to grab two specific sandwiches I was looking forward to from Sacramento Pop Up Truck: The Crustacean (a lobster and Gruyère grilled cheese) and The Surf And Turf (a brisket, lobster and Gruyère creation).  There was only so much you could get to as the day wore on and the crowds increased in size.

But one of my favorites was a French onion grilled cheese sandwich that came with a side of French onion soup.  There were two vendors featuring French onion grilled cheese so I'm not sure which one I got from who but, whichever one I got my hands on, was the right pick.  It was outstanding.  And I wish I would have gone back for seconds.

But, you have to understand, there wasn't just grilled cheese on the menu.  There was beer tasting as well, raising this little get together to an entirely different level of affair.  It was a grilled cheese festival and brewfest, too!

Yes, my beard is black. That's an entirely different post ...

At Ease Brewing Company, Great Notion Brewing, Morgan Territory Brewing, Track 7 Brewing Co., Boring Rose Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Chico were some of the breweries present along with a few more I don't recall.

And, if that wasn't enough of a good time, there were distilleries in attendance as well handing out tiny sample shots and signature cocktails as well!  Humboldt Distillery, J.J. Pfister Distilling Co, River City Brands, South Fork Vodka to name a few.  It was J.J. Pfister Distilling which had a very, very tasty rye whiskey sample I gravitated to a a time or several.  I even got Grant to give it a try.  And he didn't dislike it, a bit of a surprise there.  (Grant? Not a rye guy.) And once Pete and Laurie got there, Pete was drug here and there to give the various samples a try, too.  The girls were drinking some foo-foo sweet pink grapefruit vodka punch refresher from South Fork Vodka that wasn't too shabby.  Even Missy was digging on it ... and she doesn't like grapefruit. 

Needless to say, with all the food being munched on and all the liquids swigged, we had a pretty damned good time ... enough so we all concluded we'll be headed back next year. 

In conclusion, I may have had a little bit too good a time at the festival.  But what's a little frivolity among friends?  Even loud ones like me? 

As the saying goes (a recent one I've come to embrace):

Next up?  Our house ... were there's gonna be a Bunko Party with a Mexican food theme ...

The NorCal6: Soriano's Restaurant, 3.11.23

Left to right: Michael, Grant (and his wallet), Pete, Laurie, Kelly, Missyall of who participated in"The Case Of The Missing Wallet That Wasn't Really Missing"

For those of you paying attention to this blog, you may have noticed there was no NorCal6 blog entry for February.  That's because a couple members of the group (Missy and myself) ended up contracting COVID at the end of January.  So we took it easy, worked our rehabilitation grooves and applied our energy-less efforts into getting as well as possible.  (Update: A month plus later, there's still some lingering fatigue and I'm not certain my taste buds are quite up to snuff ... but we're back in the saddle again.)

Anywho, as threatened in the previous NorCal6 blog entry, Soriano's Restaurant in Diamond Springs was our next venture.  A Salvadoran / Mexican mix awaited us, something I was ready to explore.  Not the least reason of which was because I was rather hungry that day having only eaten breakfast.  

The staff was friendly enough and greeted us warmly on our arrival; they were genuinely happy to see us and thanked us for coming in as they seated us.  Chips and salsa were served and Missy and I chatted and looked over the menu while we awaited Grant, Kelly, Pete and Laurie.  Missy ordered a wine margarita and I kept things light with a Coke.

Shortly, Grant and Kelly walked in.  (Funny little aside here: As Grant sat next to me, he put his wallet down on the table and skewed his cell phone atop it, I assumed so he could access it if need be without picking it up.  More on this shortly.)  Pete and Laurie we're a few minutes behind them.  Then it got down to the business of ordering ...

With the orders taken and concluded, the conversation rolled out.  And at one point Grant shot back in his chair and called himself an idiot for forgetting his wallet at home.  I didn't say a thing, knowing his wallet was practically beside me and out of his purview blocked by his phone.  That exasperation lasted a bit before he realized he did, in fact, have his wallet as I picked up his phone and asked "You mean ... THIS wallet?"  I was accused of harboring knowledge of it without telling him and I freely admitted to being guilty.  The looks and laughs around the table were more than worth it.

Mine? The "Borrego y Mas": a lamb shank entrée (the "borrego") with your choice of an enchilada, tamale, or taco filled with the protein of your choice (the "mas"). It came additionally served with marinade sauce, pico de gallo and sliced avocado along with rice and beans.  Others in our party weren't as "experimental" as I was, leaning toward the more traditional Mexican fare ... and there's nothing wrong with that in the least.  I also request an appetizer, some "chiles" which were Soriano's version of stuffed jalapeños.

The outcome, from my perspective, was delicious.  The borrego was fall-off-the-bone tender and flavorful, definitely a different take on how I've had lamb previously.  It wasn't quite the same for everyone else, however.  Comments ranged from "okay" to "meh" on the tastiness scale so it appeared I got the better end of the dinner experience.

The caveat, however, was the staff forgot my chile appetizer.  I didn't squawk about it however because, as it turned out, it wasn't included on my bill.  And I wasn't upset in the least being I was pretty well stuffed from my dinner.

At the conclusion of the meal, a dessert flan was brought out for "the birthday boy" Pete whose birthday was nowwhere near the date of Saturday, March 11th.  I interjected rather loudly while looking at him with raised eyebrows "I had no idea it was your birthday, Pete!" but he didn't catch the clue and pooh-poohed the dessert away, stating matter of factly it was NOT his birthday.  The staff noted someone had called ahead to make certain the celebration was observed but no one at our table was the instigator.  It was surmised the waiter had gotten it wrong ... and the flan was hurried away.  I glared at Pete and told him he just lost a free dessert.  But ... a flan was saved that evening so no harm, no foul.

You need to understand: During these little dinner get-togethers there is lots of talk and storytelling and cajolery and laughter among other things.  At one point Kelly was practically in tears over something I said (I forget what), Missy was adamant about some hefty subject she was on about (something I had done, no doubt), Pete waxing poetic about some such and a straw was even thrown at Laurie because her memories about past events had come into question.  (She's kind of known for this which is half the fun.)  In other words, we usually have a pretty good time when we do our monthly "swingers meet up" as most of our kids like to call it.

As it turned out, we were the second to the last group to leave the joint that evening.  But, as we did so, there was the late Saturday night wave of people who began to shuffle in.  

Next Up: The end of April sees us attending the Sacramento Grilled Cheese Festival.  

 

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

The NorCal6: Misadventures In Monthly Get-Togethers

We've been getting together in the neighborhood of 7 years running, the lot of us.  

We call ourselves The NorCal6.

Three couples, 6 friends, who decided instead of planting our asses on the couch in front of the television on a Saturday night, we were going to damned well get out into the world and do something.

It started out simply: We picked out a restaurant to explore, some new, different place none of us had been previously.  Converse.  Eat.  Solve a few world problems.  

And we agreed we'd do this monthly. Make it "a thing."

After a year, it morphed into hitting up events (i.e. The Asparagus Festival) and destinations (i.e. Mendicino), but the basis of the idea was still intact: To get off our asses and socialize instead of being lumps, if only for a couple hours.

More than half a decade and we're still at it.  

Hey ... who are The NorCal6 anyway? Why don't we take a moment to get to know them ...

• Grant - Big dude, relatively quiet.  Loves his beers.  Usually the first one to ask the question where our next month's outing will be
  
• Kelly - Grant's wife, The Designated Driver of the couple and lover of charcuterie and anything on the coast (her happy place, she says)
• Laurie - The infamous question asker: "How much is that?"  "Is it good?"  "How big is the portion?" ad nauseum ...
• Pete - Laurie's husband.  Along for the ride and pretty much happy no matter what we do
• Melissa - Michael's better half, "the picky eater" and often the DD in her own right (which I greatly appreciate)
• Michael - I'm the loud one, usually game for anything.  Instigator.  Non-conformist.  I'll talk to anyone anywhere we go.  Oh ... I'm loud, too.  I may have forgotten to mention that.

Funny thing: In all the years we've been doing this, I don't know why we've never properly documented our little get-togethers.  Oh, we've bantered about it, that we should put together some kind photo album of our outings or some such.  But we've rarely shot photos (of us or the locales we've visited) at our soirees, we've barely kept track of the different restaurants we've been to ... blah, blah, blah.  And at this last meeting it was suggested - for the umpteenth time - we get our shit together and document our comings and goings somehow.

This time?  I took it to heart.

So ... here goes. 

 

Saturday, the 14th, we ventured out into the rainy late, late afternoon to Out Of Bounds Brewery in Folsom, a locale one of our group had been to previously for a company-hosted event.  An early dinner was in order (along with brews we hadn't tried for the beer drinkers of the clan).  Needless to say a bevy of selections was commandeered.

Hangry Chicken Wings, Buffalo Cauliflower, onion rings and fried pickle spears were the appetizers shared all around. All were great ... but the "Ring Of Fire" sauce for the wings had a funky tang to it, the only real downside to the lot.

Beers? Yes! A delicious Milk Stout and a Blood Orange Wheat (2 of these, as a matter of fact) were quaffed.

Drunken and Craft Burgers, Smoked Mac & Cheese, Tri-Tip Arugula Salads and a Margherita Flatbread were on tap for the main courses.

My Drunken Burger was a huge, terrific mess and even came with a fried jalapeno speared garnish-like through the top of the bun, which I added to the innards of the burger.  The fries accompanying the thing were the kind you couldn't stop popping into your mouth ... and there appeared to be better than a double serving of them. Half came home with us. The wives assured us that the Smoked Mac & Cheese was top notch.

Of course, the dinner wasn't the only thing.  

The conversation flowed.  It was catch up time with everyone, what new things came up or were noteworthy since the last day of the old year, the last time all 6 of us were together.  I spilled Kelly's water moving dishes and almost tagged her with a wet lap.  And I dripped sauces from the appetizers and my burger all down the front of me.  (You can't take me anywhere sometimes.)  Plus, our waitress was top notch, noting and accommodating all our trivial (probably annoying) little requests.  (Yes, she was tipped well.)

 

So messy ...

Dessert?  Nope.  We were all too full to hit up one last course.

By the time we left Out Of Bounds Brewery, the rain had stopped and it was clear driving all the way home.  Another successful congregation.

Next up:  Soriano's Restaurant in Diamond Springs for Salvadoran / Mexican food come February ...

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

I Had A Rash ...

... well ... actually, I experienced a rash. Let's put it that way.

And not that kind of rash.

The kind experienced was one of overly-concerned people questioning me about my food choices. This rash has come in a clump - two instances of genuine concern and a third which turned out to be puzzling to say the least.
  
Concern #1 came Sunday morning while at a Mimi's Cafe. I rarely frequent Mimi's (I think the last time I dined in one was 5 years ago or so) but it was the brunchy establishment of choice that morning. (If memory serves it was the only real game in town at the time with regard to a sit-down eatery.) An omelet was the order of the day and I requested one of Mimi's "French inspired" selections, the "Omelette Basquaise." This little number contained Andouille sausage, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, mushrooms and Jack cheese topped with sauce basquaise, a slightly spicy tomato sauce.

My waitress (who could have been the twin of Camryn Manheim circa The Practice years) asked if I had had that particular dish previously. I responded I had not. "It's rather spicy," she informed me, to which I grinned goofily.

I waved her revelation toward me with exaggeration. "Bring it on. Thanks for the warning but when it comes to spicy foods I highly doubt it will faze me." She said something about it being too spicy for her and acknowledged my response with a smile.

When the dish was served and I'd tasted it, I noted it did have a tangy bite. But that was all. I would bet dollars to donuts that the average person who states a dish is hot would have considered this breakfast indeed to be too hot for them. But it wasn't. It was pleasant enough. It didn't even require a glass of water to help make its way down. It was just fine.

"How is your omelet?" the waitress asked at one point.

"Not nearly spicy enough. But it's just right for me this morning," I answered. 

Concern #2 came later that evening. Out and about all day, the meanderings ended at a Chicago Fire Restaurant which specializes in pizza, salads and wings. I'd never been to one but I was in the (extremely rare) mood for pizza for some reason, something that comes about once every other blue moon. Scanning their menu, I decided on a titular "Chicago Fire" pizza. This little number came with hot Italian sausage, Giardiniera peppers, habanero sauce and jalapeno peppers, the description alone indicating it was on the hot and zesty side.

And again, when the waiter came 'round to take the order, I was asked if I'd had the pizza before. "It's really hot," he decried. "Too hot for me." And, again, I told him to bring it on, thanking him for the warning.

I asked rhetorically of my dining companions what the deal was with my welfare where fiery foods were concerned and left it at that.

And I'll admit: The pizza was hot. But far from unpleasantly so. It was enjoyable in that I was happy with my selection. (I've had cravings for pizza previously and ordered pies which not only were lacking in flavor but were actually steps backward in my desire for future pizza orders.) I'll will further admit it was hot enough to wash down with a second 22 ounce beer. Hot, but not too hot ... and but thoroughly tasty and agreeable.

It was at the last place this week that spurred me to write about the frets various wait staffers had for me, however. Because this one truly befuddled me. 

With errands to be accomplished, it was decided Chick-fil-A was the accepted fast food joint to grab something, eat quick and go. Not having been in a Chick-fil-A many times, I scanned the menu thoroughly. The preferred item turned out to be a spicy chicken sandwich, precisely what I ordered from the scrubbed and attentive cashier behind the counter. But the order came with a question:

"It's all right that the sandwich has pepper jack on it, right?" he queried.

Now ... what I really wanted to do was shoot a snappy comeback at him. (I knew I was a bit tired from a strenuous bike ride earlier and I could tell I was somewhat peckish.)

"Well ... be that as it may, I not only speak English but I can read English well enough to comprehend the menu up there behind you. Thus, I can plainly see Chick-fil-A's spicy chicken sandwich comes with a slice of pepper jack cheese - which is commonly of the zesty cheese variety. Not to mention the description for the item states it's "spicy" so, yes ... pepper jack on the sandwich would be acceptable. I mean, being that I'm ordering that particular item ..." 

Because that's what I really wanted to say.  

I wondered: Did I not appear as if I knew what I was ordering? Was there a confused look on my face when I offered my option? Did I hem and haw while voicing my desire? Was there a weak, uncertain timbre in my response such that I may have been vacillating on what I wanted? Was there some random person standing next to me wearing an "I'm With Stupid" T-shirt with an arrow pointed my way?

But, instead, I simply said "Yes ... that's fine" and accepted the drink cup he offered me with a smile. I didn't understand why he asked that question but I let it be. There was no need.

And, as it turned out, the spicy chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A wasn't spicy in the least. 

.......... Ruprecht ( won't STOP his "spicy" retorts ... but curbs them every now and again ... ) 961

If Peter Piper Were To Pick A Peck Of Pickled Peppers, They'd Probably Be From Jimbo's

It's pretty cut and dried:

All my friend Clark is saying is that he likes the pickles. 


That's all.

................... Ruprecht ( STOP )

Fooling Myself

It'd been a while since I had eaten.

I didn't do dinner the night before and it was only coffee that morning, so I was hungry. I had several errands to run and thought I would just grab something on the fly.

The problem however was that between work and my destinations the quick in-and-out food purchasing options were practically nil. With the exception of my old nemesis: McCrappage.

*sigh*

Begrudgingly, I pulled into the drive-thru line and decided on a chipotle Angus burger. How bad could it really be? I'd had the mushroom and swiss Angus concoction previously and it was passable. I noted on one of the decorative lawn signs beside the order kiosk a picture with the burger I wanted spilling out red onion, so I made certain to place my order sans condiment. I don't like red onion. Matter'n fact, I verified it with the guy who took my request.

This may have been a mistake.

You see: While the burger was tasteless ... while the bacon on the burger had an inclination toward cardboardy-ness ... while I was thankful the overly pungent chipotle sauce slathered on the sandwich at least gave it some sort of flavor, I believe the red onion I asked to be held may have actually made the meal appreciative. Because, let me tell you something: This particular lunch? One I'll tuck in the back of my mind as a "order if desperate only" selection.

I keep fooling myself food at McCrappage will be good. It has to be every once in a while ... right? Especially if you're famished ... right? Anything's good when you're famished ... right? Right?

Right ... ?!?

Bueller??? Bueller ... ???

................................... Ruprecht ( STOP )