The restaurant was quite busy when we got there. We took a seat in the bar and ordered drinks. Service was a bit slow so we were called to be seated before they came. It wasn't really a problem because the drinks were brought to the table. I got one of the specialty cocktails: The Brazilian (yes, I was a bit embarrassed, but I didn't spy any waxing equipment by the bar). It is their version of the caiprinha and uses raspberry and pineapple juices in addition to the traditional lime. It tasted good, but I think I prefer the traditional mix because it tastes cleaner somehow. About halfway through this one I thought it started to get a bit cloying.
We each ordered a starter. Mari and I got the house salad: a variety of greens, croutons, and roasted corn vinaigrette. I thought it was good, if a bit stemmy. I find it awkward when I try to eat salad and I get slapped in the face with stems. Maybe there is a technique to it that I haven't yet mastered. Or maybe I just have bad table manners. Adam got the Romaine wedge salad. He thought it was good after being initially skeptical about the "wedge" potential of romaine. Joe seemed to be quite pleased with his bacon wrapped scallop skewers. I must say that they looked delicious. I am used to bacon wrapped items coming with sort of limp, underdone bacon. This looked crisp and perfect.
I ordered a medium-rare New York Strip steak with a baked potato. It was right on the money in terms of doneness. It was thick cut and had that distinctive taste of the charcoal grill: delicious. It was a tad tough and a little bit on the dry side which is odd. My perception may be due to the fact that when I eat steak these days it is usually filet. Mari said she liked her entree. Adam ordered the prime rib. It came out rare as ordered. He seemed to enjoy it, but Adam thought that the hickory smoke taste didn't contribute much to his delight. I think Joe indicated that he agreed about the hickory.
I am sort of torn about the evening. As always I had a great time laughing it up with the Hammers. I enjoyed the food well enough; I just wasn't blown away. The service wasn't particularly smooth, but I think I will attribute it to the fact that the restaurant has only been open about a month now. I think that the experience just wasn't quite worth the later hour and it is hard to pay that much for a meal when you know that for the same money you could eat much, much better at a place like the Chicago Chop House. However, we aren't in Chicago so I should get over it. And I used my leftover steak to make steak and eggs for us this morning; it is difficult to complain about that.
Saturday brought us to Camp Tecumseh for Samuel's CHAPS show. He and his horse for the day, Goldie, snagged a cowboy award and a blue ribbon for trotting. The camp is actually quite big and is in a beautiful wooded area. I was tricked into crossing a "suspension bridge" that actually swings. I understand that Dan was the troll of the bridge and provided extra swing by using an iceskating gait. For that, I wish he would have spent some time under the bridge like others of his kind. But, with the aid of a bit of white knuckling and some conversational distraction with Kathy, I made it. Unfortunately, I believe that the only other scaredy cat in our party was the King Charles Spaniel crouched on the other side. Whatever. Samuel wasn't particularly amused by walking, but he enjoyed the slide and riding on his father's shoulders. Before leaving the camp we saw a guy Adam used to play basketball with and his son, Heatstroke Spiderman. The boy was dressed in one of those Spiderman costumes that comes with padded muscles. I would bet good money that he has worn that outfit almost every day since Halloween. Very cute, but this hypochondriac was worried he would keel over any minute. I, for one, wanted some A/C.
Tonight, my original dinner plans were thwarted by some slow-thawing lobster. I had splurged on a couple of lobster tails and I didn't want to risk ruining their texture by thawing them in water. That left me vulnerable to cravings. A number of restaurants were probably going to be packed because the freshmen and presumably a bunch of parents have arrived at Purdue. So I started by thinking about Camille's Sidewalk Cafe or Chinese food. And then I was smacked out of the blue for the desire for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Why? For me, KFC was a childhood treat. Fried chicken was not a dish that my mom made (though she did make a delicious Parmesan chicken that I loved). I don't really remember fried chicken being a big part of Wisconsin culinary culture. Fried fish by the ton, but not the chicken. The red bucket was a welcome sight. So, scoff if you must. I must now confess that what I am actually after is not the chicken. It is all about the coleslaw. I should probably just order a tub of it for dinner and quit this charade.
My long-suffering husband looked a bit defeated when I coyly confessed my real dinner choice, but took one for the team. Then, we made our second error. We. Went. Inside. To eat. I honestly don't remember ever having dined in before and now I know why. The interior of the restaurant is small and most of the tables were dirty. There were a few people inside who must have come for the buffet. We ordered our number three meals from the unenthusiastic person at the counter (she rolled her eyes at Adam when he inadvertently spoiled her plan to smoosh everything on one tray). Lovely.
But I enjoyed my coleslaw and I know that in a few months I will be hit with the craving again (though I will be going through the drive-through). I always think about the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer" at times like this. Mike Myers' Scottish Dad character is hilarious and I love his KFC rant: "Oh, I hated the colonel with his wee beady eyes..."
After dumping my trash, I noticed that each of the trays has a picture of Colonel Sanders stamped in the corner. He is smiling jauntily and winking. For some reason, he seemed to be saying something to me...
I believe the word was "Dumbass."
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