I Have A Complaint

I don’t like to complain a lot but when I do it should be for something that matters. When you go to a restaurant, especially a drive-thru you take the chance of getting your order wrong or incomplete. Tonight my wife had that experience at a KFC/Long John Silvers where she ordered fish, chicken, shrimp and sides for dinner. Well my wife and I didn’t get our sides (well I got potatoes but that is it). Money doesn’t grow on trees and you wanna have your order right. All we want is to have a good meal at a fair price and it should be complete. I know fast food workers don’t make a lot and they are under pressure but taking a minute to be sure a customers order is what they ordered isn’t asking too much, is it?

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This restaurant can be found in the greater Chattanooga area. It’s a place where fusion cuisine can bring together the tastes of east and west…Can you imagine the fajitas and the General Tso’s Chicken mashup? Perhaps refried beans in a wok or Kyoto tacos. Sounds like a interesting place.

(Photo credit: Andy Merciers, from Facebook)

Trying A New Place

Trying a new restaurant is always an adventure. It allows you to get out of your culinary comfort zone. Our adventure to Over There a eatery in north Chattanooga was a good one. I had the hamburger steak, fries and salad, my wife had fried catfish with fries and salad. They were well cooked and had tasted delicious. We dined with my mother-in-law that had grilled salmon and brother-in-law who had shrimp.

Trying anything new can help break the monotony of life. Going to a new restaurant can help it get better and support their efforts to pursue their dream. New places are usually more experimental to see what the local tastes are. Enjoy the adventure every now and then, its good to have a taste for it.

Meals, Memories, Coming And Going

I hate it when a favorite place to eat closes. Many places where I loved to eat have come and gone over the years.

A friend of mine had to close her lunch spot recently. There’s word today that another Chattanooga area spot my wife and I enjoy is apparently closing too. The ice cream and hamburger place where my wife and I had our first date closed a few years ago.

Owning and operating a restaurant is not for the feint of heart. For those who keep things going, I salute them.

There are good memories of places I wish I could have one more meal.  I am a sentimental person, there are great memories of many places that have come and gone. 

Taco Bell For Breakfast, Yes Please – We made a run for the border this morning before Church and went to sample some of their offerings…we had a good experience. We ordered and split the A.M. Crunchwrap, A.M. Griller and the infamous Waffle Taco. They were all tasty and filling. Frankly they were better than expected.

We were hoping for the Cinnabon Delights but they didn’t have any this morning.

Chattanooga is a test market for their breakfast offerings and its success here will determine if it goes nationwide. We will give it another go soon…to get the Cinnabon Delights and more.

Waffle House is a place where you can go and get a good meal at not a lot of money. They have a tradition of quick service in a comfortable atmosphere. When you go there you will see people from all walks of life. As my wife says its a life equalizer. You will see individuals of all colors, creeds and economic status who are hungry just like you. 

Everyone has to eat and here in Chattanooga there are locations available in all parts of town. Its a great place to get a cup of coffee, a steak and yes even a waffle. There is a unique language that is spoken there, scattered, smothered and covered is probably the most familiar phrase you will hear. 

You can have a conversation with the person at the counter or the person in the next booth. Your waiter or waitress is there to serve up more than just food, they serve hospitality.

The shared experience of dining tends to break down barriers. There is something to be said about a place where your humanity is more important than your status. Everyone is there for a similar purpose and that is to break bread and perhaps pass the peace.

Thanks to my wife for inspiration to write this article.

Tonight we ate dinner at The Dinner Bell a local restaurant in Sweetwater at exit 62 off I-75 going toward Knoxville. Laura had fried chicken breast and I had barbecue. They were great and worth the drive up the road a piece. The atmosphere is country, casual and warm. I have know about this restaurant for years having gone to school at Hiwassee College in nearby Madisonville, TN. The prices are good, the quality is outstanding. We will be going back sometime down the road. Thanks to my wife Laura for taking this picture.

Taco Bell is skipping XL and going right to XXL when it comes to their new chalupa. It’s twice the size of a regular chalupa and packs 650 calories, 39g of fat, 9g saturated fat, 55mg cholesterol, 1300mg sodium, 53g carbs, 7g dietary fiber, 6g sugars and 23g protein. (via Taco Bell Unveils XXL Chalupa)

There is something wrong about this sort of thing. Its too big and too much. I guess someone will like it.