3.17.2009

Gut reaction

I was thinking about an odd bit of my personality while I was having a conversation with a friend today - the fact that the toughest decision I ever seem to make in life is what to order when I'm eating out. In all other areas of my life, I have always been a bit impressed with my ability to have a strong gut instinct of what I needed to do right off the bat, and the tenacity to stick with it until I get what I want (or completely fail and see the error in my ways). When shopping for clothes I even get a bit smug about the fact that I know exactly what I'm looking for before entering the store and can do a quick circuit and leave if I don't find it immediately.
This skill completely abandons me when food comes into the picture.
What do you want to eat tonight?
No clue
What are you in the mood for?
You choose
Are you ready to order?
I'll go last
Are you ready now?
Which do you think is better out of these two....?

When I do find something on the menu I like, there's usually some kind of bargaining I want to go through - can I get tots instead of fries? Can I get this steamed instead of fried? Can I get the dressing on the side? Can I substitute the chili for the salad? Can I get a fruit cup instead of hash browns? Can you make this spicy, please?

Outside the dinner table things seem so cut and dry for me; the path clear. Very seldom do I have to ask what my options are; I'm working them all out in my head. I rarely ask 'what do you think I should do?' I guess when it boils down to it, food for me is a matter of taste, while everything else turns into a mission - something I can see the end of already (for good or bad). Food is something to enjoy and even create and imagine the possibilities with, while my next step is more methodical and planned out; an inevitability. A necessity and not really open for discussion.

So now it's 'rainbow or pineapple sherbet?' I think I'll have both... Next week I'll be exploring the dining options in Washington D.C. and taking the next couple steps down that path I've been rapidly approaching for the last couple months; I'm sure I'll be well-fed and ready for the journey.

2 comments:

Julie said...

in DC, you gotta eat Ethiopian food!

yeahdog said...

Oh hells yeah - give me some recs!