If there is one thing I know I truly like in this world, it’s to eat. And while I proclaim to be one of the finest cooking husbands on the face of the planet, something I enjoy even more than cooking is dining out. I also enjoy an extremely wide variety of foods, and my nature is to always try new things (I almost never order the same Chinese dish more than once!). Because of this, I have become infatuated with the ultimate tool of the dining extraordinaire, the MENU.
(Sigh)……that’s right, I’m infatuated with menus (what a dork, hey?).
What do I mean by this? Well, I’ve been known to read a menu for up to four margaritas (happened just recently at Chili’s as a matter of fact) before I can conjure up the courage to place my order. Even then, I will question my dinner or lunch choice, even if it was really good, until my head hits the pillow that evening. For me, the worst time is the time from when I’ve actually placed my order until it arrives at my table. For example, I’ll have settled on and ordered the Pasta Carbonaro with Chicken, only to watch the waiter walk by with the most phenomenal looking order of Thai Barbecued Gulf Shrimp in the world! And as I look at my wife Stephanie with that pathetic “Oh my, what have I done?” look, she’ll just roll her eyes at me full well knowing I’ll be more than happy with what I ordered in the first place. I mean, I’m so weird that I’ll often
keep my menu after placing my order just so I can keep reading it. Does anyone know what I’m talking about here, or am I just some sort of Menu Freak? What is wrong with me!?!?
Now, since we had kids a few years back, our dining out experiences have dwindled down to once or twice every couple of months (that is unless you consider Culver’s or Wendy’s “dining out”). Because of this, I feel extra pressure on myself to make sure I make the best menu choice possible. What in the world is a Menu Freak to do!?
Fortunately, I discovered a wonderful website a couple years back called
Foodspot.com. If you are not familiar with the site, I’d suggest you check it out. It offers a searchable database of almost every restaurant in Wisconsin, many of which include their actual menu right on the website. How brilliant is that!? Not only does this help in choosing a place to dine out at, but it also gives me a chance to get some of my menu “freakedness” out of my system before arriving at the restaurant. This then allows me to make an informed choice for my meal without having to down $20 worth of cocktails during the decision making process (well, I probably still do that anyway). The one minor problem I’ve found is that most nicer dining establishments usually offer a nightly “chef’s special” that wasn’t on the website menu. This throws my whole menu pre-read system into a tailspin, but for the most part, Foodspot.com has made my life much easier when it comes to choosing my next entrée.
If you’re a Menu Freak like me, I’d suggest you give
Foodspot.com a try.
G’Night G’Town!
We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink. ~Epicurus
