Foreign & Domestic after years of staying indoors
What if I told you that my husband and I have been together for so long, I had to do the thing in which we make time to date each other. I know, I am trying to not barf as I type how normal and also capitalist we are while introducing a new attempt at a writing exercise, Eat You Out/Eat You In! Because other then the benefit of it helping to sustain a healthy relationship (and get to force someone to spend money on me while I get out of the house and away from our lovely and loved kids) I need to make it a thing in which I might write and judge the food or experience by. This prevents me from being an ass to Zach, obvi.
When we first met, we were poor in an expensive city so our first date was a Christmas Day showing of Silent Night Deadly Night 2. I hate horror movies, I was just enamored by him and I was not subtle as I said, “Date Me.” He likes horror movies and is very into not changing his personality for anyone. We work, and this is honestly the attitude I brought when saying we need to do a date night once a month.
Nothing has changed, except for marital status. We are in the same city, poor due to our decisions (children, property taxes, blowing my money on concerts and books), and if anything it has gotten more expensive. Still, I have been conditioned to buy things and go out and be seen. So I am faulting social media for tricking us into trying Foreign & Domestic.
It could have been that we went on an off night, where we were sat, or that our server was having an off night, and/or any combination of that. Whatever it was, we did not dig it.
To start this is a restaurant with limited space, which I love, but they are trying to extend it with an outdoor option which I also dig, even if it is 100 degrees out (as I type this in a garage with no air conditioning in 90 plus weather). We also need to take into consideration that this was around the time of recent rains. Basically, when we went the outdoor area was still showing an unfinished and uneven ground, in which unsteady tables were perched. We sat next to one of the blue barrels use to hold the tarp walls down, home to the city’s brand new mosquito population. They liquid it contained was festering with blood sucking babies, if the ABC promotions I get each year to take on that service is correct.
The menu for food and drink would indicate that it is more of a wine bar, where you spend money on their selection. Their premise is that they take foreign cooking traditions or cuts of meat and include their twist on it. At the time they had a head to snout tasting, so this also about the chef and culinary cultures they are inspired by. You can expect it to be pricy.
While I was intrigued by the chef tasting, as that seemed a good deal, with how long our food took to come out I am glad I didn’t. For the food we selected, there was no issue with the appetizer the waiter said they were known for (Gruyere Popovers). That was good and came out at a responsible time, but for our main meal it was over an hour and it did not come out warm.
The ice cream was good though.
Here is why it could have been the service, I think I threw off our waiter by being honest. They asked if I wanted to hear a joke, as that was their thing to start off when talking to tables, and I said No. I had not spoken to someone who wasn’t my kids or coworkers in awhile, okay, I forgot how social interactions work!
We spent the car ride home talking shit and recalling why we had stopped doing things like this in the first place. Our gauge for restaurants like this is usually, why pay more money for a worse version of Hillside Farmacy? For reference, the restaurant portion that Salt & Thyme used to have is the better version and worthy the value.
Bright side, we have since dated and that excursion was a success. Let’s see if I blog about it in the next year.