Hi everyone–I’m in Chicago right now, and having a blast! Last night I had a wonderful dinner, meeting my blogger buddy Jessica from Everyday Adventures of Me in the City for the first time! And tonight I dined alone at Ballo–one of the restaurants in my hotel. I really like dining alone. It’s a very freeing experience that I think everyone should try–at least once. Builds character. I don’t do it often but when the opportunity presents itself, I embrace it.
Tonight at Ballo I ordered a grilled chicken caesar salad and a glass of chardonnay. “Would you like me to bring a bread basket?” my waitress asked. “Absolutely,” I replied. And I’d like to mention–because I feel it’s relevant, although I can’t quite put my finger on why, other than to say it’s information you should have to fully grasp this experience–that my waitress was one of those tall, gorgeous, lanky model-types. Just stunning.
So my grilled chicken caesar salad arrives and it is–hands down–THE LARGEST SALAD I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. In fact, it’s served in a big wooden salad bowl with tongs and a separate plate. I’ve hosted dinner parties for 8 people and haven’t made a salad this large for the group of us! I look at my waify waitress wide-eyed and say, “Oh my God. This is the dinner salad?” And she replies laughing, “Yeah, it’s huge. Everything here is huge. When my sister and I come here for dinner we order this to share and the two of us aren’t even able to finish it!”
Hmm. Good to know.
So I go to work on my salad, and I’m not gonna lie–it was incredible. Absolutely delicious! I serve up myself one large plate of salad after another and eventually I hit the bottom of the bowl. As I’m scraping the last leaf of lettuce onto my fork I realize–really realize–that I just ate the most ginormous salad on the planet all by myself. Every. Last. Crouton. The concept of portion control is lost on me. I see my waitress walking toward me–spotting the empty salad bowl–and the expression on her face is priceless. For a split second I consider blurting out, “I’m pregnant and eating for two!” but then how do I explain the 2 glasses of chardonnay?? Dammit. She clears my dishes and cautiously asks, “How was your dinner?” And that’s when I decide, screw it. So I’m a big eater! That’s nothing to be ashamed of! I give her a big smile and reply with complete and utter satisfaction, “So good, thank you! …And was that pumpkin cheesecake I saw on your desert menu?”
Come on people–PUMPKIN cheesecake!
Oh yeah…this is the life!
Related Posts:
All Things Pumpkin
Thirsty Thursday
My Summer Vacation–Day 4
That sounds like so much fun! Dining alone at a hotel is so decadent.
I’m so happy you found some pumpkin cheesecake! I’ve never dined alone, well, except Subway. I’ll have to try it sometime!
Pumpkin cheesecake = best dessert ever!
When the husband travels (which he does every winter for months at a time), I give myself free reign to go to any restaurant I want, whenever I want. I eat alone a lot. I love it. It’s pretty liberating, for some odd reason. Sometimes I bring a book, sometimes I don’t.
But, I certainly don’t order a salad. I’m impressed…. that’s a lite meal in my book. =)
HAH! I love it. There’s no shame in having an appetite and making good use of it!
This reminds of a customer when I was serving at Baker’s Square. Our salads were quite large at the time and very rarely did a person finish it off . . . this woman really enjoyed her salad and I was cautious to ask if she wanted a slice of pie. With much embarrassment, she actually ordered ANOTHER salad and polished it off completely! Lol.
Haha! I love the story! How was the cheesecake?
I don’t even worry about portin control when it comes to salad. Having eaten that much lettuce, I’m sure you were hungry again in an hour, much like when you go for Chinese and end up feeling like you need a second dinner after it quickly runs through your system. Lettuce=lots of peeing and little calories.
I think you showed tremendous self-control in just ordering a salad. It was a salad…how bad could it be for you?! Yay you and the pumpkin cheesecake!!
MmM! Pumpkin cheesecake! Oh my!
Well hey, at least you ate a dinner-party sized salad instead of a dinner-party sized pumpkin cheesecake! Both sound utterly delicious though.
I love eating out alone! Everyone should try it once. And pumpkin cheesecake?? YUM.
Good for you! BE PROUD!
I’m getting hungry just reading that! Have no shame, at least it was salad and not a giant bowl of potato salad or pasta! I love dining alone occasionally too, it is so much fun to just sit and people watch instead of keeping up with conversation!
It was super awesome to meet you! I’m so glad you had a nice time in Chicago. You’re so good to eat alone out. I need to get better about that so I’m going to take your lead!
Ummmm. You’re on This Young House today – featured for your smarts. YAYAYAYAY!. My one question is, if they’re reading your blog, couldn’t they comment? I mean, come on Youngsters, share the love :). Congrats, girl!
Oh, PS, they give all the credit to G for the bedskirt pins and duvet clips – be sure to tell him how famous he is now. Haha.
Congrats on being featured on This Young House! I’m so jealous, lol.
Leah–too funny!! I’m pretty sure my server would have died had I done that, lol!
And the pumpkin cheesecake was fantastic!! I loved it!